Whether you’re stocking the drinks cabinet for Christmas entertaining, hunting down the perfect gift for a discerning sipper, or simply looking to elevate your own festive tipple, the holiday season is the perfect excuse to explore something new. From brilliantly convenient pre-mixed cocktails and standout vodkas to characterful gins and collectable whiskies, this year’s line-up is particularly strong.
Pre-Made Cocktails
As ever, I have a bit of a soft spot for MOTH. They make a good product that’s sensibly priced, very well made, nicely packaged, and ultra-convenient. This year, they’ve put a Cocktail Party Pack together, with eight of their bestsellers – Mojito, Negroni, Spicy Margarita, Margarita, Espresso Martini, Passionfruit Martini, Cosmopolitan and Paloma – in one box. It’s available through Waitrose, RRP £22, which is a bargain.
A new one on me is Psychopomp, a microdistillery from Whitehall, in Bristol, which is putting its own small spin on the Negroni. Traditionally made with equal parts gin, vermouth and Italian bitters, Pyschopomp founder Liam Hirt says he’s “never been convinced by this overly convenient ratio” and thus uses a little more gin. “It’s much more balanced,” he declares, and he might have a point.
The gin in question is their own Wōden gin and here it’s paired with similarly Bristol-based Aperitivo Co’s Italian Bitters and sweet Turin Vermouth. It’s a very good drink, particularly with their suggested grapefruit slice garnish, and you get 70cl of Negroni for £32 (plus delivery – it’s available from microdistillery.co.uk and Master of Malt), which is a big win.
Vodka
Warwickshire Gin Company’s Kingmaker Vodka is a crisp, smooth addition to your drinks cabinet/shelf/whatever and, in festive spirit, contains frankincense. It’s available through their website at a good value £38… although you might want to add a bottle of something else – there’s rum, gin, and other gifts available – as you get free postage over £40.
On a simpler, purer, cleaner note, I’m also really enjoying Vail Co 10th Mountain potato vodka (RRP £32.95). It’s simple, pure, and as smooth as a very smooth thing. Possibly smoother. It’s highly sippable on its own, but perfect for cocktails. The same applies to Altamura Distilleries Vodka, a wheat-based spirit from the food-lover’s paradise that is Puglia. Available from Amathus (£36.20).
Gin
The gin boom doesn’t show many signs of slowing down, but one suspects the market must be cannibalising itself… Or are we all drinking Gimlets to detract from the state of the world? I’ve very much enjoyed the straightforward nature of D1 London’s Daringly Dry London Gin (£32.49 from their website). It’s simple, juniper-forward and none the worse for that.
For something a little fancier, Portofino Dry Gin brings a hint of Italy to the glass, with 21 botanicals from the hills above – you’ll never guess! – Portofino. Oh. You guessed. There are hints of lemon and juniper, rosemary, lavender, marjoram, sage… think Mediterranean summer night, basically. It’s available from Boutique Brands with an RRP of £42.50.
There from the start of the aforementioned gin boom, and still doing good things, is Sipsmith. Their signature London Dry Gin is available in two special gift pack options: a telephone box-shaped tin or the “Grocery Cardboard” version, a bit of fun for £30. There’s also a Sipsmith Triple Gin Mini Set (£13) available, which includes 5cl bottles of their Sloe Gin, London Dry and Zesty Orange varieties.
To be fair, 5cl of the Sloe is 65cl too few, so put me down for a full bottle of that (via Sipsmith.com, John Lewis, Waitrose and all major supermarkets nationwide) for £30 or, perhaps, the returning Chilli & Lime (also £30), which blends seven chillies from around the world and lime peel to tingling effect.
Sipsmith’s logo is a swan, so it’s perhaps appropriate that one of the sector’s newer entrants is called Cygnet. It’s actually the creation of opera singer Katherine Jenkins, who found that traditional spirits were often too drying on the throat, so she set out to develop a gin that was gentle and smooth enough to sip neat.
If you’re building a drinks collection – or just like a coordinated one – East London’s Hoxton Drinks is a solid place to start. Created by mixologist Gerry Calabreses, they start with premium spirits, add only real ingredients, fruit and botanicals, and have put together a range that’s as tasty as it is good looking. Available from Master of Malt, Amazon and The Whisky Exchange and most of them around the £35 level or below, they’ll add something new to an existing drinks collection or tick all the basic boxes, with three gins (Dry, Pink, and coconut and grapefruit infused Tropical), a Banana Rum, a Spiced Whisky and London Spritz, an aperitif of gin, citrus and summer berries.
