Bramble Cocktail Recipe

Before you start

The Bramble is a modern classic from the London bar scene of the 1980s: gin, lemon and sugar served over a mound of crushed ice, with a blackberry liqueur drizzled over the top so it bleeds down through the ice in purple streaks. The first sips are tart and gin-forward; as you drink, the berry liqueur mixes in and the drink turns fruitier and darker.

Crushed ice is not optional. It chills fast, dilutes steadily and creates the channels the liqueur trickles through. Without a crushed-ice machine, wrap cubes in a clean kitchen towel and break them up with a mallet or rolling pin. The drink is shaken only briefly, because the ice in the glass will keep diluting it. Use crème de mûre if you can find it; other blackberry liqueurs work but vary in sweetness.

Ingredients

• 60 ml (2 oz) London dry gin
• 22 ml (¾ oz) fresh lemon juice — strained
• 15 ml (½ oz) simple syrup (1:1)
• 15 ml (½ oz) crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur)
• 2 cups (about 300 g) crushed ice — for the glass
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — for shaking
• 2 fresh blackberries — plus a lemon slice, for garnish

Method

1. Make crushed ice if needed: put ice cubes in a Lewis bag or wrap them in a clean towel and strike them with a mallet until they are mostly pea-sized pieces.
2. Fill the rocks glass to the top with crushed ice and press it down lightly.
3. Shake gin, lemon and simple syrup with ice cubes for about 5 seconds, just enough to chill and combine.
4. Strain the drink over the crushed ice. Add more crushed ice to form a small dome above the rim.
5. Pour the blackberry liqueur slowly over the top of the ice in a circle so it trickles down in streaks rather than sinking all at once.
6. Garnish with blackberries and a lemon slice. Serve with a short straw so the drinker can choose when to stir the layers together.

Tips for success

• Shake briefly. Crushed ice dilutes quickly in the glass, and a long shake leads to a watery drink.
• Let the drinker do the mixing; the changing flavor from tart to berry-rich is part of the appeal.
• Freeze extra crushed ice in a container ahead of a party, then break up any clumps before use.

Substitutions

Crème de mûre

Crème de cassis (blackcurrant) is the most common substitute; it is more tart and tannic. Chambord or another raspberry liqueur makes a sweeter, lighter drink.

Simple syrup

Use 10 ml if your blackberry liqueur is particularly sweet, or swap in honey syrup for a rounder flavor.

Crushed ice

Pebble ice from a store or a refrigerator dispenser works perfectly. Avoid cubes; the liqueur sinks straight to the bottom without the bleeding effect.

Variations

Fresh blackberry Bramble

Muddle 4 blackberries with the syrup in the shaker before adding gin and lemon, then fine-strain. Keep the liqueur drizzle on top.

Troubleshooting

The liqueur sank straight to the bottom

The ice was too coarse or you poured too quickly. Use finely crushed ice packed into a dome and drizzle slowly.

The drink is watery

The shake was too long or the crushed ice was wet. Shake for 5 seconds and use freshly crushed, dry ice.

It is too sweet once mixed

Reduce the simple syrup to 10 ml, or add 5 ml extra lemon to account for a sweet liqueur.

Storage

Serve immediately; crushed ice melts quickly. Crème de mûre keeps at room temperature once opened but loses some freshness over months, so refrigerating it is a good idea.

Safety notes

With 60 ml of gin and a small pour of berry liqueur, one Bramble is roughly 1.5 U.S. standard drinks (about 14 g of alcohol per standard drink). Adults of legal drinking age only. Never drive after drinking.