Duke Bramble
The Bramble is a modern classic: a gin sour with blackberry liqueur, created by Dick Bradsell in 1984 at Fred's Club in London's Soho, inspired by picking blackberries as a child. The IBA lists it under New Era. Our version replaces the sugar syrup with blackberry thyme jam and tops the drink with a blackberry espuma instead of the liqueur drizzle.
- Preparation time
- 6 minutes
- Servings
- 1 drink
- Difficulty
- advanced
- Method
- Shaken
- Glass
- Tumbler, pre-chilled
- Garnish
- Blackberry espuma and orange zest
Ingredients
- 5cl THE DUKE Munich Dry Gin
- 2 cl lemon juice
- 2 cl blackberry liqueur
- 1 tbsp blackberry thyme jam
- Blackberry espuma
Preparation
- Pre-chill the tumbler.
- Add gin, lemon juice, blackberry liqueur and the blackberry thyme jam to the shaker.
- Shake hard with ice until the jam has dissolved.
- Strain into the pre-chilled tumbler.
- Top with the blackberry espuma and spray an orange zest over it.
Put all the ingredients except the espuma into a shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a pre-chilled tumbler and garnish with espuma. Spray orange zest and garnish too.
Tips
- The jam takes the role of the sugar syrup and adds fruit and a herbal note. Shake hard so it dissolves completely.
- In the classic Bramble the blackberry liqueur is drizzled over crushed ice at the end so it visibly runs through the glass. That is the moment the espuma takes over here.
- Spray the orange zest over the espuma rather than dropping it in. The aroma reaches the nose before the first sip.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented the Bramble?
Dick Bradsell, in 1984 at Fred's Club in London's Soho. He wanted a thoroughly British cocktail and drew on childhood memories of picking blackberries on the Isle of Wight. The result, a gin sour with blackberry liqueur over crushed ice, is considered a modern classic and the IBA lists it among the New Era drinks. Bradsell also created the Espresso Martini.
How does the Duke Bramble differ from the classic?
The original combines gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and crème de mûre drizzled over crushed ice. We replace the sugar syrup with a bar spoon of blackberry thyme jam, which brings sweetness, fruit and a herbal note, and top the drink with a blackberry espuma instead of the liqueur drizzle. It is served in a pre-chilled tumbler, finished with sprayed orange zest.
Which glass and which ice?
Classically the Bramble belongs in an old-fashioned glass filled to the rim with crushed ice. The fine ice chills quickly, dilutes this strong sour pleasantly and lets the liqueur run visibly through the glass. In the Duke Bramble the espuma takes over that role, so a pre-chilled tumbler is enough.