Autumn begins this Saturday. Finally. What a summer it has been, with record-shattering heat waves and treacherous weather conditions reported from every corner of the globe. I think we all need the break, and as much as I am usually ready for fall, this year I feel almost desperate for it.

With the autumn moon just ahead, and fresh, late-summer blackberries singing their swan song, I figured it was finally time I shared my home bar version of this refreshing, not-too-sweet bourbon cocktail that I enjoyed earlier this summer during my visit to Vermont.

I had the pleasure of dining with my blog pal, Dorothy, and her husband at a quaint, farm-to-table restaurant called Starry Night Cafe on the last night of my visit there, and it wasn’t only the food that was amazing. The drink menu also was very impressive, and one cocktail in particular caught my attention— they called it Bramble On. It was fresh, local blackberries with bourbon, lime, ginger liqueur and a berry-mint garnish. It was fabulously  refreshing and I knew at first sip that I would want it again in the fall.

It doesn’t hurt at all that the drink’s name was a play on the title of an amazing Led Zeppelin tune, “Ramble On.” I’ve been a Led Zeppelin fan for as long as I can remember, and this song, which was released from the group’s second album when I was but 4 years old, is one of my all-time favorites. Not only does it reference a place and character from one of my favorite stories, The Lord of the Rings (listen for it about two-thirds through), but it features exquisitely emotional guitar solos by Jimmy Page and, of course, there’s Robert Plant’s distinctive voice. I just love everything about it it.

“Ramble On” tells a bittersweet tale through the eyes of a restless lover who has enjoyed the company of a woman for a season, but must keep moving to find the queen of all his dreams. It’s how I feel about summer— I enjoyed it for what it was— the thrills and trials and adventures— but I’m really, really ready for autumn. I need autumn and I need it now.

This cocktail feels like a perfect transition from summer into fall. A traditional “bramble” would involve muddling blackberries with gin, but this version with bourbon tickles my fancy more. It’s sweeter, cozier and lingers on the palate longer than the gin version.

I’ve taken a few liberties with the ingredients in my version of this cocktail, compared to the one I enjoyed in Vermont. But the end result is similar, with blackberries front and center. Given that fresh local blackberries have already bid adieu in many growing zones, I’ve swapped in blackberry preserves, which also provide the sweetness that the ginger liqueur brought to the Starry Night drink. Ginger bitters provide the right spicy zing to complement the berry sweetness, and a quick squeeze of lemon balances out the drink and keeps it fresh.

I skipped the mint garnish in favor of skewered fresh blackberries. But I have also served it with just an expressed lemon peel garnish when I ran out of berries. Either way, it’s delish!

Bramble On

• Servings: 2 cocktails
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

This cocktail feels like a perfect transition from summer into fall. A little bit sweet, with warm spices and a touch of lemon freshness. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 oz. favorite bourbon (we used a locally distilled, bottled-in-bond, but Elijah Craig small batch or Bulleit would be great)
• 1 Tbsp. good quality blackberry preserves (we like Bonne Maman, but homemade would be perfect here)
• juice of 1/2 small lemon
• 4 quick shakes ginger bitters (we like Hella brand)
• fresh blackberries or lemon peel to garnish

If you prefer to muddle fresh blackberries into the drink rather than using preserves, consider adding a tablespoon of simple syrup to amp up the sweetness a bit. If you don’t like the seeds in the preserves, double strain through a mesh strainer into the glass.

Directions

1. Add bourbon, preserves, lemon juice and bitters to a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice.
2. Shake 20 seconds to combine and dilute, then strain into two double rocks glasses with new ice.
3. Garnish with skewered fresh berries or lemon twist.