Bramble Cocktail

Here’s a Beginner’s Guide to the Famous Bramble Cocktail

In 1984, a genius bartender by the name of Dick Bradsell invented the now-famous Bramble Cocktail. At the time, Bradsell was working in London’s Soho district, at Fred’s Club, and he was considered to be a pioneer in the cocktail world. Aside from the Bramble Cocktail, Bradsell became an expert in the field of mixology and has created other numerous cocktails.

However, the Bramble Cocktail is something that he is famed for. 

What Makes the Bramble Cocktail Special?

Many people enjoy the Bramble Cocktail because of how easy it is to drink. The gin is balanced with a tart lemon taste, and then cutting through that is the sweetness of the blackberry. Just the gin and lemon alone is very similar to a gin sour, but Bradsell says he added the blackberry to remind him of his childhood growing up on the Isle of Wight.

The Bramble Cocktail is something that a lot of people would enjoy. It’s perfect for beginners who don’t know what to drink and want something that is not too strong. The gin offers a kick, but before it becomes too bitter, the lemon balances it out. The hint of blackberry comes in after everything and washes off any strong taste, resulting in a delightful experience.

This cocktail was greatly innovative at that time when cocktails were mostly either too strong or too sweet. It was difficult to find a cocktail that provided balance and that is exactly what Bradsell delivered.

Bradsell is also famous for inventing other innovative cocktails. Drinks such as the Espresso Martini, the Wibble, and the Russian Spring Punch, were all credited to Bradsell. He was dubbed the “Cocktail King” and the entire world of mixology was sadly ‘shaken up’ (excuse the pun!) after his passing in 2016. Bradsell, we salute you man!

How to Make the Bramble Cocktail

Of course, at this point, you are probably curious about the famed Bramble Cocktail. Just simply follow the recipe below to make your own.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz gin
  • ¾ oz lemon juice
  • ¼ oz simple syrup
  • ½ oz creme de mure (blackberry liqueur)

Instructions:

  1. Combine the simple syrup, lemon juice, and gin in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake for a few minutes until the drink is mixed and fully chilled.
  2. Next, pour the drink of crushed ice into a rocks cocktail glass.
  3. Drizzle creme de mure over the top of the drink.
  4. Lastly, garnish your drink with blueberries and lemon wheel. The drink is ready to serve.

Tips

  • When pouring the creme de mure make sure to drizzle and not pour all at once. This creates a stunning effect as the liqueur sinks down the bottom of the glass.
  • Do not stir the beverage to avoid destroying the look. Instead, serve the cocktail as is and offer the guests a stirrer to do it on their own if they prefer it stirred.
  • You can also enhance the flavour by using freshly squeezed lemon juice. If not available, use lemon concentrate.

Conclusion

The Bramble Cocktail has a rich background and was created by the genius, Dick Bradsell. If you are interested in making your own, just follow our recipe above. You will be sipping on a Bramble Cocktail in no time.

Need ingredients for a bramble cocktail? You can acquire them from our gin  shop at Jim and Tonic. We also have three cocktail bars in London. Discover new cocktails and different types of alcohol from us at Jim and Tonic.


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