We were honored to be featured in Modern Luxury Silicon Valley’s July issue, talking all about summer sips. We rounded up a few of our favorite warm-weather tips and spilled the gin on one of our most beloved summer drinks— a beautiful Bramble (a tiki style cocktail) created by Jennifer for our private corporate clients. The recipe has been a secret kept for too long and we’re excited for you to enjoy the look your guests give you when they take their first sip, “Wait but like did you make-this-make-this yourself?!” Why yes, you did.
A note from Jennifer on this special cocktail:
"As I began exploring the art of mixology I stumbled across a new world of ingredients, found a passion for historical cocktails, and developed a talent for remixing them. Let’s be clear — I am not the creator of the famous Bramble, but merely a re-mixer. Dick Bradsell, “The Cocktail King” (you may have heard of his most famous bar expression— the Espresso Martini), created this gin-based tiki style concoction to pay tribute to his time as a boy growing up in the UK.
On a hot summer day, just two years ago (during the pandemic and amidst our FOOD LA LA pivot), I was tasked with creating a cocktail to beat the heat. Lindsay always reminds me, “there’s nothing cuter than simplicity” and her desire to create inspired drinks that anyone at home can make and be proud of has really helped me find my unique voice and style of cocktail creations.
To help with inspiration, I watched endless videos of talented bartenders mixing up tiki style cocktails until I came across the Bramble! Just a week prior, a lovely Egyptian chef had whipped up a lemonade with a pomegranate concentrate float — it was a tasty, sensory explosion of flavor! The most necessary ingredient to finish this simple yet flavor-filled drink is a dried sage simple syrup; like adding vibrato to a violin solo, rounding out the sound and adding a layer of complexity!"
FOOD LA LA RECIPE: BRAMBLE
INGREDIENTS (1 COCKTAIL):
1/4 cup of sugar
3-4 sage leaves
1 oz lemon juice
2 oz gin (we love Junipero)
2 ml of pomegranate concentrate (like this)
Lots of ice
Garnish and tools: Lemon peel, dried rose bud petals, metal pick, short straw
STEPS:
Sage simple syrup: in a small saucepan (over medium low heat) combine sugar with 1/4 cup water. Rub sage to release oils then add to pot and whisk until sugar dissolves. Let cool.
With a vegetable peeler, peel a long lemon peel, then roll into a rosette and spear with metal pick. Set aside.
In a cocktail shaker combine lemon juice, 0.75 oz sage infused simple syrup and 2 oz gin, then fill with ice and shake! Strain (neat) into rocks glass. Add straw.
Fill glass to top with crushed ice (to crush your own, use a blender or food processor). If you have enough ice, create an ice cone on top.
Pour pomegranate concentrate on top and garnish with rose buds and lemon rosette!
Sip and enjoy!