How to host the perfect boozy brunch

The perfect boozy brunch is one where easy-to-make recipes meet free-flowing gin and tonics, made with the imagination and excellence that Merchant’s Heart spirit enhancers bring to the table.

At their best, long brunches are a beautiful reminder of how healing it can be to break bread with friends and family – or share a few Boatyard G&Ts! But, since brunch is a byword for laughter and leisure, hosting the perfect brunch should be easy. Focus on spectacular and surprising flavours, just as Merchant’s Heart has done with their range of super-premium tonics. As Jason Sennitt, who founded Merchant’s Heart, says, “When we first started Merchant’s Heart, we wanted to create amazing flavour experiences. It’s easy to get a great cocktail, but we wanted to give a bit of love to the mixed drink.”

Just as the brunch recipe below use simple ingredient swaps to create unexpectedly awesome flavours, the Merchant’s Heart tonics in your May Gin of the Month box transform the classic G&T into an experience all its own.

The wow factor is by design, Jason says. “With three ingredients – a spirit, a mixer and a garnish – anybody can create an amazing range of wonderful flavour experiences,” he explains. He continues, “If you pay that tiny bit more attention to what tonic you choose, you can very simply and easily create amazing drinks that don’t require a whole load of spirits on the back bar, expertise or time.”

The Merchant’s Heart tonics in your box are designed to act as a canvas for your favourite craft gin. Developed and tested by some of London’s best bartenders, what makes your spirit shine is in the scientific composition of Merchant’s Heart itself. With powerful flavours up front and on the finish, through the middle these tonics mellow out to allow the full force of your gin to come through. Jason says, “It’s what we call a ‘hollow centre’. The spirit is still the star the show, and you can either highlight those flavours or add in new flavours and create something even better.”

With both a pink peppercorn tonic – “like a supercharged classic tonic,” as Jason describes it, there are endless amazing combinations you can make this month. And, when served alongside fabulous brunch dishes designed to enhance their incredible flavour, your friends and family are in for one unforgettable brunch experience.

Pink Peppercorn Bacon

... to pair with a Merchant's Heart Pink Peppercorn G&T!

The chewy, citrusy spice of pink peppercorns are in the same flavour family as juniper, which means eating this subtly flavoured bacon alongside your Boatyard will make your new gin shine – just as the crispness of the drink cuts through the richness of the bacon.

8 slices of bacon
1tbsp cracked pink peppercorn (you can do this in a pepper mill)
Black pepper, to taste

Preheat your grill to medium. Lay your bacon out and pat dry with a paper towel. Crack over pink peppercorns, then black pepper. Flip and repeat. Grill for seven minutes, or until opaque and crispy, flipping halfway through. Serve immediately, alongside a Merchant’s Heart Pink Peppercorn G&T.