Looking for an autumnal weekend cocktail? Try this gin bramble recipe

It’s the weekend and with this wet autumn weather blowing in, we wanted to try out a cocktail that felt a little more cosy and seasonal than the spritzy and citrusy summery cocktails we’ve been having the last while.

This gorgeous autumn-inspired gin bramble takes a little bit of work, but is the perfect transitional season cocktail, using the last of summer’s fruits – the blackberry – and combining it with the cooling combo of crushed ice and ice-cold gin. A winning combination if we ever tasted one!

For the cordial:

4 cups of blackberries

20g sugar

Water as needed

For the cocktail

1 shot of a gin of your choice

1 shot of lemon juice

1 lemon peel

40ml simple syrup

Crushed ice

Make your cordial first so it has time to cool down. In a large pot, place your washed blackberries in one layer at a time, crushing them before you add the next layer.

Next, toss in your sugar and turn the heat up to high. If the mixture isn’t becoming liquid-like, add a little water, no more than 50ml at a time.

After a half hour, reduce the heat down to a low simmer and leave it, returning occasionally to stir and check if the seeds and fruit have separated.

Add more water if you want a thinner consistency and more sugar if you like it sweeter, but once the mixture has reduced and you have the consistency you’d like, start to strain it into a container using a fine mesh sieve. Use a ladle to press down the mixture if the juices aren’t releasing.

Pop that into the fridge and allow it to cool.

Next, make your simple syrup. Simply heat 2 parts sugar to 1 part water over a medium heat in a pan. Once the mixture has thickened like a syrup and cooled down, it’s ready to go!

Once you have those two ingredients ready to go, you’re set to make your cocktail! Firstly, juice your lemon and place it into you cocktail shaker, along with 1 shot of gin and 40ml of simple syrup.

Add in lots of ice and shake it up for about 30 seconds.

Next, crush ice in a tea towel with a rolling pin and place it into your glass. Strain the contents of your cocktail shaker into the glass.

Pour your blackberry cordial over the crushed ice to create a cool colour effect, before grabbing your lemon peel and running it along the rim of the glass. Use it as a garnish and serve with a flourish!