Raspberry Peach Bramble

This Raspberry Peach Bramble is a fun summer twist on the classic Bramble cocktail. Sweet, yet sour, with delicious summer flavours, this cocktail is pretty to look at and particularly thirst-quenching on a hot evening.

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There are few things I enjoy more in the heat of summer than spending a lazy Saturday afternoon and evening at home, meandering the time away in the garden. When I say in the garden I confess that I do mean book in hand, rather than gardening spade in hand. I have the least green fingers around and can kill all plant gifts within a week or two of receiving them. I’ll usually be the one on drinks duty though, as the day turns to evening.

An early evening cocktail is a true pleasure of mine. A cocktail that is well thought out. A little different to the norm. One that demands to be lingered over.  

This raspberry peach bramble is my summer 2019 offering. It’s a modern twist on a classic and I’m all for one of those. I’ve just made a couple of swaps to the base recipe and managed to weave the famed peach melba duo of fruits into this libation.

Expect lively sweet & sour notes to tantalise your tastebuds as you sip upon this drink. 

What is a Classic Bramble?

The Bramble is a relatively young cocktail, having been created in London in the 1980’s. This cocktail proved a hit and swiftly gained status as a classic cocktail, despite its youth.

The classic Bramble is a very quick and simple drink to prepare. Simply shake lemon juice, gin and sugar syrup together in a cocktail shaker, pour over crushed ice and dribble a little Crème de Mûre (blackberry liqueur) over the top. This liqueur cascades down through the ice adding an eye-catching sense of drama to the drink along with a sweet, jammy and fruity buzz that works in harmony with the tangy lemon juice.

For variation, use lime instead of lemon juice for a subtle change. Another common twist is to use Crème de Cassis instead of Crème de Mure.

My summer bramble requires 2 simple changes. First of all, the sugar cane syrup is replaced by homemade peach syrup. Secondly, Crème de Framboise takes the place of the Crème de Mûre. These changes lift the classic cocktail into fresh, summertime territory.

How to Make Peach Syrup

Making your own peach syrup couldn’t be simpler:

• Remove the stone from the peach and chop the flesh into small chunks (approx ½ cm)
• Put the water, sugar, peach and lemon juice into a pan and cook over a moderate heat for 10-12 minutes until the peach is very soft
• Squash the soft peach using the back of a wooden spoon (or a cocktail muddler) to extract the juice and set the pan aside to cool down for around 30 minutes

I like to pass my syrup through a nut milk bag to ensure I get a pure syrup without any fruit pulp. Filter paper works fine for this final step too.

Store the peach syrup for up to 3 weeks in the fridge in a sealed bottle.  Try serving it with water (still or sparkling) or lemonade for an alcohol-free treat everybody can enjoy.

Making the Raspberry Peach Bramble is as straightforward as making the original. I recommend garnishing it with a sprig of mint plus a few chunks of fresh peach or a raspberry.

Looking for more summer cocktail recipes? How about:

• Chilli Mango Punch (Video)
• Blackcurrant Mojito with Vanilla
• Frozen Gin & Tonic with Raspberries & Mint
• Violet daiquiri

And you’ll be pleased to hear that I’ve got a Winter Bramble too. It’s full of warming spice and demerara sugar. Don’t miss it.