The Tale of Ramblin’ Man Ale
Well, howdy. Matthew Bramble here, president of Ramblin’ Man Breweries. Pleased to meet you and thank you kindly for picking up a sixer of our classic Ramblin’ Man Ale. You know, there’s a great story behind our beer, if you’d care to hear it.
It all started in Arizona in the year 1889. Or was it 1890? No, it was ‘89 because yeah yeah it was ‘89. Anyway. My great-great-grandfather Elias Bramble was U.S. Marshal, which was a dangerous job, as you may have gathered from some accounts of the time period. Of course, some are more accurate than others. Unforgiven directed by Clint Eastwood is just about as good as it gets. Did you know that was the first Western to win the Academy Award for Best Picture? I’m pretty sure that’s right. Might not be, though. I don’t have my phone on me to check right now…
But regardless Elias Bramble. My great-great-grandpa. He’d been on the hunt for the elusive Jonny Coates, a ruthless caravan robber. You may not have heard of Jonny Coates because he wasn’t a train robber like Jesse James and whatnot. Not as glamorous a lifestyle but plenty ruthless. Plenty ruthless. It’s an unfortunately common misconception that caravan robbers weren’t as ruthless, but they were, they really were. You ever read Great Caravan Robberies of the Wild West? No? Excellent book. Informative and just a heck of a read. You want to borrow it? I’ll go get it for you. I will. No? Well, next time you’re at the library or amazon.com, give it a look.
Where was I? Right right Jonny Coates. He’d been on the run for quite a while, with Elias Bramble just two hoofprints behind him the whole time. Of course, townsfolk started to notice that he was always “rambling about after that fellow Coates” in the words of a, uh, well a, it was a, uh, hotelier I think. In one of the towns. In New Mexico, I believe. Of course, New Mexico wasn’t a state at that point. That wasn’t until 1908. 1909. Maybe later. Tricky and time-consuming process, statehood. Puerto Rico still isn’t a state, can you believe that? Of course they prefer to reap the benefits of—
Well, anyway. We’re not talking about Puerto Rico here. Though there actually is an interesting story about my grandfather Edward Bramble and his dalliances with the rum trade during Prohibition, but it’s my understanding that’s not something I should discuss in my role as president here at Ramblin’ Man Breweries. Not that I always do what my lawyers tell me to, believe you me!
By the way, thanks for reading onto the bottom of the carton here. I know I got a little off track. Back to Elias Bramble, who’d earned the nickname “Bramble Bush” because he rambled around like a bramble bush in the wind after Jonny Coates and because his last name was Bramble, like mine. Now this wasn’t entirely a kindly nickname, of course, and my great-great-grandpappy decided he needed to catch this Coates devil or he’d be the laughingstock of the West.
And that, sadly, is how it turned out. Elias Bramble failed in multiple attempts to capture Jonny Coates and then failed in multiple attempts to commit suicide, which was considered funny back then. Strange how certain things that used to be considered hilarious are hard to laugh at now, isn’t it? I could never get into the Marx Brothers. Regardless, Elias Bramble died in 1897 from severe alcoholism, never living down the name “Bramble Bush.”
Eighty years later, seeking to clear the Bramble name, my father, Jacob Bramble, established Ramblin’ Man Breweries, naming it after the popular Allman Brothers Band song. They have a bunch of great tunes, and that one is honestly my favorite, though I really like “Silver Dollar” and “Sweet Home Alabama” too. But what I was saying was that my dad had and still has a tendency to tell lengthy stories that take multiple directions. Some people call it “rambling.” He hadn’t even been thinking of that when he’d started the company, but now he was stuck with it. He’d attached another unfortunate nickname to the Bramble family. That’s why he’s hard to talk to now.
Of course I didn’t help things when I inherited his tendency toward shall we say freestyle storytelling, along with his knobby knees. Let me tell you, both of those things together got me a lot of grief in grade school. But that’s another story. Which you can find on any Ramblin’ Man Ale 12-pack. Or just email me.
Enjoy!
Notes