Blackberry Bramble -- A Blackberry Simple Syrup Cocktail

Directions

1. Place your berries in a small pot and add in the sugar, water, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then simmer for 8 minutes, until the berries have softened (but not disintegrated) and the sugar has dissolved. You will have extra if you’re not making drinks for a crowd, so these will keep well in their syrup for up to a week. Make sure you take the cinnamon and cloves out!
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine your gin, lemon juice, and syrup. You can use some of the syrup from the berries, if you want a really fruity drink, or you can just use regular simple syrup. To make plain simple syrup, just boil 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water until the sugar dissolves. Easy!
3. Add ice to the top and shake well, for at least 10 seconds. Use a strainer (so you don’t have any lemon pulp) to pour the cocktail into two ice filled glasses. Drop a spoonful or two of berries into the drink, drop with club soda, and add a straw. Allow your guests to stir the drink themselves; the pink looks really pretty when you serve it, almost ombre, and then it magically combines in your guests’ hands!