Bramble drinks

[Nathan]

[Note: Split from the fruit topic]

Death & Company is going a good drink that uses fruit in an interesting way.  The Ramble is a fairly simple drink with lemon juice and gin in a tall glass over crushed ice.  What makes it interesting is that the poured drink is topped with several muddled raspberries, small pieces of which, along with the  muddled-out raspberry juice, gradually seep down into the drink.

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sounds like a raspberry bramble to me. (are they using a touch of raspberry liquor instead creme de mure?....I'll ask tonight or tomorrow)

[slkinsey]

sounds like a raspberry bramble to me.  (are they using a touch of raspberry liquor instead creme de mure?....I'll ask tonight or tomorrow)

The point is, I think, that they're using fresh fruit instead of a liqueur. Thus the different, but clearly derivative name.

[Nathan]

sounds like a raspberry bramble to me.  (are they using a touch of raspberry liquor instead creme de mure?....I'll ask tonight or tomorrow)

The point is, I think, that they're using fresh fruit instead of a liqueur. Thus the different, but clearly derivative name.

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Dick Bradsell's Bramble uses both creme de mure and muddled blackberries. so I'm not sure I see the difference, except in the switch to raspberries.

[slkinsey]

The most authoritative Bramble recipe I've seen is:

<blockquote>1.5 oz : Plymouth Gin

.75 oz : fresh lemon juice

.50 oz : simple syrup

.75 oz : cremé de mûre

Build gin, lemon juice and simple over crushed ice. Float cremé de mûre. Garnish with lemon slice and two raspberries.</blockquote>

No muddling of which I am aware. The fruit is garnish only.

Edited September 14, 2007 by slkinsey (log)

[Nathan]

The most authoritative Bramble recipe I've seen is:

<blockquote>1.5 oz : Plymouth Gin

.75 oz : fresh lemon juice

.50 oz : simple syrup

.75 oz : cremé de mûre

Build gin, lemon juice and simple over crushed ice.  Float cremé de mûre.  Garnish with lemon slice and two raspberries.</blockquote>

No muddling of which I am aware.  The fruit is garnish only.

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interesting..the one I had had muddled blackberries.

well, the important thing is that we all agree fresh fruit is better when available...

[daisy17]

sounds like a raspberry bramble to me.  (are they using a touch of raspberry liquor instead creme de mure?....I'll ask tonight or tomorrow)

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I'm pretty sure that Phil or Joaquin told me last time I was in that they're not using liqueur.

[slkinsey]

Last time I was there, I saw Brian make a half-dozen of these right in front of me. Don't recall seeing any liqueur.

[ThinkingBartender]

Having worked with Dick Bradsell, I can tell you that Mr. B didn't muddle blackberries in his bramble.

Cheers!

George

[eje]

interesting..the one I had had muddled blackberries.

well, the important thing is that we all agree fresh fruit is better when available...

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Hmmm... Well, not really.

A well made liqueur or Eau de Vie can capture more of a fruit (and especially a spice or herb)'s essence than simple muddling.

That's like saying fresh fruit is always better than jam.

I can muddle an apricot and some sugar on my toast; but, there is no way it is going to taste as good as a well made apricot jam.

Admittedly, that one week out of a year apricots are truly outstanding, it might be nice to simply butter your bread, slice an apricot, sprinkle on some sugar, and enjoy...Or make an Apricot Cocktail (Dry).

But, the rest of the year, I'll stick to apricot jam and apricot liqueur, thank you very much.

But, now I'm derailing this topic...

Edited September 14, 2007 by eje (log)

[phlip]

There is no liquior in the ramble, and obviously it is a variation on the bramble. Also I've never seen a recipe for muddled blackberrys in a bramble.

[bostonapothecary]

interesting..the one I had had muddled blackberries.

well, the important thing is that we all agree fresh fruit is better when available...

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Hmmm... Well, not really.

