In 1895, a British journalist called Guy Beringer made a case for brunch, a new meal that was “a corruption of breakfast and lunch”. He was referring to his portmanteau of the words “breakfast” and “lunch”, of course, but I love the idea of brunch as a corruption. It is, after all, a meal with an edge; a louche late start made possible by the weekend, and the acceptable face of drinking before noon.
Beringer made the point that brunch enables you “to prolong your Saturday nights, heedless of that moral ‘last train’”. It starts later, for a start, with more “solid attributes” on the menu than breakfast. He was writing, of course, for the hungover. So, what to drink at brunch? It makes sense that cocktails have become traditional, especially those that combine the enlivening properties of juice with the fuel of alcohol, such as the mimosa or the bloody mary.
But if hair of the dog is what you need, so is something straightforward, and this week’s column is for you: pre-mixed cocktails that require little more than opening a can. Supermarket own-brand ranges are expanding, such as Marks & Spencer’s Party Pack, which includes classics such as mojito, piña colada, G and slimline T, and a “passionstar” martini (notice their PG-13 take on the pornstar). At just over £2 a can, they’re good value, too, but most veer a little on the sweet side for me.
I really like Whitebox’s little cocktails, especially the pocket negroni, which is a tasty, perfectly balanced blend of what I like to think of as mixology’s holy trinity: Campari, vermouth and gin. If you’re a spritz lover, I can also recommend Allora, a really delicious new aperitivo inspired by the tiny island of Procida near Naples. It is an infusion of the island’s sweet lemons and their bitter leaves with herbs and botanicals, which you serve simply over ice, or topped up with soda, tonic or prosecco for a zesty spritz.
Moth’s (very good) pre-mix cocktails have been doing the rounds a lot this year and, at £19 for six from Tesco, are reasonably priced, too. I’m partial to the margarita, but I do insist on a glass with a salted rim. If you can extend yourself to this effort, it will, like a good hot sauce and some 90s R&B, make all the difference to your brunch.
You could also try Betty Booze, Blake Lively’s latest addition to her drinks empire, which until now has been non-alcoholic. Her pre-mix cocktails have a distinctly American character, pairing popular spirits such as tequila or bourbon with the likes of oak-smoked lemonade; I liked the sparkling tequila with lime shiso. If you have any sober folk in your crowd, Lively’s meyer lemon club soda is great, too, putting a Californian twist on a classic no/low option. Either would make for a “cheerful, sociable and inciting” brunch, of which I’m sure Beringer would approve.
Four pre-mix alternatives to a bloody mary
Whitebox Pocket Negroni £4.75 (100ml) Hop Burns & Black ,21.8%. A small and mighty ready-made classic.
Moth Margarita £19 for 6 (125ml) Tesco, 14.9%. Another classic mixed so you don’t have to – serve chilled, and don’t forget the salt rim.
Allora Aperitivo £18.99 (70cl) Drink Supermarket, 17%. Limoncello fans will love this premix aperitif – top up with soda for a zippy long drink.
Betty Booze Sparkling Tequila with Lime Shiso £12 for 4 (355ml) Majestic, 4.5%. Herbaceous, zingy, a little bit salty: delicious.
