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Disclosure
We asked Tom Soden, the creative force behind trendy bar Nine Lives in Bermondsey Street, to whip up some low alcohol cocktails for the weekend. It’s all about balance…
Sakura
50ml Sake
10ml Tinned peach syrup
Merchant’s Heart Hibiscus Tonic Water
Tall glass / Cubed Ice / Tinned peach slice & freshly ground pink pepper
Add all ingredients to a tall glass with cubed ice. Give the drink a gentle stir with a spoon to ensure well mixed. Garnish with a slice of tinned peach & freshly ground pink peppercorns
Punica
50ml Rose Wine
25ml Pomegranate juice
10ml Campari
Merchant’s Heart Floral Tonic Water
Wine Glass / Cubed Ice / Mint & pomegranate seeds
Add all ingredients into a wine glass with cubed ice & stir gently. Garnish with pomegranate seeds & fresh mint leaves, when added to the glass stir gently to move through the drink
* top tip – when de-seeding a pomegranate cut in half & do so in a bowl of water. The seeds will sink to the bottom while the waxy flesh will float to the service
Salerno
35ml Dry Vermouth
15ml London Dry Gin
1 x Chamomile tea bag
Merchant’s Heart Light Tonic
Tall glass / Cubed Ice / Lemon Twist
Pour gin into glass & add chamomile tea bag & allow to steep for 2 minutes while giving it a gentle stir. Watch for the colour to leech into the gin. Squeeze gin from the tea bag & add remaining ingredients with cubed ice giving a gentle stir at the end. Garnish with a large un-waxed lemon peel ensuring you press the oils from the skin over the drink.
*top tip – using tea bags is a great way to add flavour to drinks without adding any additional calories.
Camellia
40ml strongly brewed & cooled Earl Grey Tea
2 Raspberries
20ml Fresh pink grapefruit juice
Merchant’s Heart Tonic Water
Tall glass / Cubed Ice / Pink Grapefruit twist
Pour in cold Earl Grey Tea into glass & add the raspberries. Squash the raspberries as much as possible with a spoon until well mashed. Add pink grapefruit juice, cubed ice & top with Merchant’s Heart Tonic Water. Give it a gentle stir & garnish with a nice big pink grapefruit twist.
*top tip – the astringent tannins in a strong tea has an appealing dryness when mixed with tonic which gives the drink the mouthfeel of an alcoholic drink. A great way to enjoy a nice drink at the end of the day without having to consume alcohol!
Visit the Merchant’s Heart website
Hettie is the editor and co-founder of DOSE. A keen runner, she’s also partial to a blast of high-intensity and hot yoga. A country girl at heart, she divides her time between London and the lush rolling hills of North Devon. When she’s not jetting off on her next adventure, Hettie can be found in a candle-lit alcove with a laptop, a spaniel and a full bodied Malbec.