A well made liqueur or Eau de Vie can capture more of a fruit (and especially a spice or herb)'s essence than simple muddling.

i've been making black berry liqueur for quite a while now. i think i can get better results than muddled fruit or any commercially available product. i make it once a year when the fruit is at its best (and most affordable) i use nothing artificial and the color of my result is much different than a commercial product. i control my own sugar content and peg it to sweet vermouth. i control my own fortifying spirit and can use something high quality. right now i infuse the fortifying spirit with a particular black tea from nepal and it doesn't oxidize because the antioxidants of the berries preserve it...

i started doing it as a pairing for particular desserts. charlie trotter advised doing it because intense berry desserts can clobber dessert wines. so far it has gone over very well. in cocktails i've used it in the bramble and with gin diluted green chartreuse, brack berry shrub, and lime juice

[Nathan]

nope.

A. I'm pretty sure that the Brambles they were making at East Side Company Bar a while back used muddled blackberries.

B. more importantly, the following is a recipe for the Bramble put forth by the Bombay Sapphire company that at least implies to be Bradsell's, it uses muddled blackberries:

http://prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=10270

[slkinsey]

B. more importantly, the following is a recipe for the Bramble put forth by the Bombay Sapphire company that at least implies to be Bradsell's, it uses muddled blackberries:

http://prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=10270

Sorry, but it strikes me that everything about that recipe suggests that it is either a "custom variation" for Bombay (note that it is called the "Brambled Bombay" rather than a "bombay Bramble") or simply a bad, misquoted adaptation. Honestly, that recipe is a mess: not only does the "instructions" section call for ingredients not on the ingredient list (soda and lemonaid) but it also specifies that all the ingredients be shaken together rather than the cremé de mûre being added to the top.

[Nathan]

hmm...good point. sounds like someone at Bombay did some ill-advised "tweaking"...

[notahumanissue]

A.  I'm pretty sure that the Brambles they were making at East Side Company Bar a while back used muddled blackberries.

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...keeping in mind that the last time I was at East Side Company Bar, I had a horses neck that was nothing of the sort. no neck, just some lime wedges. but then again, it was never really intended as a haven for cocktail geekery, right?

[Nathan]

all too true.

and even Little Branch is quite variable (if certain people are working...great! if not.....)

this is why I have to give props to the new people at Pegu....even though the drinks I order often cause them to make their first....they follow the book (right down to the poor bloke I cursed with making a horse's neck!)

[FrogPrincesse]

It's interesting to read about this, years later. The Bramble is Dick Bradsell's classic of course, with gin, lemon juice, and creme de mure (blackberry liqueur) plus simple syrup as the sweetener.

 

 

I didn't know that the version with fresh muddled blackberries instead of liqueur was called a Ramble, but I did know that the rum version was a Rumble, which makes sense.

 

Recently I made this Bramble/Ramble variation with fresh mulberries, Sipsmith London dry gin, lemon juice, simple syrup. The mulberries were a bit shy at first but this is a great way to enjoy gin, for sure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[haresfur]

I routinely substitute fruit syrups for fruit liqueurs in cocktails. Mainly a cost consideration and I wouldn't think it was worthy of a cute variation on the name. As with any substitution, some tweaking may be needed.

 

ETA: "Those of you that insist on making this drink wrong with vodka should think up your own bloody name for it." 

Edited April 26, 2016 by haresfur (log)

[Lisa Shock]

In the end though, isn't this a variation on a gin Daisy (with muddled fruit instead of liqueur)?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

The rum variation sounds really good.  The gin ones does too.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Accordingly I went looking for some blackberries...

 

 

 

I was successful.  I had thought to assay raspberry gum in place of ordinary gum, but the blackberries provided plenty of color and berry flavor without it.

 

 

So I guess this would be called a rumble:

 

3 oz La Favorite

juice of one lemon

half a dozen lovely blackberries, muddled

3/4 oz feste's gum

[Craig E]

20 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

So I guess this would be called a rumble

I like it!