Classic Gin Bramble Recipe

This blog post is going to show you a Bramble recipe that’s going to hit the spot every time!

It’s easy to see why Dick Bradsell’s Bramble cocktail spread in popularity back in the 80’s in London. It still remains a well known cocktail to this day! The Bramble was actually one of my favorite cocktails to drink and serve when I first started getting into mixing drinks.

Filled with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, gin, and crème de mûre, there’s literally nothing not to like! Served over crushed ice it becomes the perfect refreshing berry forward Summer cocktail of your dreams. Let’s get right into it!

“Bramble” 

What You Will Need

Alcohol:

The main spirit in this Bramble recipe is gin! For this cocktail I have chosen to use The Botanist! The botanist is a gin from Scotland. You can see it has a 22 on the bottle, and that stands for the 22 Islay botanicals that are included in this juniper forward dry style gin! I love this gin because although it is juniper forward, it also has notes of lemon zest, chamomile, vanilla, licorice, and spices! It is incredibly balanced for all of the flavors that it carries. This gin goes so well in this cocktail because it evens out sweetness from the crème de mûre and plays nicely with the fresh squeezed lemon juice. I got my bottle at Total Wine and More, but you can find this at Bevmo, Liquor Stores, and some Grocery Stores!

The next item you will need is the liqueur that essentially makes a Bramble a Bramble. You will need Crème de Mûre! I love using the Giffard brand. Mûre in French means blackberry, so you guessed it, this is a blackberry liqueur! It is sweet, jammy, and has a deep berry flavor.

As you can see in the photo above, this liqueur is added after the cocktail has been shaken and poured into glassware. You can see the crème de mûre cascading down the crushed ice as it finds its way to the bottom of the glass. The crème de mûre is used as a Sinker in this Bramble recipe. That means that it is denser than the contents already in the cocktail, therefore it sinks! In the end, your cocktail will have a beautiful ombré look to it and it makes for a killer presentation!

Citrus and Other Ingredients:

Citrus brings a pop of tartness and balance to this Bramble recipe. For this cocktail we will be using Fresh Lemon Juice! Using fresh fruit juices in cocktails is a non negotiable! Trust me, once you take this step you’ll never be able to turn back to the dark days! Fresh juice elevates the cocktail and gives you a superior flavor that you just can’t attain from shelf bought juices. What’s great is that juicing your own citrus has never been easier!

The tool I am using in the photo above is my stainless steel hand-pressed citrus juicer! This thing has been a game changer for me in my home bar. It has a pour spout, there’s an ease to the squeeze, and it has the ability to fit multiple pieces of fruit in at once! I also love that there’s no mess compared to other juicers I have used in the past. If you want to step up your citrus game you can check out a juicer just like mine RIGHT HERE!

We will be getting a fair amount of sweetness from the crème de mûre in this Bramble recipe. I still like to add a little Simple Syrup to the shaking process so that it can blend in nicely with the gin and fresh lemon juice. Simple syrup is downright simple to make. We will be using a 1:1 ratio for this recipe. That means 1 part sugar, to 1 part hot water. There are different ratios for simple syrups used in various recipes, but for this recipe we will keep it very standard. Simple syrup stays good in the fridge for up to a month. If you are making cocktails for an occasion, or often, then make yourself a bigger batch!

• In a pot on the stove pour in desired amount of water
• Once the water gets to a simmer, add in equal parts of white sugar
• Lower the heat a bit, you don’t want your mixture to boil
• Slowly stir until you have a syrup like consistency
• Bring syrup off of the heat and let cool
• Boom, you did it!

Always remember to store, label, and date your syrup. I like to store my syrups and juices in glass bottles with pour spouts as shown in the photo above. These glass bottles fit in the fridge easily, and add a professional look to your home bar! I actually found a really cool set on Amazon that comes with multiple bottles, pour spouts, and labels! You can check it out RIGHT HERE!

Bar Supplies:

First piece of supplies we need for this Bramble recipe is a Boston Shaker!! Boston Shakers are the best way to shake and dilute your cocktail in my opinion! They are EASY to use and long lasting! If you want one just like mine pictured above check it out RIGHT HERE on Amazon! For this Recipe we will be WHIP SHAKING with crushed ice. I will have a section below dedicated to whip shaking and what that means!

Next item you will want to have on deck for your home bar is an essential! You will need a Bar Jigger. Jigger’s are used to measure the liquid ingredients that go into a drink! A great cocktail is beautiful, balanced, and consistent. You can attain all of that by using a jigger. My jigger shown in the photo above ranges from 1/4th oz to 2oz of liquid! If you want to check out one identical to mine you can do so RIGHT HERE!

I must admit that when I first started bartending, I used a jigger that was extremely simplified. It had only one side, a pour spout, and very easy to read measurement lines! This helped me gain skills in my pours and overall become more confident. I will link the exact beginner jigger I used to use RIGHT HERE!

This Bramble recipe requires Crushed Ice. In the photo above I am using my Lewis Bag and Mallet to create my crushed ice. You put full ice cubes into the bag, crush with the mallet, and scoop out the crushed ice using a stainless steel ice scoop. The bag is made of canvas which keeps the ice cool and crisp. I was lucky enough to get a set here in San Diego at a local bartending shop, but you can actually get your own FULL set that comes with all the supplies RIGHT HERE on Amazon. It comes with a scoop and everything! The bag is reusable and holds the crushed ice in a presentable way for your home bar.

If you would prefer to use an ice mold for your crushed ice I will link one on Amazon for you RIGHT HERE!

I do recommend that if you are starting to create multiple cocktails at home, you should invest in your own personal little Bartending Kit. Most come with everything you will need as a beginner while others provide several items for more complex creations. I will put links to both a beginners set, and a more advanced set on Amazon below!

Beginner Kit: HERE

Advanced Kit: HERE

How to Whip Shake

We will be Whip Shaking this cocktail! Whether you have crushed your own ice in your Lewis Bag, or you have a pebble ice mold in your freezer I will teach you exactly how to execute this technique.

What you want to do is add the ingredients of your cocktail into your small tin. In the large tin you want to add about 1/2 a bar scoop worth of crushed ice. Combine your tins and form a seal.

Vigorously shake your cocktail until you have heard all of the ice fully dilute and disappear ! When it is ready it should pretty much just sound like liquid shaking in your tin! Break your seal and you are ready to pour!

You will Dirty Pour into your glassware which means not using any sort of strainer at all. As shown in the photo above you will dump the contents right into the glass. And thats it! I personally love Whip Shaking, I find it to be a fun process!!

Let’s Build!