These 3 Cocktails Changed History!

A tribute to the legendary London bartender Dick Bradsell, featuring his three most iconic cocktails: the Bramble, the Espresso Martini, and the Treacle. Bradsell is credited with pushing cocktails out of the dark ages in London and is considered the Dale DeGroff of the British bartending scene.

smart_display Published 2026-04-09 download Extracted 2026-04-16

5m Prep

5m Total

1 Servings

cocktail gin vodka rum espresso-martini bramble treacle british dick-bradsell modern-classic crushed-ice coffee blackberry rum-cocktail no-cook

Ingredients

Bramble

60 ml gin
22 ml lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
15 ml simple syrup
7.5 ml crème de mûre (floated on top)
to fill glass pebble ice
for garnish fresh berries optional

Espresso Martini

60 ml vodka
30 ml espresso or cold brew concentrate
15 ml coffee liqueur
7.5 ml simple syrup
3 beans espresso beans optional

Treacle

60 ml dark Jamaican rum
2 dashes Angostura bitters
7.5 ml simple syrup
15 ml clear apple juice (floated on top)
1 piece lemon twist
1 piece large ice cube (let sweat briefly to prevent cracking)

Steps

Bramble

1

Juice fresh lemons to get 3/4 oz (22ml) of lemon juice.

Tip: One average lemon should provide enough juice for this cocktail

~1 min
2

Combine 3/4 oz (22ml) lemon juice, 1/2 oz (15ml) simple syrup, and 2 oz (60ml) gin in a cocktail shaker. Add about an ounce of pebble ice.

~1 min
3

Shake until the pebble ice is mostly dissolved, just enough to chill and dilute slightly — do not over-dilute since this is a pebble ice cocktail.

Tip: You want some dilution but not too much since the pebble ice in the glass will continue diluting

~1 min
4

Dump the shaken cocktail into an old fashioned glass, then fill the rest of the glass with pebble ice, mounding it up into a snow cone shape on top.

~1 min
5

Float 1/4 oz (7.5ml) of crème de mûre over the top of the snow cone of ice, letting it bleed down through the ice for a dramatic visual effect.

Tip: Pour the crème de mûre over the ice so it seeps down through and turns the top red — this is the classic Bramble presentation

~1 min
6

Garnish with fresh blackberries or berries if available.

Tip: The original recipe calls for a fresh berry garnish; if you don't have crème de mûre, you can muddle fresh blackberries in the shaker instead

Espresso Martini

1

Combine 1/4 oz (7.5ml) simple syrup, 1 oz (30ml) espresso or cold brew concentrate, 1/2 oz (15ml) coffee liqueur, and 2 oz (60ml) vodka in a cocktail shaker with ice.

~1 min
2

Shake vigorously to aerate the coffee and create a thick foam. Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass.

Tip: You'll know you've aerated it properly if the top has a good foam — vigorous shaking is key to the signature Espresso Martini foam

~1 min
3

Garnish with three espresso beans placed on top of the foam.

Tip: Three beans is the traditional garnish — they represent health, wealth, and happiness in Italian coffee culture

Treacle

1

Add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters (or 4 from a Japanese dasher) directly to a rocks glass, followed by 1/4 oz (7.5ml) simple syrup.

Tip: The Treacle is built directly in the serving glass — no mixing glass needed, which is the original Bradsell method

~1 min
2

Add 2 oz (60ml) dark Jamaican rum to the glass.

Tip: Myers's Rum was the original rum used by Bradsell, but any dark Jamaican rum works well
3

Place a large ice cube in the glass. For best results, let the ice cube sweat at room temperature for a few minutes before adding to prevent cracking.

Tip: Let the large ice cube sweat briefly before adding to the drink — adding it directly from the freezer will cause it to crack from thermal shock

~1 min
4

Gently float 1/2 oz (15ml) clear apple juice on top of the drink by pouring slowly over the back of a spoon.

Tip: Use clear apple juice, not cloudy — Bradsell specifically called for the clear variety. Apple juice floats naturally on rum due to density differences

~1 min
5

Express a lemon twist over the glass to release the oils, then place or discard as preferred.

Nutrition (per serving)

220

Calories

18g

Carbs

Cultural Context

Dick Bradsell (1959–2016) was the most important figure in the British bartending renaissance. Working in London bars during the 1980s and 90s, he created numerous modern classic cocktails at a time before the internet, making his recipes spread organically through word of mouth across global bar menus. The Bramble (1984, Fred's Club, Soho) is a blackberry gin sour served over crushed ice — a nod to British hedgerow flavors. The Espresso Martini was created around 1983 at the Soho Brasserie after a famous model asked for a drink to 'wake me up and then f*** me up.' The Treacle, named after the classic British dessert, combines dark Jamaican rum with apple juice and Angostura bitters. Bradsell also appeared as 'The Bald Man' in Christopher Nolan's debut film, 'Following' (1998).