Friday, June 20, 2014

Drinks with Reads: Rebecca & The Bramble



Janet Rogerson joins us today to tee up Rebecca by Daphne DeMaurier ( (Winner of the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the Century - that's a big deal.) 

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderlay again..."

Romance and mystery, are intertwined perfectly in this tale narrated by the second Mrs. Maxim deWinter whose first name the reader never learns.

In a whirlwind romance, the narrator is swept off her feet by the handsome and wealthy Maxim, a widower. He is loving and attentive until he brings his new bride home to his estate, Manderley, on the rugged Cornish coast of England.

Almost from the moment they arrive at Manderley, Maxim becomes withdrawn. His friends and sinister housekeeper make our heroine feel shabby and inept compared to the elegant and sophisticated Rebecca deWinter, Maxim's first wife.

And there are secrets, all centering on Rebecca's disappearance.

Our heroine searches for answers, unsuccessfully. But Rebecca's body is found and Maxim is accused of murdering her. As the case comes to trial, the truth about Rebecca's deceitful life and the unhappiness she caused Maxim comes to light.



The Bramble

1 1/2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
3/4 oz. crème de mure liquer (blackberry liquor)
Garnish with a couple of blackberries

1.  Pour the gin, lime juice, and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2.  Shake well.
3. Strain over crushed ice in a highball glass.
4.  Drizzle crème de mure on top and garnish with blackberries.

Non-alcohol Bramble

2 oz. of tonic water
3/4 oz. of fresh lime juice
3/4 oz. black cherry juice
Garnish with a couple of blackberries

1. Mix lime juice and tonic water.
2. Pour over crushed ice in a highball glass.
3. Drizzle black cherry juice on top and garnish with blackberries. 


3 comments:

  1. I love this book! One of my all time favorites. The drink looks great too. Thank you for this great post, Janet.

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  2. Rebecca is one of my favorite reads of all time too. And I'm a gin drinker, so the Bramble is right up my alley. I just need to get the blackberry liquer.

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  3. Wow! I know that cover. When I was a kid, I read that thirty-five cent book enough times that it finally fell apart. And in my first novel to be released shortly, Rebecca is a topic of conversation at the book club meeting in the opening pages. I guess I'm going to have to get some cherry juice for a non-alcoholic Bramble.

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