What is a bramble
A simple and fresh cocktail with a sweet touch, the Bramble is well balanced. The Bramble is the perfect pre-dinner cocktail because it’s not too strong or complex, but with a clean, smooth, fruity flavor.
The Bramble is in fact a gin sour (sugar, lemon, and blackberry liqueur). The blackberry liqueur gives the final cocktail a sweet, fleshy flavor.
Its birth was in the ’80s in the stylish and bohemian quarter of London, Soho. The Bramble is an iconic drink, sipped around the world.
A brief history of the Bramble cocktail
Dick Bradsell invented the Bramble in 1984 while working at Fred’s Club in SoHo, one of the founding fathers of London’s cocktail scene.
This cross between a Cobbler and a Gin Sour has become a modern classic.
Based on a Singapore Sling, he considers it a sentimental play using only British products.
Toby Cecchini describes it as “the riesling of the cocktail world, known by drinks snobs since seemingly forever”. Blackberries lend the drink its flavor “reminiscent of his childhood on the Isle of Wight.”
Bramble cocktail recipe
Ingredients for a bramble cocktail
- Gin, 4 cl
- Lemon juice, 1.5 cl
- Sugar syrup, 1 cl
- Blackberry liqueur in 1.5 cl
Here’s how to make the perfect bramble drink
The building is built directly into the glass, so it must be old-fashioned.
Lemon juice should be strained after being squeezed.
In an ice-filled glass, combine gin, lemon juice, and sugar syrup.
Stir gently, then add the blackberry liqueur, which will give the cocktail a beautiful pink color.
A great wood-flavored cocktail can be enjoyed in peace with two blackberries and a wedge of ananas.
THREE TWISTS
Fresh fruit bramble
The drink is best made when there’s plenty of ripe fruit in the hedgerows.
Place 6 blackberries into a rocks glass and muddle thoroughly.
Fill the glass two thirds full with crushed ice and add 50ml gin, 25ml lemon juice, and 25ml sugar syrup. Stir well. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with a paper straw.
Bramble royale
Go glam with your bramble by adding a splash of champagne to the mix.
Just make the drink as normal but reduce the amount of crushed ice by about a third to leave room for the fizz.
Then top with 25-50ml of champagne, mix gently, add a bit more crushed ice, garnish and serve.
Peach sour
By substituting the liqueur, the bramble’s classic ‘sour’ formula can be easily adapted. Rather than crème de mure, use 12.5ml of crème de peche – it may not look quite as impressive but it will still taste fantastic
