Three Ways: The Bramble

At Walrus Rodeo in Miami, bartender Sidney Mottershead builds complexity with a spiced blackberry syrup and a gin infused with savory herbs. “I wanted to create a drink that felt both wild and refined,” says Mottershead. “I grew up in the mountains where you could almost always find these ingredients out in the woods, so this drink really feels like home to me.”

2 oz. infused gin
1 oz. spiced blackberry syrup
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. Muz (a Spanish wine-based aperitif)

Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: rocks
Garnish: sprig of rosemary

Add all the ingredients to an ice-filled shaker. Shake well, then strain into an ice-filled rocks glass, and garnish with a sprig of rosemary. For extra aromatics, mist the drink with an allspice tincture made by steeping 50 grams of whole allspice in 2 oz. of overproof vodka for 1 week.
Infused GinCombine 12 grams of fresh rosemary, 4 grams of fresh thyme, and 2 grams of fresh sage with 4 cups of London dry gin and steep for 48 hours before straining.
Spiced Blackberry SyrupAdd 375 grams of fresh blackberries and 375 grams of sugar to a pot over medium-low heat and gently macerate the berries and sugar. Add 60 grams of whole allspice and steep for 15–20 minutes. Add 13 oz. of water, bring to a low boil, and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved. Cool the mixture, then fine strain for use within 2 weeks (keep refrigerated).

Sidney Mottershead, Walrus Rodeo, Miami

Aiming for a playful yet refreshing cocktail, bartender Rory Kerwin at J.W. Heist Steakhouse in Bozeman, Montana, looked to the Bramble for inspiration on a tequila drink for summer. “I knew I wanted to include a fruit component, and the incorporation of crème de mûre was a direct inspiration from Dick Bradsell’s original Bramble,” says Kerwin. “This drink is really a mash-up of a Margarita and a Bramble, and the addition of the Italian bergamot liqueur brings a nice floral note.”

1 1/2 oz. blanco tequila
3/4 oz. Italicus
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz. orange liqueur (preferably Cointreau)
1/4 oz. crème de mûre
soda to top

Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: rocks
Garnish: edible flower

Add the ingredients, except the soda and crème de mûre, to a shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice, then gently pour in 1.4 oz. of crème de mûre (it should sink to the bottom). Top with a splash of chilled soda and garnish with an edible flower.

Rory Kerwin, J.W. Heist Steakhouse, Bozeman, Montana

At The Woodshed on Park in Tupper Lake, New York, bartender Emma Crouse nixes the crème de mûre in favor of fresh muddled blackberries, and swaps the gin for bourbon, building a deeper, more contemplative take on the classic. A measure of Italian red bitter Contratto complements the fresh berry notes while adding bittersweet complexity. “I hoped to take a blackberry Bramble down a darker road,” explains Crouse. The result? “Boulevardier meets Bramble.”

2 oz. bourbon
3/4 oz. Contratto (or other red bitter, such as Campari)
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
4 fresh blackberries

Tools: shaker, strainer, fine-mesh strainer
Glass: rocks
Garnish: fresh blackberry

Muddle the blackberries in a shaker, then add the rest of the ingredients. Shake well with ice, then double strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice and garnish with a fresh blackberry.

Emma Crouse, The Woodshed on Park, Tupper Lake, New York