Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

Bramble

Dick Bradsell’s London classic: a gin sour over crushed ice with a bleed of blackberry liqueur through it. Tart, fruity and gorgeous.

Preparation~3 minEasyStrengthStrongabout 24% ABVMethodShaken9 guided stepsIngredients4Short (rocks) glass

Tropical

In the glassGin · Fresh lemon juice · Simple syrup · Crème de mûre (blackberry)

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Make it with guidanceOne clear action at a time, with timers built in.

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What goes in

Ingredients

An empty clear rocks glass with low straight sides and a heavy base. — Serving glassRocks glass

Set up before you pour

Use a rocks glass.

The low, sturdy bowl suits concentrated drinks and gives one large cube enough width.

Standard size: 300 ml10¼ oz
Ice & serve: Pack it generously with crushed ice.
If you don’t own one: Use a small water tumbler with a heavy base.

Tools to set out

cocktail shaker
strainer (or a small sieve)
jigger or measuring spoon

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Scale to your short (rocks) glassWe’ll remember this glass size.

Gin50 ml
Crème de mûre (blackberry)15 ml
Fresh lemon juice22 ml
Simple syrup10 ml

Start making

From bottle to glass

Method

01
Measure into the shaker
Pour 50 ml gin into your shaker
- Gin
02
Measure into the shaker
Add 22 ml fresh lemon juice
- Fresh lemon juice
03
Measure into the shaker
Add 10 ml simple syrup
- Simple syrup
04
Ice the shaker
Fill the shaker with ice
Why it mattersFill it right up — more ice chills faster with less watering down.
05
Seal and shake
Seal and shake hard
Why it mattersCold hands mean it’s working. Shake until the tin frosts over.
06
Ice the glass
Fill your glass with fresh crushed ice
07
Strain cleanly
Strain into your glass
Why it mattersPour through the strainer so the spent shaker ice stays behind.
08
Top gently
Top with 15 ml crème de mûre
- Crème de mûre (blackberry)
09
Finish the drink
Finish it — add a lemon slice and a sprig of mint
Why it mattersSlap the mint between your palms before planting it — that little hit releases the oils, and the smell is half the drink.

Know your drink

About the Bramble

A gin highball, dry Martini and ruby bitter gin cocktail in a botanical bar.

Bradsell's Isle of Wight

Dick Bradsell built this at Fred's Club in Soho sometime in the mid-1980s, and he told the story the same way every time: he wanted a London drink that tasted like picking blackberries on the Isle of Wight, where he grew up. He is also the man behind the Espresso Martini. Two entries in the modern canon is more than almost any bartender of his generation managed.

Crème de mûre is what the drink was built on, and cassis is not the same bottle. Cassis is blackcurrant, sharper and a little tannic, and it pushes the whole thing toward red fruit. Either will work if you know which one you poured. Crushed ice is the part people skip, and it changes the recipe: it waters the drink fast, which is why the sugar sits higher here than in a plain gin sour.

Common questions

Bramble FAQ

How do you get the Bramble’s signature bleed?

Build the gin sour over crushed ice first, then drizzle the berry liqueur slowly over the top at the end — it seeps down through the ice like bramble juice through snow. Crème de mûre (blackberry) is classic; cassis makes a fine stand-in.

What ingredients are in a Bramble?

A classic Bramble calls for 50 ml (1.75 oz) Gin, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Fresh lemon juice, 10 ml (0.25 oz) Simple syrup, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Crème de mûre. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

How strong is a Bramble?

A standard Bramble is roughly 24% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.

Is a Bramble shaken or stirred?

A Bramble is shaken — the rule of thumb is to shake anything with citrus juice. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.

What glass do you serve a Bramble in?

Serve a Bramble in a rocks glass (old fashioned glass), packed with crushed ice.

How many calories are in a Bramble?

One Bramble has approximately 170 calories, estimated from the standard spec above. Bigger pours, extra syrup or sweetened mixers raise that number quickly.

Sharpen the technique