Lamb Martini

For July’s Mixology Mondays, Jeffery Morgenthaler presented a classic cocktail variation deemed The Bridgeport Bramble. Considering it’s named for the city I currently call home, I had to try it. Never content to leave good enough great alone, I had make my own changes.

The original recipe called for 1.5 oz of Aviation Gin, 3/4 oz lemon, 1/2 oz syrup, and 3/4 oz blackberry liqueur. I didn’t have 3 of the 4 ingredients, so…

When I made this, I hadn’t yet tried Aviation. I did want to use gin style other than London Dry, so I used some Plymouth. Plymouth is much weaker than most gins, so I upped the proportion. I had limes. No blackberry liqueur, but I did make some tequila marionberries. These were so sweet that I reduced the amount of syrup.

After mixing, the drink was so fruity that it had the perception of begin very sweet and “unsophisticated”. I’d recently acquired some of the aged Fee’s bitters, and this seemed the perfect dash of sophistication the drink needed. Had I used genever-style Aviation, this spice would have been provided as part of the gin component, so I inadvertently mixed it closer to the original recipe. As for the texture, the berry coloring and juice made the drink seem to thick, and a bit of soda water seemed in order. This made it perfect for me: fruit, spicy, cold, and effervescent.

Recipe:

Bridgetown Bramble (var) Fizz
2 oz Plymouth gin (1.5 oz Aviation)
1 oz lime juice (.75 oz lemon)
2 tsp simple syrup
2 tequila marionberries + bit of liquor
1 dash Fee’s Whiskey Barrel Aged Old Fashioned Bitters

Muddle marionberries. Shake all and strain over ice into an old-fashioned glass. Add a bit of soda water on top.

Tequila Marionberries: