Bramble

Drinks expert Alice Lascelles tells us the perfect way to make the classic bramble cocktail, plus three fun twists

The world-famous bar scene that the UK enjoys today owes a lot to the work of one man: bartender Dick Bradsell. One of his most popular creations was, and still is, the bramble, which is essentially a gin sour spiked with an eye-catching shot of blackberry liqueur.

SERVES 1 PREP 5 mins NO COOK EASY

50ml gin

25ml lemon juice

3/4 tbsp sugar syrup ice cubes crushed ice

3/4 tbsp crème de mure 1 lemon slice and a blackberry (if in season) to serve

Shake the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup in a cocktail shaker with a good handful of ice cubes then strain into a rocks glass full of crushed ice. Drizzle the crème de mure over the top so it ‘bleeds’ into the drink. Garnish with the lemon slice and blackberry, if using.

GOOD TO KNOW vegan • gluten free

PER SERVING 222 kcals • fat none • saturates none • carbs 14g • sugars 14g • fibre none • protein none • salt 0.1g

3 TWISTS

Fresh fruit bramble

This drink is one to make when the hedgerows are groaning with ripe fruit. Start by muddling 6 blackberries in a rocks glass. Add 50ml gin, 25ml lemon juice, 25ml sugar syrup and fill the glass two thirds full with crushed ice. Mix with a long-handled spoon. Top with more crushed ice, a garnish and paper straws.

Bramble royale

Go glam with your bramble by adding a splash of champagne to the mix. Just make the drink as normal but reduce the amount of crushed ice by about a third to leave room for the fizz. Then top with 25-50ml of champagne, mix gently, add a bit more crushed ice, garnish and serve.

Peach sour

The classic ‘sour’ formula that the bramble sticks to is easy to adapt by switching out the liqueur. Try 12.5ml of crème de peche instead of crème de mure – it might not look quite as eye-catching as the bloodshot bramble but it will taste just as delicious. Alice Lascelles is a drinks columnist for the Financial Times and the author of Ten Cocktails: The Art of Convivial Drinking (£16.99, Saltyard). @alicelascelles