Bramble Recipe
Gin, lemon and sugar over crushed ice with a drizzle of blackberry liqueur.
The Bramble is a gin sour served over crushed ice with crème de mûre, a blackberry liqueur, drizzled over the top so that it bleeds down through the glass. It is tart, fruity and one of the best-known modern classics from the United Kingdom.
Ingredients
- 50 ml London dry gin
- 25 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 10 ml Sugar syrup
- 15 ml Crème de mûre Blackberry liqueur
- 2 Blackberries For the garnish
Garnish: Blackberries and lemon slice
How to Make a Bramble
- Fill a rocks glass with crushed ice.
- Shake the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup with ice for 10 seconds.
- Strain into the glass and top with more crushed ice.
- Drizzle the crème de mûre slowly over the top so that it sinks through the ice.
- Garnish with blackberries and a slice of lemon.
Best Bottles for a Bramble in India
Dry and juniper-led against the sweet liqueur
The everyday British choice
Softer, with more citrus
Spice and citrus peel add depth
Prices are the lowest listed India price and vary by state. Check each spirit page for the full state-wise table.
Tips for a Better Bramble
- Pour the liqueur last and slowly. The marbled purple streaks are the point of the drink.
- No crème de mûre? Use crème de cassis or a raspberry liqueur such as Chambord.
- To crush ice, wrap cubes in a clean tea towel and hit them with a rolling pin.
About the Bramble
Dick Bradsell, the London bartender who also invented the Espresso Martini, created the Bramble in 1984 at Fred's Club in Soho. He wanted a truly British drink and based it on childhood memories of picking blackberries on the Isle of Wight. A bramble is the thorny bush that blackberries grow on.
The structure borrows from older gin and lemon drinks finished with a fruit liqueur, such as the Singapore Sling. Bradsell's version is simpler: a short gin sour over crushed ice, with the liqueur poured on last so that it trickles down like juice from a crushed berry.
The Bramble became a signature of the London cocktail revival in the 1990s and is now an IBA official cocktail. It is on pub and bar menus across the United Kingdom and Ireland and is common in Australia and New Zealand.
Bramble Variations
- Raspberry Bramble: raspberry liqueur in place of crème de mûre.
- Bramble Royale: top with a splash of sparkling wine.
- Fresh Bramble: muddle 4 blackberries with the sugar syrup in place of the liqueur.
- Whisky Bramble: blended Scotch in place of gin.
- Vodka Bramble: vodka for a cleaner, fruit-led drink.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in a Bramble?
How strong is a Bramble?
What is crème de mûre?
What can you use instead of crème de mûre?
Who invented the Bramble?
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