Ingredients
- 2 ozAlcohol-Free Whiskey
- ½ ozFresh lemon juice
- ½ ozPure maple syrup
- 2Ripe plum wedges
- 2Fresh sage leaves
- To shakeIce
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How to Make It
- In a shaker, gently muddle the plum wedges with one sage leaf.
- Add the alcohol-free whiskey, lemon juice, maple syrup, and ice.
- Shake hard until well chilled.
- Double strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with the remaining sage leaf, slapped between your palms to release its aroma.
Why This Works
Stone fruit and whiskey are one of autumn's great pairings — plum brings a jammy, wine-dark sweetness with its own acidity built in, so the drink needs less lemon and less sweetener than a standard sour. Maple, rather than simple syrup, adds a woodsy echo of the whiskey's barrel notes.
Sage is a bolder herb choice than mint or basil, and it's the right one here: its piney, savory aroma keeps the plum's sweetness from reading as dessert. One leaf muddled, one leaf as aromatic garnish — flavor in the drink, fragrance on top.
The Alcohol-Free Swap
Alcohol-free whiskey's oak and spice hold the orchard fruit and herbs together — this is a drink that shows off what good AF spirits can do.