Apple Sage Splasher Mocktail

Holidays and gatherings hand a glass to everyone but you more often than any other stretch of this protocol asks you to sit with. This syrup solves for that a full day ahead of the moment you actually need it. Simmer it, strain it, chill it, and when the doorbell rings you already have somewhere to reach.

The apple juice here stays unfiltered on purpose, because filtering strips out plant compounds that survive when the fruit is left whole. Quercetin is one of them, thought to ease inflammatory signaling in someone whose immune system runs hot more often than it should. Sage's rosmarinic acid works along similar lines, though the few leaves in this batch are more accent than dose.

Rim the glass. Let the cinnamon catch the light before you pour. A drink you dressed with your own hands, in a glass you took an extra minute over, tastes like more than apple and spice. It tastes like you decided you were still allowed to celebrate.

Ingredients

For the spiced syrup:

• 2 cups unfiltered, unsweetened apple juice
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 fresh sage leaves
• 5 dried cloves
• 1/2 cinnamon stick

For assembly:

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• Ice
• Seltzer water, to top
• Apple slices, for garnish (optional)

Method

Combine the apple juice, lemon juice, honey, sage leaves, cloves, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the liquid has reduced slightly and the spices have had time to infuse. The smell in the kitchen will be worth it on its own.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool for a few minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a jar or container, discarding the sage, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Let the strained syrup cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until fully cold, at least 1 hour. To speed this up, set the jar in a bowl of ice water and stir occasionally until cold.

When you are ready to serve, mix the ground cinnamon and coconut sugar together on a small flat plate. Run a lemon wedge or the cut edge of an apple slice around the rim of each glass to moisten it, then dip the rim into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and rotate gently to coat.

Fill each glass with ice. Pour the chilled syrup over the ice, then top with seltzer water to your taste - more seltzer gives a lighter, more refreshing drink, less gives a more concentrated flavor. Garnish with apple slices if using. Serve immediately.

*Adapted from Wendi's AIP Kitchen*