Bramble Cocktail Recipe
A gin sour over crushed ice, bled through with blackberry liqueur so it drinks tart, fruity and ice-cold.
- Category: New Era Drinks
- Glass: Old fashioned glass
- ABV: 16%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Gin40 ml (1.4 oz)
- Fresh lemon juice15 ml (0.5 oz)
- Simple syrup10 ml (0.3 oz)
- Creme de mure (blackberry liqueur)15 ml (0.5 oz)
How to Make It
- Fill an old fashioned glass with crushed ice.
- Shake the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup with ice, then strain over the crushed ice.
- Drizzle the creme de mure over the top so it bleeds down through the drink.
- Garnish with two blackberries and a lemon slice.
Garnish
Two blackberries and a lemon slice.
What it tastes like
The citrus acidity leads, it smells of lemon and lime peel and fruit notes come forward.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
A heavy-bottomed, wide old fashioned glass. Wide enough for one large cube, which is the point: a big cube has less surface area, so the drink gets cold without getting watery.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Gin
- London dry gin: juniper up front, citrus and coriander behind it. Brand really does show here — Beefeater is sharp, Hendrick's floral, Tanqueray juniper-heavy.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Freshly squeezed lemon; one lemon gives 30-40 ml. It can swap with lime, but lemon is softer and less aromatic, so use a touch more.
- Simple syrup
- One part sugar to one part water, stirred until it dissolves — no need to boil it. Keeps a month in the fridge. No syrup? Use the same amount of honey, loosened with a little water.
The Story
Created in a London bar in the 1980s and inspired by British blackberry picking, it became one of the first modern classics of the UK cocktail revival.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Bramble mixed?
- It is shaken and served in an old fashioned glass.
- How strong is a Bramble?
- Roughly 16% ABV as served — right around a glass of wine — an aperitif or an early-evening drink.
- Can a Bramble be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Bramble hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.