There’s an entry-level Welsh Dry Gin (£39.99), but perhaps the more interesting option is Cygnet 22 (£54.90), which, as the name suggests, packs 22 botanicals into the mix, as well as a hint of Manuka honey for smoothness. If you’re feeling particularly decadent, there’s also Cygnet 77 (£127.99), which is Cygnet 22 that’s been rested in Welsh whiskey barrels for 55 weeks. They’re all available via Amazon.
Also getting in on the act is the Falklands, in the shape of Tumbledown Gin, which they describe as a “small-batch spirit handcrafted in quiet seclusion by a single expert distiller.” And, one suspects, quite a lot of penguins. Each bottle is unique and hand-numbered, juniper-forward but also with things such as scurvy grass and orange peel. Such a niche comes at a little premium – a 70cl bottle will set you back £139 –, but it’s a very good gin and a hell of a talking point if you’re running out of conversation this Christmas.
Rather more readily available is Caorunn, which has long been a stalwart of my ever-expanding drinks shelf. It’s made with five locally foraged Celtic botanicals (such as dandelion and heather) and six traditional botanicals, and is a crisp, gently spicy, full and smooth gin. The suggested garnish – a slice of red apple – is no gimmick, by the way, it’s a fine, fine foil. It’s available via all the usual outlets for an RRP of £30.
While we’re talking fruit, Penrhos Spirits has teamed up with produce delivery people Oddbox for a limited edition Pear & Chilli Gin, made from “rescued” wonky pears and locally grown jalapeños “at risk of going to waste”, and bottled in recyclable aluminium. It’s smooth, sweet, with a pleasingly fiery backnote. It’s a genuine limited edition – only 500 bottles were made, but you can still pick it up from Penrhos or Oddbox, at £34.95 a bottle.
And there’s more… Northumberland’s Hepple Spirits – located in the Northumberland National Park – make a fine gin that’s perfect for Christmas, thanks to the use of Douglas Fir as a botanical. The county’s moors get a look in too, thanks to the addition of savoury lovage, bog myrtle, and blackcurrant leaves. It’s available from their website and a few other locations, and has an RRP of £39.95.
If there’s a music fan and drinker in your life, Dre and Snoop have come to your rescue in the shape of Still G.I.N.(£38 from Sainsbury’s and Amazon). It’s twice distilled, pleasingly smooth with hints of tangerine, jasmine, and coriander. The packaging is suitably cool and striking, too.
While we’re looking to the US, I’ve also been enjoying the St George Spirits Botanivore Gin from California (£39.95 from Master of Malt). As the name suggests, it goes big on the botanicals, from bay laurel to Seville orange peel, via star anise, angelica root and cilantro, as they call coriander over there. Fresh, earthy, refreshing and pleasingly complex.
Looking the other way comes Tarsier, and a chance to drink and save the world’s smallest primate: gin win win, then? The strikingly packaged range (RRP £38, with 10% of profits going to the Philippine Tarsier Foundation) is inspired by botanicals and flavours from Southeast Asia, and includes releases such as Raspberry & Lychee, Chilli & Lemongrass, and, my personal choice, the Calamansi Citrus Gin. There’s also a Yuzu Marmalade Vodka, which is definitely worth your time…
Whisk(e)y
The first English whisky distillery to sell over 100,000 bottles (no, I didn’t know either), Cotswolds Distillery continue to produce some very interesting liquid. Their latest release is the Highgrove Evergreen, a single malt made in association, as the name suggests, with King Charles III’s Highgrove Estate. It’s made from Highgrove’s own heritage Plumage Archer barley, matured in bourbon and STR wine casks (“shaved, toasted, re-charred”) and comes packaged in a gift box, with an illustration designed by HRH himself. Happily, it also tastes good: rich, full-bodied, with a honeyed warmth and hints of spiced fruit. It’s available from the website for £100 a bottle.
I have very fond and very fuzzy memories of a trip to the Dalmore Distillery and, despite them giving me my worst hangover ever (and what a fun flight home that was!), I still adore what they do, and there’s always a bottle of The Dalmore 15 Year-Old (RRP £120) on my shelf.
While that remains as perfect a Christmas present as you could get me, there’s a new package on the market that also ticks that (beautifully presented) box: the DRAM5 Whisky Discovery Box(RRP £95). Each box (there are only 6000 available) contains five 50ml measures of hand-selected whiskies. At a minimum, they’ll be from handpicked, premium casks, but there’s a moderate chance (35%) that any box you purchase will also contain something rare and a smaller but reasonable chance (5%) that it will include a sample of something ultra-rare that would normally set you back a four-figure sum per bottle.
The box is a marvel, the bottles are fantastic, and it’s all beautifully annotated. If you have a whisky lover in your life, this is a chance to let them try five they’ve probably never experienced. It’s a genuinely great gift.
