Bramble

Soho, 1984, and a childhood memory

Dick Bradsell created the Bramble at Fred’s Club in London in 1984, and the idea reached back to blackberry picking on the Isle of Wight when he was a boy. He wanted a drink that tasted of an English summer, and he built it as a gin sour with blackberry liqueur poured over crushed ice — a shape that has since become a fixture on British menus.

The sour underneath

Two ounces of London dry gin, one ounce of fresh lemon and half an ounce of simple syrup. This is a gin sour in all but name, and it needs to be a good one: the gin has to stand up to the blackberry, so reach for something juniper-forward rather than soft. Fresh lemon, again, is the difference between a bright drink and a dull one. Shake it hard for twelve seconds over cubed ice.

The drizzle is not a garnish

Half an ounce of crème de mûre goes in last, poured slowly over the back of a barspoon so it sits on the surface and bleeds downward. Do not stir. The cascade is the drink’s identity, and it also means the first sips are sharp while the last ones taste of blackberries — the glass changes as you drink it.

Ice matters more than usual

Crushed ice is what slows the liqueur’s descent and keeps the cocktail cold without diluting it quickly; a few cubes in a rocks glass will not do. Fill the glass almost to the brim before you strain the sour in. Garnish with fresh blackberries and a half slice of lemon, which is what Bradsell specified.

Strength

Around 18% ABV in the glass and roughly 200 calories.

Mistakes

• Stirring the crème de mûre through and losing the gradient.
• Using raspberry liqueur, which is sweeter and red rather than purple.
• Overfilling with crushed ice so the drink spills as you drizzle.

Variations

A Blackberry Gin Fizz tops it with soda for a longer drink. A Bramble with crème de cassis turns it darker and heavier, closer to a Kir.

What if I cannot find crème de mûre?

Crème de cassis works, and so does a blackberry syrup loosened with a little gin.

Does the Bramble need crushed ice?

Yes. It is what makes the liqueur sink slowly instead of dropping straight to the bottom of the glass.