Bramble Vs Smash Cocktails: What's The Difference?

When reviewing a cocktail menu, drinks listed as a "Bramble" or a "smash" may not offer much information as to what they are. They are easy to confuse, as they are both fruit-forward cocktails that are often served over plenty of ice. On top of this, both can feature gin, citrus, and berries. More specifically, Brambles are known for their blackberry flavor, but a smash can also use blackberries and look similar — but this still doesn't make them the same thing. Due to their similarities, sometimes the terms get misused on a bar menu, though they are not interchangeable.

From their preparation style and key ingredients to how they're served, Brambles and smashes are distinct drinks, though they have some overlapping features. This is important to know if you're ordering one or the other at a bar or if you want to become a more informed home bartender. With that, here are some of the things that set these two cocktails apart.

The biggest differentiator between these two terms is that a Bramble is a specific cocktail, which is why it's often capitalized. It was created more recently than smashed cocktails – in the 1980s by bartender Dick Bradsell in London – and has maintained an established recipe ever since. It's traditionally made with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and crème de mûre, a blackberry liqueur.

A Bramble is a classic gin cocktail. Recipes might call for a London dry gin, but this is not a strict requirement. These cocktails, however, must contain crème de mûre, a thick, blackberry liqueur that is originally from France.  Despite its name, it does not contain any cream or dairy. It provides the cocktail with the sweet element and its iconic jammy berry flavor, making it a refreshing cocktail perfect on a hot summer day.

The purple liqueur is poured or drizzled over the top of the drink rather than shaken in with everything else. The crushed ice is loaded on top to form a dome, and the crème de mûre is added on top, which creates the drink's unique streaked appearance as the dark liqueur sinks down. A double old fashioned glass is the most popular choice for serving. Fresh blackberries often appear on top as a garnish, and sometimes other berries, like raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries, might be added. A lemon wheel is also a common garnish.

A smash refers to a family of cocktails that follows a formula of a spirit, a fruit, a sweetener, and an herb. The smash has older origins and seems to have stemmed from the julep, which appears in writing in 1862 in Jerry Thomas' "How to Mix Drinks, or, The Bon-Vivant's Companion." For the record, all smashes are juleps, but if they contain lemon, they are not a julep anymore. Smashes can be made with a variety of different spirits, so they can be completely different from one another. Whiskey smashes, typically made with mint, lemon, and sugar, are one of the most popular options, but gin, rum, and tequila can also be used.

Smashes make use of fresh ingredients, which bartenders muddle together in the serving glass, including fruit, herbs, or citrus. Often, seasonal fruits are used, so you'll see peach smashes in the summer and strawberry smashes in the spring. Some smash recipes might just use citrus juice and no fresh fruit, like the whiskey smash, which uses lemon juice. Mint is the most common herb used in and for garnishing smashes, but you'll also sometimes see basil.

With a smash, the fresh ingredients are muddled before the cocktail is shaken. It is often served with crushed ice, like the Bramble, but this is not required. These can be served in a wide variety of glassware including tumblers, old-fashioned glasses, and tall, thin glasses.