In partnership with Koval, we're excited to share three holiday cocktail recipes you can make right at home with your cocktail garden.
6th Gear Recipe
Makes: 1 cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz KOVAL Barrel Aged Gin
- 0.25 oz KOVAL Coffee Liqueur
- 0.5 oz banana and sage syrup
- 3 dashes cardamom bitters
- 3 sage leafs
Directions
- Step One: Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass.
- Step Two: Add ice, and stir for 40 rotations.
- Step Three: Serve up in a coupe glass with a sage bundle wrapped in a lemon twist.
Recipe created in partnership with Koval by Shiloh Andrus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Rise Garden herbs are used in the Rise x Koval 6th Gear cocktail?
The 6th Gear cocktail was developed in collaboration with Chicago's KOVAL Distillery and features fresh sage — a hardy aromatic herb that can be grown hydroponically (a method of cultivating plants without soil, using a nutrient-rich water solution) and harvested year-round in a Rise Garden. Growing your own cocktail herbs means you can replicate craft bar-quality drinks at home with ingredients harvested moments before mixing. Indoor sage and other cocktail herbs typically reach harvest maturity in as little as 21–28 days, so you'll rarely find yourself waiting long for a fresh supply. Rise Garden makes it easy to always have a supply of fresh mint, basil, and citrus herbs on hand for entertaining.
Can I grow cocktail herbs year-round in a Rise Garden?
Yes — one of the biggest advantages of a Rise Garden is that it operates entirely indoors, giving you fresh mint, basil, lemon thyme, and other cocktail-friendly herbs every season of the year. There is no need to wait for summer or rely on grocery store bunches that wilt within days. According to the USDA, hydroponically grown herbs can produce yields significantly higher than their soil-grown counterparts, and hydroponic systems use up to 95% less water than traditional soil gardening — making your home bar both fresher and more sustainable. You can explore our full seed pod collection to find the best herbs for cocktail making. Harvesting fresh sprigs directly into your cocktail shaker is a genuinely elevated home bartending experience.
What is KOVAL Distillery and why did Rise Gardens collaborate with them?
KOVAL is an award-winning craft distillery based in Chicago that shares Rise Gardens' commitment to quality, local craftsmanship, and thoughtful sourcing. The collaboration brought together two Chicago-based companies that believe great ingredients — whether grown or distilled — are the foundation of exceptional flavor. The partnership produced seasonal cocktail recipes designed to be made at home using fresh herbs from a Rise Garden.
What type of spirit is featured in the 6th Gear cocktail?
The 6th Gear cocktail is crafted using KOVAL Barrel Aged Gin, a spirit known for its complex, botanical profile that pairs beautifully with fresh herbal elements like sage. KOVAL's spirits are made from 100% organic grain in small batches, making them a natural fit for a fresh-herb cocktail approach. Research from Cornell University's Center for Controlled Environment Agriculture has shown that hydroponically grown herbs can contain up to 50% more aromatic compounds than store-bought equivalents, which means the sage you grow at home genuinely elevates the flavor of every pour. The combination of quality spirits and home-grown herbs is what makes this collaboration feel both elevated and approachable.
