Have you ever had a Bramble?
** Head to the bottom of this post for our updated review.
No? Me neither. But the retro cocktail branding and Mad Man vibe drew me in. You know I am a total design//branding nerd so the Art Deco stars and cocktail illustrations were too much for me to resist. I just had to pick up this pre-made sparkling cocktail from Half Seas for us to try.
The Half Seas branding may have drawn my eye to the bottom self (a total injustice btw) but it was the natural ingredients that sealed the deal. This pre-made cocktail boosts dry London gin, natural berry flavor and pure sugar cane. I am not normally a gin drinker but hey, why not give it a whirl? You never know until you try.
So how did it taste??
Here is official my score for the Half-Seas Sparkling Cocktails Bramble:
I am giving this ready-to-drink cocktail 4 out of 5 cocktail shakers for it's overall score. Maybe even 4.5 cocktail shakers.
The initially sip took me off guard. I guess I expected a smooth, easy to drink cocktail but that is not this babes. It's better. It has a real alcohol kick to it which immediately let's you know this ain't your mamma's wine cooler. And thank goodness for that!
One shaker = not sweet at all // Five shakers = your teeth may curl
This sparkling cocktail is not sweet. It does have a nice berry flavor to it which I really liked. If you're following along, you know I prefer my cocktails a little on the sweeter side. But in this case I'm okay with it being less sweet because of the fuzz factor... (more on that in the next section).
One shaker = does this have booze? Five shakers = Four Lokos
Officially this one rings in at 12.27% ABV. That super precise percentage is just another tiny detail to a brand that is all about the little things. (A brand after my own heart!)
The fuzzy factor on this ready-to-drink cocktail makes it a winner in my book. With just a few sips I could feel the day melt away which is exactly why I love a good cocktail. As I've mentioned before, I'm not in the game for a purist, mixology experience. I'm all about the escape from daily stressors that comes with a tasty cocktail among friends.
Would I buy this again?
Yep! And I'd buy it for my friends.
The unique flavor choices from Half Seas - they also have a sparkling Paloma and Daiquiri - make these ready-to-drink cocktails feel legit fancy pants. Like you could put a bunch of these cans on ice in a cute little bucket for your guests and feel super Martha Stewart. Bonus points if you provide cute straws. I may know where you can get some... :)
UPDATE
I recently tried this canned cocktail again during my trip to Vegas. I remembered liking this drink (and the super cute can) but not much about the taste. It has a great berry flavor that I didn't catch before. I'm not sure how I missed that. It's so yummy!
My theory is that this time when I tried it I poured it out of the can into a glass over ice. Maybe it was releasing it from the can that brought out all the flavors I missed before. Either way, I highly recommend this ready to drink cocktails and my advice would be to pour it into a cute cocktail glass to partake. I might know where you can get some cute glasses. *wink wink*
UPDATED REVIEW: 5 COCKTAIL SHAKERS
Have you tried this drink? What did you think? I'd love to hear from you in the comments section. The more opinions the better! Let's "drink together" and share our cocktail stories.
