Ditch the Spritz: The Bramble Cocktail Will Refresh Your Summer

What’s better than a blackberry fresh off the bramble bush? That same blackberry muddled into a rocks glass and topped with gin! If you’re a fan of fresh fruit cocktails , look no further—the Bramble is the most refreshing summer drink out there.

A bramble is essentially a British twist on a gin sour. It was invented in London in the 1980s by a bartender named Dick Bradswell who was trying to recall the nostalgic summer flavors of his childhood blackberry patch off the Isle of Wight in England. If you’re a gin lover, like myself, you’ll find that this cocktail elevates the flavor of gin while masking the bite of alcohol. The fresh blackberries provide a tart juice that is balanced by simple syrup, lemon, and crème de mûre—a syrupy blackberry crème liqueur. Pour over crushed ice and kick back—this is a drink you’re going to want to make again, and again… and again.

How To Make A Classic Bramble

INGREDIENTS

• Blackberries : Not every bramble is made with fresh fruit, but I feel strongly that they should be (though frozen and thawed would work too). Especially at peak season, blackberries have a winning combination of sweet and sour that add layers of juicy deliciousness to every sip. I used 4 blackberries per cocktail in this recipe because I found that amount added the perfect level of tartness.
• Gin: I love that gin is used in a bramble because it heightens the freshness of the blackberries by providing floral and earthy undertones from the juniper berries that the gin is distilled with. Any gin will work in this cocktail, so feel free to use your favorite brand, or check out our list of the best gin brands .
• Fresh Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is necessary for this cocktail in order to cut out some of the sweetness from the rest of the ingredients. I prefer fresh lemon juice to provide the maximum amount of flavor, but if you have store-bought lemon juice that will work just fine.
• Crème De Mûre : Crème de mûre is a French liqueur that has been around since the early 1800s. It is a crème liqueur made from blackberries and has a rich, jammy fruit flavor. If you can’t find it, I recommend using Chambord, a raspberry liqueur, or cassis, a red currant liqueur. Both will yield similar fruit flavors for your Bramble.
• Simple Syrup : Even though this cocktail has a hint of sweetness from the blackberries and crème de mûre, it's also quite sour because of the gin and lemon juice. A touch of simple syrup is all it needs to balance it out so that no one flavor is overwhelming your palate. You can adjust the level of simple syrup to your taste if you prefer a more sour or sweet cocktail.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Start by muddling your blackberries into the bottom of your rocks glass until they are completely broken down. What do I mean by that? Use a muddler—a bar tool used to bruise ingredients like fruit and herbs—to press down on the blackberries to break them down.

Pour gin, lemon juice, crème de mûre, and simple syrup on top of the muddled blackberries and stir. Then, pour the crushed ice halfway up the glass and stir until all of the ingredients are incorporated with the ice. Top glass with remaining crushed ice, then garnish with a blackberry and a lemon slice. Enjoy!

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Do I need a muddler? Nope! If you don't have one, then the handle of a wooden spoon will also work.

Made This?

Let us know how it went in the comments below!

Yields: 1 serving

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients

• 4

  fresh blackberries

• 2 oz.

  gin

• 1 oz.

  fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 oz.

  crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur) or Chambord

• 1/2 oz.

  store-bought or homemade simple syrup

• Crushed ice

Directions

1. In the bottom of a rocks glass, muddle blackberries. Pour gin, lemon, crème de mûre, and simple syrup on top of blackberries.
2. Pour ice to reach halfway up sides of glass and stir to combine. Top off with more ice.