Bramble cocktail

When looking at the Bramble Cocktail, one might think it is one of those early-age cocktail recipes. It is restrained, with only a limited amount of ingredients, and right on point when it comes to flavor. 

Also, the name Bramble does sound like it could be one of these marvelous vintage classic cocktail creations. But the cocktail is far from being old. In fact, it's one of the younger cocktails you can find on official cocktail lists like the one from the IBA.

Ingredients of the best Bramble Cocktail

Making a great Bramble Cocktail isn't too difficult, really. Still, there are a few things to consider before you start mixing. You need to pick a suitable type of Gin, squeeze fresh lemon juice, and select the right glass to avoid too much dilution from the crushed ice. 

• Gin: A classic Dry or London Dry Gin works well for the Bramble Cocktail because you don't want to take away from the beautiful blackberry notes of the Crème de Mûre. I recommend, for example, a Rutte Dry or the Sipsmith.
• Crème de Mûre: you can't go wrong with Giffard or Merlet. Both work beautifully in a Bramble Cocktail. And there's an interesting fact I want to mention here.Instead of adding the blackberry liqueur to your shaker, you pour it over the crushed ice in in a circular motion. That creates the perfect visual you want for your Bramble Cocktail. 
• simple syrup
• freshly squeezed lemon juice
• crushed ice

The glassware

The best option regarding the glassware is an Old Fashioned glass or a Tumbler. Their designs keep the contents chilled longer than, for instance, a coupe glass would. And that's what you want for a cocktail recipe that calls for crushed ice.

History of the Bramble

Dick Bradsell invented the Bramble Cocktail during his time at Fred's Club in London. The name rings a bell with you? 

That's probably because the Bramble isn't his only famous creation. He also invented the world-famous Espresso Martini. And that cocktail is still one of the main reasons coffee liqueurs like Kahlúa are so successful.

When Bradsell created the Bramble in 1984, he experimented with a new blackberry liqueur the bar had received shortly before named Crème de Mûre. The result was nothing short of extraordinary. 

With only a few ingredients, he produced something that was similar to a blend of a traditional Gin Sour and a Singapore Sling. It was a perfect balance between sweet, sour, and fruity flavors.

And Bradsell was instantly hooked with the taste of the blackberry liquor. It reminded him of the brambles -you might know them as blackberries- he ate as a child. 

Consequently, he decided to go with this self-explanatory name. The "Bramble" was born.

The recipe Bradsell created for the Bramble is simple yet elegant. It is easy to make and delicious. There honestly aren't many reasons to tweak this recipe. 

However, as mixology evolves, new creations come up. And indeed, there are quite some intriguing ways to jazz up the classic formula.

Variations of the classic Bramble recipe

One of the most popular variations is to bring in fresh blackberries. But garnishing the cocktail with them won't be enough. 

For this variation, Crème de Mûre gets replaced with fresh blackberries and a dash of simple syrup.

Another way to change the recipe is to use another base spirit. For this, you want to replace your usual Gin component. For instance, Pisco or Rhum Agricole are quite common substitute products. 

If you prefer to keep the Gin in the cocktail or fancy adding some extra fizz, you can also make a Bramble Fizz. The usual way for that would be to add soda water.

While, if you feel like a little more luxury, you can take this fizz to the next level. By using Champagne instead of soda water, you'll get a Royal Bramble.

Bramble

A delicious Gin cocktail made with blackberry liqueur

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Prep Time: 3 minutes

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: British

Keyword: Gin

Servings: 1

Calories: 266kcal

Cost: $3.20

Ingredients

• 2 oz Dry Gin
• 1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• 0.5 oz Sugar Syrup
• 0.75 oz Crème de Mûre

Instructions

• Add your Gin, fresh lemon juice, and sugar syrup into a shaker with ice.
  2 oz Dry Gin, 1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice, 0.5 oz Sugar Syrup
• Shake until the drink is well-chilled and strain it into an Old Fashioned glass over crushed ice.
• Gently pour the crème de Mûre over the crushed ice - remember it has to be "in a circular motion".
  0.75 oz Crème de Mûre
• Garnish with fresh blackberries and lemon wheel.

Nutrition

Serving: 4.5oz | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.5g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.7g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 69mg | Sugar: 23.5g | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.05mg

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