The Munch Brunch

Very likely inspired by his hangover, it was the British writer, Guy Beringer who defined the concept of ‘brunch’ in his 1895 treatise, ‘Brunch: A Plea’. The ‘hospitable meal’ he engagingly wrote, is ‘cheerful, sociable and inciting’ of talk, putting one in ‘good temper’ and sweeping away ‘the worries and cobwebs of the week.’ Occurring at a later point in the day than breakfast, Beringer liked the fact ‘you get up when the world is warm, or at least, when it is not so cold.’ Not having to rise so early also served as an incentive to revel in late-night mischiefs. ‘You are able to prolong your Saturday nights, heedless of that moral “last train” – the fear of the next morning’s reaction.’

A portmanteau of ‘breakfast’ and ‘lunch’, Beringer’s brunch would commingle ‘the tea or coffee, marmalade and kindred features of the former institution with the more solid attributes of the latter’, ideally starring a ‘main of fish and one or two meat courses’ which, given that Beringer was writing in Hunter’s Weekly, he may himself have fished and stalked. 

These days, with the culinary culture of the world available on a plate far from the original land in which it was created, the nonchalant weekend moment can encompass a wider gamut of fodder, ranging from smashed avocado on toast or eggs benedict, to  cinnamon toast, crêpes and waffles, and even oeufs en meurette with Burgundian sauce, enfrijoladas and enchiladas, smoked sturgeon, and dim sum…

In lieu of tea and coffee, Beringer allowed ‘substitutes’ of beer and whiskey’ and 125 years after ‘Brunch: A Plea’ was written, I like to think that he would have greatly approved of the taste and feel of MEDA’s  Madagascan vanilla, tonka bean and golden rum-enriched Medatini, fusing ABV alongside cold-brewed coffee beans and premium CBD. 

Being super easy to make – simply shake the Medatini’s contents in an ice-filled shaker and pour with into a chilled coupe – even the home brunch can become superlative. Alternatively, enjoy a brunch free from washing-up in a haven of hospitality such as Selfridge’s Brasserie of Light, where the Medatini can be ordered alongside two eggs ‘any way’ or, if feeling flush, their wowing lobster and prawn crêpe gratin… 

Here’s to the next 125 years of brunching!

Douglas Blyde.