Strawberry Rose Bramble Gin Cocktail

If you love floral fruit-forward cocktails, this Strawberry Rose Bramble Gin Cocktail is your new favorite drink. Whether you’re a gin fan or not, this simple yet sophisticated cocktail will make you a believer. It is made with muddled fresh strawberries, homemade rose syrup, dry gin and lemon juice. With just 5 ingredients––including the rose syrup ingredient––even a cocktail novice can whip up this Bramble in minutes. It also makes a delicious mocktail with an amazing twist.

What is a bramble gin cocktail?

A bramble cocktail is usually garnished with crème de mur (a blackberry liqueur), lemon juice, London dry gin, simple syrup and a touch of fruit (blackberry or raspberry). It is fresh, bright, tangy and sweet. It is usually enjoyed during the spring and summer season, but I happily drink them all year round. This Strawberry Rose Bramble takes a delicious spin on the traditional Bramble Gin cocktail, adding rose simple syrup and fresh strawberries.

the main ingredient

In fact I discovered this Strawberry Rose Bramble as a Valentine’s Day cocktail. But it really does taste like the arrival of spring. Be sure to use quality ingredients for the best taste.

Strawberries: Fresh strawberries give this cocktail a cheerful, vibrant flavor. Use strawberries at peak ripeness. Look for a deep red hue and a fresh strawberry flavor.

Rose water: Rose water tastes like roses. It enhances the natural flavor and blends perfectly with the botanicals of the gin. In this recipe you will use rose water to make an incredible rose water simple syrup. Rose simple syrup is our added sugar, and will sweeten this cocktail to perfection.

London Dry Gin: Since this is a floral cocktail, gin––flavored with juniper berries and other herbs––is definitely the best spirit to use. However, not all genes are created equal. For this cocktail I recommend a high quality London dry gin such as Bombay Sapphire, or Hayman’s of London (my favourite). I love Hamann’s Royal Dock Gin for its notes of juniper, coriander and citrus. It plays very well in this cocktail and gives it a more sophisticated taste.

How to Make a Strawberry Rose Bramble

First step: Make simple rose syrup. The recipe below makes 1 cup of simple syrup. So plan to make it ahead of time and use it for this cocktail and anywhere else you want rose simple syrup. It’s super delicious in coffee!

Step Two: Place 1 large strawberry (sliced) in the bottom of each cocktail glass. Use a muddler to mash the strawberries thoroughly until you see a lot of strawberry juice at the bottom of the glass and the fruit pieces are clumped together. Top each glass with about 1/2 cup ice––solid or crushed ice.

Step Three: Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker with cubed ice: gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice (seeds removed), and rose simple syrup. Shake and pour into a glass.

Step Four: Garnish with some powdered dried rose petals (optional), more strawberries or lemon wedges.

Tips for making the best brambles

Use only high quality gins and other ingredients. My go-to gin is Hayman’s Royal Dock Gin.
Use a muddler to mash the strawberries thoroughly until you see a lot of strawberry juice at the bottom of the glass and the fruit pieces are clumped together.
If you can’t find fresh strawberries, swap with ripe peaches, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries.
To make this alcohol free: Use water–still or sparkling–in place of gin It is actually super tasty and refreshing too.

Try these other fun cocktails

Pomegranate Margarita

Apple Cider Nutmeg Mocktail

Pomegranate Aperol Spritz

Winter Sunrise Hibiscus Whiskey Cocktail

Mezcal Watermelon Margarita