The Black and Blue Bramble

Sometimes the best cocktails are the simplest ones. And a bramble cocktail is about as easy as it gets! Here’s a new take on a classic that is sure to be one of your new “go to” favorite cocktails after the first sip!

The Black and Blue Bramble cocktail

I’ve rarely met a cocktail I didn’t like. In fact, as long as the drink doesn’t have coffee, coconut, or licorice in it, count me in! I like them even more when they are simple and easy to make, with just a few ingredients, all of which I likely have on hand. Recently, Laurie was watching some food network shows and ran across an episode of Valerie Bertinelli’s cooking show that included a bramble cocktail, which I had never heard of.

Turns out, a bramble is a cocktail made with gin, citrus, crème de mûre liqueur (a sweet blackberry liqueur), and simple syrup. It was created in 1984 by a U.K. bartender named Dick Bradsell and has become a staple at many cocktail bars over the years. As I did my research on this drink, I discovered quickly that Valerie’s version, which highlighted blueberries, left out the feature ingredient of the bramble, the crème de mûre liqueur. And she added rosemary to the simple syrup as well. So, could she really call this a bramble? The answer is, no! But Laurie and I were intrigued by her recipe, so we made it and found it to be a delicious, refreshing, and light cocktail.

After that, I decided to modify her blueberry-based recipe to truly make it a bramble cocktail by ditching the rosemary and adding just a small amount of blackberry liqueur which is easier to find than blueberry liqueur – the result was fabulous! The drink had a nice mix of tart and sweet (tart from the citrus juice and blueberries smashed in the shaker, and sweet from the blackberry liqueur and simple syrup). The gin added a nice herbal complexity to the mix along with the slightest hint of bite to the drink.

And, to ensure you feel good about drinking this black and blue bramble yourself, just think of all the antioxidants and health benefits of drinking this cocktail courtesy of the blueberries – at a minimum, they will offset the potential downsides of the gin (or at least, that’ what I tell myself!) Here’s the recipe – enjoy!

The Black and Blue Bramble (makes 1 cocktail)

This cocktail takes a few liberties with the traditional blackberry-based bramble, but the combination of blueberries and blackberry liqueur brings the best of both berry worlds together in a fruity and tasty concoction perfect for sipping outside while watching the sun set regardless of the season!

Ingredients

2 oz. gin

1 oz. blackberry liqueur

1 oz. lime juice

10 blueberries

1 oz. simple syrup (see recipe below)

Blueberries for garnish

Directions

Combine the first 5 ingredients into a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Double strain into a rocks glass filled with ice (double straining is important to ensure none of the blackberry seeds or skin make it into the glass). Garnish by dropping a few blueberries on top and enjoy!

Simple Syrup Recipe (makes about 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Directions

Combine sugar and water into a medium saucepan and heat on medium high heat, stirring continuously until sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool and then refrigerate – it will last for a few weeks. I like to store it in a plastic squeeze bottle which makes it really easy to add when building a cocktail.