Blackberry Bramble

I tend to demarcate my summer with the berries that are in season. Here in Northern Wisconsin, it’s time to pick strawberries from late June into early July, blueberries and raspberries from mid- to late July, and blackberries in August. Blackberry season might be my favorite, as they grow wild all around me, including in my own backyard. When the bushes are laden with blackberries, I love to make a blackberry bramble. This refreshing cocktail combines herbaceous gin with the sour notes of fresh lemon juice and the sweet flavor of blackberries.

What is a bramble?

The bramble is a modern classic cocktail. It was created in 1984 by Dick Bradsell, a bartender at Fred’s Club in the Soho neighborhood of London. It’s named for the bush that blackberries grow on. A bramble cocktail is basically a blackberry riff on a gin sour (gin, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup) with a drizzle of dark blackberry liqueur.

Blackberry Bramble Ingredients

• Crushed ice: If you don’t have an ice maker with a crushed ice setting, you can easily make crushed ice by placing ice cubes in a zip-top bag and smashing them with a rolling pin.
• Blackberry liqueur: The original version of this cocktail is made with crème de mûre, which is a French liqueur made with wild blackberries. However, it can be difficult to get your hands on, especially if you don’t live in or near a big city. Workable substitutes include crème de cassis (made with black currants) or a black raspberry liqueur such as Chambord.
• Gin: Use a London dry gin, which has a clean, crisp juniper-forward flavor. Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray are all classic choices for gin cocktails.
• Lemon juice: Always use fresh lemon juice in cocktail recipes for the freshest, brightest flavor.
• Simple syrup: Simple syrup is typically made from a 1-to-1 ratio of sugar to water. You can use store-bought simple syrup, but making homemade simple syrup is easy.
• Garnish: Each drink is garnished with a lemon slice and fresh blackberry.

Directions

Step 1: Muddle the blackberries

In a small glass, muddle the blackberries in the blackberry liqueur. Set it aside.

Editor’s Tip: Muddling the blackberries with the blackberry liqueur enhances the blackberry flavor.

Step 2: Shake the cocktail

Fill a cocktail shaker three-quarters of the way full with ice cubes. Add the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake them until they’re well chilled, 15 to 20 seconds.

Step 3: Strain the cocktail

Fill a rocks glass three-quarters of the way full of crushed ice. Strain the gin mixture into the glass. Add more crushed ice, then top it with the blackberry liqueur mixture, pouring it through a fine-mesh strainer to capture the blackberry seeds. Lightly press the fruit with the back of spoon to extract any remaining liquid.

Step 4: Garnish the cocktail

Garnish the cocktail with a lemon wheel and fresh blackberry, and serve it.

Blackberry Bramble Variations

• Make a raspberry bramble: Swap fresh raspberries for the blackberries, and use a raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord, in place of the blackberry liqueur.
• Make it with bourbon: Replace the gin with bourbon (WhistlePig and Basil Hayden are excellent options).
• Spice it up: For an autumnal or wintry take on this cocktail, use cinnamon-infused simple syrup and garnish the cocktail with a cinnamon stick.

How to Make Blackberry Bramble Cocktails for a Crowd

To batch this cocktail, prep the ingredients in advance. For example, juice the lemons ahead of time to make as much lemon juice as you will need, then pour it into a bottle and store it in the fridge until you’re ready. To bottle the cocktail in advance, combine the gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and water in a ratio of 2 parts gin, 1 part lemon juice, 1/2 part simple syrup and 3/4 part water. (Adding the water mimics the dilution that happens when you shake the cocktail ingredients with ice).

For example, for eight servings, combine 16 ounces of gin, 8 ounces of lemon juice, 4 ounces of simple syrup and 6 ounces of water. To serve, pour 3-1/2 ounces of the batched cocktail mixture into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice, then top each serving with 1 ounce of blackberry liqueur.

Blackberry Bramble Tips

What’s the best type of glass for a bramble?

The best type of cocktail glass for a blackberry bramble is a short tumbler, which is known as a rocks, old fashioned or lowball glass.

Can you use frozen blackberries for a bramble?

You can use thawed frozen blackberries for muddling, but for the best flavor, texture and appearance, only use fresh blackberries for garnishing the drink.