Cocktails & Drinks

Fruity Gin Bramble

Name: Fruity Gin Bramble
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1 cocktails
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 2 parts Gin; ½ part Lemon Juice; 1 tbsp Sugar Syrup; 1 tbsp Blackberry Liqueur (Crème de mûre); Ice cubes Ice Cubes; Crushed ice Crushed Ice; to garnish Lemon (slice); to garnish Blackberries

A refreshing gin cocktail with blackberry liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and crushed ice. This classic bramble offers a perfect balance of crisp gin and sweet berry flavours.

By Ricky Robinson • Updated November 11, 2022

The gin bramble is a classic cocktail that brings together gin, blackberry liqueur, lemon juice, and sugar syrup. Served over crushed ice, it offers a balanced and refreshing experience.

The drink combines the crispness of gin with the rich sweetness of blackberry liqueur. Fresh lemon juice adds a tangy twist that cuts through the sweetness, while the sugar syrup brings everything together. The crushed ice keeps it perfectly chilled and slightly dilutes the drink as you sip, creating a smooth, easy-drinking cocktail.

The trick is to pour the blackberry liqueur over the top so it bleeds down through the ice, creating that signature marbled effect.

Whether you're enjoying it on a warm evening or after dinner, the gin bramble is a bright and refreshing choice that's simple to make but impressive to serve.

What makes the bramble special is its visual appeal and layered flavours. When you pour the dark blackberry liqueur over the crushed ice, it creates a beautiful bleeding effect that gives the drink its name. The bramble bush's thorny nature is echoed in the tartness of the lemon, whilst the blackberries represent the fruity reward.

This cocktail was created in the 1980s by Dick Bradsell, a legendary London bartender, and it's since become a modern classic. The bramble sits somewhere between a sour and a fruity cocktail, making it accessible to a wide range of tastes. It's not overly sweet, not too tart, just perfectly balanced.

The key to a great bramble is using quality gin and real crème de mûre. Don't skip the fresh lemon juice either as bottled just won't give you that bright, zesty flavour. Garnish with fresh blackberries and a lemon slice for a drink that looks as good as it tastes.