Brick + Bramble in Edwardsville brings craft cocktails and shareable plates served in an inviting atmosphere

Opened earlier this year, Brick + Bramble located at 2323 Plum St. in the Ironworks Plaza in Edwardsville, offers cocktails, wine, small plates as well as lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Owners Laura and Ryan High, who also own Global Brew Tap House located next door, launched Brick + Bramble to bring an elevated cocktail experience one might find in the city, east of the Mississippi River. 

The couple has operated Global Brew Tap House since February 2011 and when they decided to open a new eatery next door, they wanted to create something that would complement it. Ultimately, they decided on the concept that centers on great cocktails, a robust wine list and shared plates.  

“Our goal when we opened was to have something that would offer Edwardsville a comfortable and casual one-of-a-kind experience, without having to cross the river,” Ryan High said.

Brick + Bramble offers seating for 100 people inside and shares an outdoor patio with Global Brew Tap House that offers room for 60 guests between the two eateries. High said the idea with the name was to lean into the brick history of Edwardsville and calls the Brick + Bramble ambiance comfortable-chic. In terms of decor, that looks like exposed brick on the walls, high ceilings, a few artificial trees and cozy seating, creating an atmosphere that encourages guests to stay for a while. 

Jake Koons, the food and beverage director for both brands, describes the food as a combination of small plates to share, lunch offerings with handhelds, along with a grill menu that features steak cuts, rack of lamb, salmon and other seafood selections. Additionally, the eatery serves what they call spreads that incorporate the idea of providing shareables, but with more substance than an appetizer or charcuterie board. 

“They’re hearty, eye catching and meant to be shareable,” High said. 

Designed to feed a group, the Bramble Spread features a 16-ounce New York strip steak, rack of lamb, salad, Brussels sprouts and Hasselback potatoes along with roasted garlic, truffle butter and chimichurri. There’s also a breakfast spread, available during Sunday brunch, that includes biscuits and gravy, three eggs cooked any style, an assortment of berries, applewood bacon and sausage. 

The drink menu offers takes on classics, like the rosemary martini, made with a choice of gin or vodka, and shaken with fresh rosemary, and a blueberry cosmo, made with blueberry vodka, cranberry juice and blueberry puree. 

“We have some sweeter things for fruit lovers, along with classic recipes that let the spirit shine through,” Koons said of the cocktail list. “We want to create the kind of drinks you’d find in a St. Louis city bar and bring that city ambiance and elevated cocktails to Edwardsville.”

There’s also an array of whiskey and bourbon to choose from, including Sazerac Rye B+B Single Barrel Pick, which is exclusive to the establishment. The wine list includes a global selection of white and reds, offered by the bottle or by the glass.