The Bramble Recipes

Steps:

• In a cocktail shaker, add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Fill with with ice cubes. Cover and shake briefly, about 10 seconds. Uncover and use a strainer to pour the cocktail into a rocks glass. Fill glass to the top with crushed ice. Drizzle blackberry liqueur over the ice, creating a "bramble" effect. Garnish with a lemon wheel and blackberries skewered with a cocktail toothpick. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake together the first three ingredients and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice (see below), mounded high. Drizzle crème de mûre over the top and garnish with a slice of lemon, two blackberries and a short straw.
• And, to make simple syrup, stir together equal measures of hot water and sugar, cool to room temperature and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Steps:

• 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.3 TWISTSFresh fruit brambleThis 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 royaleGo 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 sourThe 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.