Another favourite pour of mine is “maritime malt” Old Pulteney. The 12 Year-Old delivers a lot of windswept bang for the buck – RRP £40 but often available at the usual supermarkets etc., for less – and the special editions are always worth seeking out. Indeed, the latest, Old Pulteney Harbour, is one of the few reasons I’d ever visit Tesco… The distillery is located in Wick, on the coast, and its warehouses are exposed to the North Sea air, and you can get a little hint of that in every sip.
The Harbour is a mix of liquids from American oak ex-bourbon casks: second fill barrels, re-charred barrels, first fill ex-bourbon barrels and refill barrels. Think vanilla, citrus, spice, oak and that trademark hint of brine… And at £34 a bottle? Come on.
A relatively new distillery, Skye’s Torabhaig, is producing some excellent spirit. They’re the first new distillery on the island for some 200 years, but there are old values at its heart. Their new batch strength Sound of Sleat release is a punchy, smoky number – as you’d expect from something 60% proof – and, while not for everyone, if you like a little fire and spice in your dram, this is £75 very well spent. Get in quick though – via The Whisky Shop – as there’s only 15,000 bottles available worldwide.
For an interesting single malt experience, American distillery Yellowstone are putting out some genuinely delicious things. Their bourbon is a knockout (and a relative bargain at £48.50 via Amazon) – and the new “Special Finish” collection’s Rum Cask Finish (£55.75 from The Whisky Exchange) is dangerous stuff – but the Single Malt, aged for four years in new American Oak, should send a shockwave or two to any Scottish distiller leaving buttock-shaped indentations on their laurels right now. It’s seriously good. Think cereal and honey, honey, stone fruit and walnuts. Have a dram with Christmas pudding. Go on. You deserve it…. (Master of Malt, £69.50).
Rapidly becoming one of the most dependable labels in the industry, it’s always worth checking out what The Heart Cut are doing. This award-winning independent bottler sources some remarkable whiskies from across the globe, by the individual, exclusive cask, and rebottles them in a very stylish, well-priced manner. Their latest release, The Heart Cut x Barley (£48 from their website), is a brilliant blend of single malt casks sourced from five of England’s leading distilleries, for a flavour profile defined by insights provided by their customers. Their Pocket Pours – 30ml sachets of remarkable whiskies – are also worth exploring.
Meanwhile, at The Macallan… they’ve just released their fourth annual A Night on Earth release, which, this time, is a celebration of the New Year in New Zealand, and the tradition of welcoming first light. Matured in a combination of sherry-seasoned American and European oak casks and ex-bourbon American oak, there are notes of Manuka honey, red and dark fruits, a little sweetness, and some gentle spice. A Night on Earth: The First Light retails at £99, from their website or retailers including Berry Bros. & Rudd, Selfridges, The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop and Master of Malt.
‘Tis the season for special editions, and Highland Park has also unveiled theirs, a 16-Year-Old Single Malt called Between You and I. It’s an interesting concept, with no pre-defined tasting notes, and drinkers are invited to share their own personal tasting notes via a booklet of questions, and “explore the personal memories and emotions evoked by the whisky”.
It’s a partnership with Swedish chef Björn Frantzén – the only chef in the world to simultaneously hold three Michelin stars across three different restaurants – and comes in a box customised by the chef. Appropriately, it’s also partly matured in virgin Swedish oak. It’s an interesting concept – anything that encourages people to try whiskey, and work things out for themselves is a positive, to my mind – and you can find it at Selfridges, The Whisky Shop, Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange, with a recommended price of £145.
Having mentioned The Whisky Exchange a few times, it’s only fair to plug their good old-fashioned Christmas whisky called, er, A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas Whisky (RRP £79.95). They’re astonishingly well-connected there – I spent three days with them in Ireland earlier this year, and it was an education – so when they say they’ve “scoured hundreds of distilleries across Scotland in search of something special”, I would tend to believe them. They’re not revealing the source aside from it’s in the Highlands, and 16 years old, but they’ve nailed Christmas: it’s rich, fruity, nutty, with hints of chocolate. One to enjoy pre- and post- the Christmas lunch nap.
A quick nod too to The Lakes Distillery Signature Single Malt Whisky (£85, from their website, Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges, The Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt and House of Malt). They make an exceptional drop and have recently been taken over by Nyetimber, which can only be a good thing. It’s also a better endorsement of their quality than I could ever give.
Finally, a little fun from that Rod Stewart chap, who’s co-created a whisky called Wolfie’s. It’s a bargainous £29.99 a bottle from the website and Master of Malt). Plus, at very least, I have to raise a glass to whoever gave it the tag line “blends have more fun”…
