The Bramble Cocktail

By Colleen Graham

Updated 05/25/19

The bramble cocktail

Kristine T Pham Photography/Moment Open/Getty Images

  • Total: 3 mins
  • Prep: 3 mins
  • Cook: 0 mins
  • Yield: 1 cocktail (1 serving)
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
265 Calories
0g Fat
32g Carbs
1g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1 cocktail (1 serving)
Amount per serving
Calories 265
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 17mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Protein 1g
Calcium 28mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The bramble is a modern classic and a simple gin cocktail with a fruity flair. The story goes that it was created in 1984 by U.K. bartender Dick Bradsell and it has been enjoyed by many drinkers ever since. It's also a drink that is open to interpretation, so it's okay if you don't have the exact ingredients in the recipe.

The featured ingredient of this enhanced gin sour is the crème de mûre, a sweet blackberry liqueur. Though it is not a common bar ingredient, it is nice to have around for drinks such as this. If you have access to a good crop of blackberries, you might even try to make your own. It's as easy as adding the berries to a standard homemade liqueur recipe.

While the Bramble is a fantastic cocktail, it is completely different than the drink known as the Bramble Bar, which has a scotch base. Both make fantastic summertime drinks, and they're quite nice to serve together, so both your whiskey and gin loving guests are satisfied.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces gin
  • 3/4 ounce lime juice (fresh)
  • 3/4 ounce simple syrup
  • 3/4 ounce crème de mûre
  • Garnish: lime wheel
  • Garnish: 2 raspberries

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the gin, lime juice, and simple syrup.

  5. Drizzle the cremé de mûre on top and garnish with a lime slice and two raspberries.

  6. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

  • The bramble may have a short history, but that doesn't mean that it hasn't been adapted many times. Some recipes will suggest a London dry gin while others opt for the fruitier Plymouth Gin. Explore your options; you may even want to pour Brockmans Gin, which includes blackberries and blueberries with the botanicals.
  • You will also find recipes that use either lemon or lime juice. If you do switch to lemon juice, use a lemon wheel for the garnish.

Recipe Variations

Admittedly, crème de mûre is not the easiest liqueur to find, though it is not impossible. If you're not having any luck, there are a couple of substitutes:

  • Blackberry Brandy: Many fruit-flavored brandies made today have some amount of sugar added to them, which makes them more of a liqueur than a true brandy. That is quite convenient because it makes blackberry brandy a viable substitution for the bramble's crème de mûre.
  • Black Raspberry Liqueur: Blackberries and black raspberries have a very similar flavor, as do the liqueurs made from the fruits. This means that you can get away with using a black raspberry liqueur like the popular Chambord when making the bramble.

How Strong Is a Bramble Cocktail?

The bramble is neither the strongest nor the weakest cocktail you can mix up. Its average alcohol content is 17 percent ABV (34 proof), so it's just a little stronger than a gin and tonic.