Hi friends – it’s been a while! I’m back with another tasty “new classic” cocktail: the Bramble.
The Bramble is one of those drinks that is so familiar and so elegant in its simplicity that it’s easy to think people have been mixing it up for a hundred years. In fact, it was created in the 1980’s, which I’m alarmed to realize was still a good 40 years ago. Essentially a gin sour topped with blackberry liqueur (known as créme de mûre in France, where much of it is made), it’s incredibly easy to make and even easier to drink. The blackberry adds a depth and tartness to the drink – not to mention a gorgeous color.
If you don’t have créme de mûre, you can try substituting similar berry liqueurs like créme de cassis or créme de framboise. In this particular Bramble, I actually used Chambord Black Raspberry, which was delightful; I did add a little extra to make up for the fact that it’s not quite as thick and intensely flavored as créme de mûre.
History of the Bramble Cocktail
The Bramble was created by cocktail legend Dick Bradsell in the 1980’s. If that name sounds familiar, it should – he also invented the beloved Espresso Martini, as well as several other modern classics. Bradsell was working at a bar called Fred’s Club in Soho, London. It was a members-only club frequented by models and rock stars, and no doubt Bradsell could tell some stories about his time there. One that he has told is the creation of the Bramble. He wanted to make a “British” cocktail, and thought back to his childhood picking blackberries on the Isle of Wight. So he made a gin sour and topped it with créme de mûre, a blackberry liqueur. He garnished it with raspberries, because the bar didn’t have blackberries. And another legend was born.
Bramble
2 oz. gin
1 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
1/2 oz. créme de mûre
Combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. (Bradsell says you need the crushed ice to lengthen the drink, which “might otherwise veer towards the cloying and the sickly.) Drizzle créme de mûre on top. Garnish with blackberries, raspberries, and/or a lemon wheel.