The Bramble recipe
for your table
Briefly shake the gin, lemon juice and syrup with ice.
Strain into a tumbler filled with crushed ice.
Top up with extra crushed ice to form a small mound above the rim.
Slowly pour the crème de mûre over it and garnish with blackberries and lemon.
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The story
Dick Bradsell, the same London bar legend who invented the Espresso Martini, created the Bramble in 1984 at Fred's Club in Soho. He wanted to make a truly British cocktail and thought back to his childhood on the Isle of Wight, where he picked blackberries along the paths. Gin, lemon, sugar and a 'drizzle' of blackberry liqueur over crushed ice: the tribute could not have been simpler, or more beautiful. The Bramble is considered the beginning of London's cocktail renaissance and appears on modern menus worldwide.
The right glass
The Bramble belongs in a low, wide glass filled with crushed ice, so the blackberry liqueur can visibly “bleed” down through the ice. A clear tumbler holding 31 to 34 cl is the classic choice. Choose a sleek model without too much cut glass; the red-purple interplay is the decoration here. Top it with a blackberry and half a lemon slice to complete the picture. For more low, wide models with a sturdy base, browse our tumbler glasses.
RCR Brillante Tumbler 34 cl (6 pieces)
Chef & Sommelier Vigne Kwarx Tumbler 31 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 59,90.
The right tools
For a Bramble, besides the glass, you need a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus juicer, and glass straws. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets collection.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 4 bar tools together € 90,75.
What do you make a Bramble with?
A Bramble needs the right base. Well-known bottles include Gordon's. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Crème de cassis instead of blackberry liqueur gives you a sweeter berry version, while raspberry liqueur turns it into a Raspberry Bramble. In autumn, it is wonderful with a spoonful of blackberry jam added to the shaker. Crushed ice is not optional: it makes the liqueur “bleed” so beautifully. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Pour the liqueur over the ice only at the table. That slow red sinking is the most beautiful moment of this cocktail. No crème de mûre? Crème de cassis works too, although it tastes slightly sweeter.
Good to know
Why crushed ice is essential
Without crushed ice, you do not get a Bramble but a gin sour with a red layer on top. Crushed ice forms a dense bed of small crystals through which the crème de mûre can slowly sink, creating those red veins. Large cubes let the liqueur run straight to the bottom. An added benefit is that crushed ice cools faster and dilutes just enough as you drink to temper the sweetness. No ice machine at home? Put cubes in a clean tea towel and hit them with a rolling pin until the pieces are pea-sized.
Crème de mûre: buy or substitute
You can find blackberry liqueur at better liquor stores and online; Giffard and Merlet are the brands you will encounter most often in the Netherlands, and a 70 cl bottle will last a long time at 1.5 cl per cocktail. If you do not have any, crème de cassis is the closest alternative: slightly sweeter and more blackcurrant-forward, but with the same weight and colour. Raspberry liqueur makes a Raspberry Bramble, lighter and more summery. What does not work is non-alcoholic blackberry syrup, because it is too thin and does not remain as a stripe through the ice.
Which gin should you choose?
A classic London dry is the standard choice and lets the blackberries do the work. Want more fruit? Bombay Bramble is a logical next step: this gin is macerated with blackberries and raspberries, enhancing exactly the flavour the cocktail revolves around. Bear in mind that it will turn out sweeter, so reduce the sugar syrup from 1 cl to half a centilitre. Sloe gin works too, but it is so sweet that you are better off using it half and half with dry gin. Spiced gins with pepper or coriander provide a lovely counterpoint.
The Bramble through the seasons
In August and September, when fresh blackberries are available, you can muddle four or five berries with the sugar syrup before shaking. This adds more depth and a darker colour, and you can simply strain out the seeds afterwards. In winter, half a bar spoon of blackberry jam stirred into the shaker works just as well and adds a little jammy roundness. In autumn, replace some of the lemon with blood orange juice for a softer acidity. The proportions remain the same; the only thing that changes is where the fruit comes from.
What does the name Bramble mean?
Bramble is the English word for blackberry bush, which immediately explains the name: the bramble cocktail is built around blackberry. On menus, you may also see it listed as gin bramble, which only names the base; it contains no other spirit. The fruit comes from the crème de mûre and the blackberries placed on top, the gin provides the spicy base and the lemon juice keeps everything sharp. Anyone who knows the name immediately knows what flavor to expect.
Shake briefly, then add ice
Shake the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup briefly: you barely need to melt the ice in the shaker, because the crushed ice in the glass will further dilute it later. Shaking for too long produces a watery bramble cocktail in which the lemon juice loses its sharpness. Then strain into a glass already filled with crushed ice, so the drink reaches the right temperature immediately. If you are making several, fill all the glasses with ice first and then shake one glass at a time; a shaker with a double batch cools unevenly and you lose control over the proportions.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Bramble?
A Bramble consists of 4 cl gin, 1.5 cl fresh lemon juice, 1 cl sugar syrup and 1.5 cl crème de mûre, served over crushed ice with fresh blackberries and a lemon slice. Shake the first three together, then slowly pour the blackberry liqueur over the ice.
What can you use instead of crème de mûre?
Crème de cassis is the best alternative: slightly sweeter and more berry-like, but with the same effect. Raspberry liqueur produces a Raspberry Bramble. What you should not replace is the crushed ice, because that is precisely what makes the liqueur sink so beautifully through the cocktail.
Who created the Bramble?
Dick Bradsell, the London bartender who also created the Espresso Martini, created the Bramble in 1984 at Fred's Club in Soho. He wanted a truly British cocktail and thought back to picking blackberries on the Isle of Wight. The drink is considered the starting point of London's cocktail renaissance.
Which glass do you use for a Bramble?
A low, wide tumbler of 31 to 34 cl is the classic choice, so the blackberry liqueur visibly sinks through the crushed ice. Choose a sleek model without much cut glass, because the interplay of colors is the decoration here. See our old fashioned glasses.
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