Bartending 101 - Brambles.

Some very, very mixed feelings on Brambles.

A bramble, done right, is a truly glorious creation. It's light, fruity, sharp, and very drinkable. Sadly, it's also one of those drinks everywhere does, and you'll end up having 9 or 10 cheap and nasty ones for every good, well-balanced one. So there are a few basic things you can be doing (and avoiding) to ensure yours is one of the one in ten that shines.

Ingredients

50ml good gin - I love a wee Tanqueray for straight-up cleanliness.

10ml creme de cassis

25ml lemon juice - as usual, fresher is better.

5-10ml sugar syrup

LOADS of berries. Seasonal if possible, but there's a surprising amount of goodness in the big bags of frozen berries you can get from any half decent supplier. just lift a cup or bowl out a few hours before the start of the shift, let them thaw themselves. A wee splash of the actual juice that thaws out too is a nice addition too.

Method

Easy enough here - throw your gin, cassis, juice and sugar in a whiskey glass, half fill the glass with crushed ice, heap in a generous amount of berries and top with more crushed ice. Muddle all together thoroughly. stick another handful of berries or a couple of wedges of citrus on top to garnish, add a few straws and you're done. Easy as that.

Notes

An interesting alternative can be made by using Copeland Raspberry & Mint, and swapping the cassis for Pimento Dram, a herbal liqueur. This adds a bit more sweetness and all sorts of spicy notes that make it a lovely wintry drink.