Blackberry Bramble recipes are thought of as a summer cocktail classic. But with a subtle background of gin’s juniper berries, this gin cocktail can transport you to the edge of the forest where the blackberries and evergreens grow. A light and airy cocktail welcome at holiday parties!
Every once in the while, I like a gin cocktail. Blackberry and gin remind me of home, where the junipers were planted along the house foundation and the blackberries were free for the picking. Not a bad memory! Joyce Pinson, Friends Drift Inn
Blackberry Bramble Recipe-At-A-Glance
Prep Time 3 Minutes Cook Time 0 Total Time 3 Minutes
Ingredients Gin – Friends Drift Inn Blackberry Bourbon Jam – Lemon Juice-Chambord-Lemon Wheel – Blackberries for garnish – Ice
Equipment – Cocktail Shaker – Bar spoon
Yield 1 Gin Cocktail – Blackberry Bramble Recipe can be doubled
What is a Blackberry Bramble Cocktail?
Dick Bradsell, a trend-setting London barkeep, invented the Bramble back in the 1980’s. With an herbaceous background from gin’s juniper berries combined with berry liquor the flavor duo has become one of the best know gin cocktails.
Gin has light and airy taste that many reserve gins for summer cocktails. But for me, blackberries combined with that evergreen “pine” hint that gin imparts makes me think of the fall and winter holidays. The cocktail is indeed “Merry and Bright.”
I think Blackberry Bramble cocktails belong on your “top of the mind” drink menu all year long.
What Does Gin Taste Like?
Gin is a clear liquor. It has a subtle clean flavor. Take a whiff from the bottle, and you get a nose full of evergreen goodness chiefly from juniper berries and in some instances a bit of coriander.
From my perspective, gin is best as a background flavor. Some would disagree. I would never drink gin “straight.” Nope. Nope. Nope.
I think it needs a partner, be that a classic gin and tonic pairing or a nostalgic favorite like a citrusy Tom Collins.
The Brits know lots more about “London Dry” gin cocktail recipes than I do. The BBC Good Food website has a host of great gin cocktail recipes that capture so many eras and so many seasons! It is a fun reference.
But here in the Bluegrass, our go-to gin is a Kentucky product from Rabbit Hole distillery. I mention this because if you visit our state, you will want to tour their facility if only for the amazing architecture!
The Rabbit Hole “London Dry” gin makes me want to put on my dancing shoes and crank up a Sinatra tune. Charlie and I will do a little foxtrot around the big red barn and all will be right with the world; if only for a moment.
Yeah, once in the while a sip of gin is good for the soul!
Gin and Juniper Berries – Evergreen Combo
But bourbon is more my wheelhouse, so let’s consult the experts at Thrillist about the taste of gin. Nicholas Mancall – Betel quoting a well-known mixologist wrote:
“What’s exciting about London Dry gin is that it actually is juniper forward. It is what gin was created to be,” says Natasha Bahrami, owner of The Gin Room in St. Louis and the self-proclaimed Gin Girl. It allows botanicals to be shown, yet it doesn’t allow any one botanical to take over the flavor of the spirit.”
So, what she is saying is gin combines several different herbal flavors. There should be a balance – a chemistry that lets all the elements shine. You know. Kind of like a foxtrot. Giggles
What About Chambord?
Black and red raspberries are the flavorful ingredient in Chambord, a cognac-based liquor made in France.
Other ingredients that round out the flavors include citrus and honey. While made in Europe, Chambord is owned by the Kentucky-based Brown-Foreman family of companies.
Crème de mure was the original ingredient Dick Bradsell used to create his famous Blackberry Bramble recipe. However, that is hard to find in these parts. Chambord works just fine.
Chambord adds a beautiful color to this gin cocktail. And of course, the warming characteristic of cognac give the Blackberry Bramble depth of flavors.
Friends Drift Inn Blackberry Jam for Cocktails
Jam cocktails are our thing. Using jam in place of simple syrup adds yet another layer to the flavor profile.
Our Blackberry Bourbon Jam is robust. With fruit as the first ingredient, you really taste the blackberries! We do not use any added preservatives, food coloring, or high fructose corn syrup.
The blackberries do the talking.
There is just a small splash of Kentucky bourbon in our blackberry jam. Combined with the richness of the berries, we think it gives our jam a tasty balance of flavors.
Blackberry Backstory
Fresh blackberries take me down the path less travelled. Garnishing Blackberry Brambles with berries is a sensory and memory evoking experience.
For generations, both the Pinsons and the Friends, have made a family tradition of going to the woods to pick wild blackberries.
We know enough to wear long sleeves to protect you from the briars, boots to protect from slitherings, and insect repellant to hopefully keep the chiggers from biting.
If you ever had a chigger in your bellybutton, you know what I am talking about.
Nowadays, due to the Food Safety Modernization Act, we source commercially grown blackberries to assure our customers we are keeping their food safe.
We are converting our Friends Drift Inn Farm to a berry-producing enterprise. Follow along as we make that transition to grow our own berries for Friends Drift Inn Blackberry Jams.
Blackberry Brambles – The Experience
If you have ever picked wild blackberries, you know they have thorns. That is what “bramble” means. Being part of the rose family, thorns is just part of the genetics.
As a writer, I like the sound of “Blackberry Bramble.” I thumb my nose at the alliteration police who frown upon using the same letters to create a phrase. I think it is fun!
But the sound of Blackberry Bramble is just a tease for what is to come. Gin, raspberry liquor and a shake and stir of Blackberry Bourbon Jam it is calling your name.
Blackberry Brambles are festive for summer cocktails, but cherry for your holiday gatherings too!
Enjoy responsibly!
Choose Your Assortment
Blackberry Bramble Recipe
- Prep Time: 3 Minutes
- Cook Time: 0 Minutes
- Total Time: 3 Minutes
- Yield: 1
- Category: Cocktail
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: American
Description
Blackberry Bramble is easy going down. A fresh summer cocktail – but wonderfully “foresty” which plays well at holiday cocktail parties. Gin, lemon juice, raspberry liquor, and Friends Drift Inn Blackberry Bourbon Jam makes this gin cocktail a year-round favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounce “London Dry” Gin
- 3/4 ounce of freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
- 3/4 ounce of raspberry liquor (Chambod)
- 1 tablespoon Friends Drift Inn Blackberry Bourbon Jam
- Lemon wheel and fresh Blackberries for garnish
Instructions
- Cut lemon wheels and prep fresh berries.
- Fill cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add all ingredients.
- Cap shaker, and shake until condensation forms on outside of container.
- You could strain the blackberry jam, but I never do.
- Pour in rocks glass.
- Garnish and enjoy.
Notes
For a summer cocktail, we sometimes substitute lime juice and use a lime wedge for garnish.
During the holidays, this fresh flavored gin cocktail is a welcome change from whiskey mixed drinks.
As with all our recipes, this cocktail was formulated to compliment Friends Drift Inn Blackberry Bourbon Jam. We cannot predict how other products will taste or perform.
Keywords: blackberry bramble recipe, gin cocktail, how to make a blackberry bramble, summer cocktail, holiday cocktail, gin blackberry cocktail
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