For bartender Zack Vernon, every cocktail starts with curiosity, not a recipe.
“I write down ideas in my phone,” Zack says. “Super loose, just flavors that kind of come to mind.” Sometimes it’s nothing more than a few ingredients scribbled together, like “flower liqueur, olive oil, martini.” Months later, that idea may have transformed into something completely different.
“I let things progress very naturally and go where I feel they need to go,” he says. “If my notes say martini right now, it doesn’t have to be a martini. It probably won’t be a martini,” he adds with a laugh.
Inspiration usually comes with what’s arriving through the kitchen’s back door. As Executive Chef Hugo Goodwin and his team source fresh produce from regional growers, Zack pays close attention to what’s in season. If local berries are at their peak, they may inspire a new cocktail. When peaches start arriving, they’re transformed into a rich, torched peach cocktail featuring brown butter fat-washed cognac. Fruits and vegetables from the kitchen tend to make their way into the cocktails at some point.
“Our shrub mocktail really just uses whatever’s in season,” Zack explains. “When strawberries are out of season, that’s it; I’m not running strawberries anymore.”
Something New All the Time
Unlike larger restaurants that may keep the same cocktail menu for months at a time, Wild Sage evolves with the seasons, ensuring every menu feels fresh and connected to the ingredients available at that moment.
“A lot of bars in Jackson have good drink menus, but they never change. And if they do change, it’s like one drink every six months,” Zack says. “They do a lot more volume than us, so it’s tougher to switch things up all at once. I get it. But us, being smaller, we have more liberty to change things. We do something new every season, and even throughout the season. From my side, it’s a lot more fun, and our guests appreciate that approach too.”
From Concept to Cocktail
Developing a new cocktail often means countless tastings, adjustments, and feedback from the entire restaurant team. Zack laughs that his process is “long-winded” and “involves a lot of testing,” but every revision serves a purpose.
Before a drink ever reaches guests, it goes through a collaborative tasting process.
“We have people with great palates working here,” he says. “Everybody tastes, and we fine tune from there.”
One teammate may want more sweetness, while another may suggest dialing back an ingredient or adjusting the acidity. Zack welcomes the input.
“I don’t necessarily think that every drink needs to appeal to everybody. I think that’s a bad cocktail list, an uninspired cocktail list. But ultimately I’m not selling these cocktails to me. I’m always really happy with what we end up with, I think there’s something for everyone.”
Whether it’s a crowd favorite or something entirely unique, the team at the Wild Sage knows that great cocktails aren’t rushed. They’re inspired by the seasons, shaped through experimentation and refined with feedback. At Wild Sage, that process is part of what makes every visit unique, and every cocktail worth savoring.
Try It at Home: Zack’s Classic Negroni
While many of Wild Sage’s cocktails involve house-made ingredients and detailed preparation, Zack says one of his favorite drinks is also one of the simplest. The classic Negroni has remained a bartender favorite for more than a century, and for good reason.
“The beauty is it’s super simple,” Zack says. “There’s nothing more you can take away to make it better.”
For home bartenders, his biggest piece of advice is equally straightforward: stir the cocktail instead of shaking it to avoid over-diluting the drink. Beyond that, don’t overthink it.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce gin
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth
- Orange peel, for garnish
Directions
- Fill a mixing glass with ice.
- Add equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
- Stir well until thoroughly chilled.
- Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
- Twist an orange peel over the drink to express the oils and garnish.
