There are less than 60 days to go until Christmas, but if you’re anything like me, the fun starts well ahead of December 25 as party invites start vying for space in your diary.
The festive period may be the most wonderful time of year, but it’s the booziest too - work drinks, end-of-year reunions, Friendmas celebrations with your pals. There’ll be a glass raised at each and every one of them.
And why not? Getting to the end of the year in one piece deserves a toast, I say. But here comes the tricky part: what to fill the glass with?
Luckily, there’s no shortage of libation inspiration at Christmastime, and booze is a category that sees festive launches more than most.
Whether you’re after an aged Scotch to enjoy by a roaring fire (or, er, while cuddling the radiator), a delicious fruity red to transform into mulled wine, or bubbles to pop open while decking your halls with boughs of holly, you won’t run dry of good booze to drink.
A festive edition of your favourite tipple also usually comes in suitably celebratory packaging, so you won’t even need to bother with gift wrap: a gift tag and some ribbon is all the decoration will do the job.
Of course, getting in the Christmas spirit doesn’t necessarily mean, well, downing spirits. More people are opting for or curious about the low and no alcohol category beyond the well-known publicised stints of Sober October and Dry January. To cater to these drinkers (because everyone is invited to the party, with or without the strong stuff), I’ve included a few dry options at the end of my list too.
Eat, drink and be merry? With this drinks guide, you can’t fail.
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Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs Gift Pack with 2x Glasses 75cl
In the chaos of Christmas, carve out time with someone special - this bottle of Perrier-Jouet deserves it. A lovely gift set for parents, newlyweds, or best pals, the box comes with a bottle of the esteemed Champagne houses's Blanc de Blancs along with a pair of decorated flutes to sip from. The Christmas gift least likely to gather dust.
Buy now £91.95, Master of Malt
Billecart-Salmon Nicolas Francois Billecart 2012
The last thing you want when you’re throwing the party of the season is to run dry of essential bubbles. There’s less of a chance of that happening with this 1.5L magnum of premium Champagne from Billecart-Salmon. Expect an initial burst of grapefruit before honeyed butter and light floral notes bloom through.
Buy now £312.00, The Finest Bubble
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut Champagne, with Cooler, 75cl
There’s nothing more frustrating than showing up to the function with a bottle of Champagne, only to have to wait an hour or so for it to be perfectly chilled before freeing the cork.
Treat the party host in your life to a Veuve Clicquot cooler set, the perfect accessory to keep those bubbles chilled before serving.
Buy now £70.00, John Lewis
Fortnum's X Secret Garden Christmas Gin
If you're looking for a festive gin to blow away the cobwebs this year, it's time to leave the sloe life behind. F&M's gin offering ticks the festive, fabulous and flavoursome boxes with aplomb. This special edition comes from Edinburgh's Old Curiosity Distillery, brimming with notes of ginger, cardamom and cinnamon. But that's not all: this spirit is a colour-shifting one, turning blush pink when you slosh in tonic or a mixer. The magic happens naturally due to shifting pH levels, but the science is best contemplated when it's in your hands, ideally sloshed over some cubes of ice.
Buy now £40.00, F&M
Selfridges Selection Panettone Liqueur 500ml
The grown-up way to imbibe panettone throughout the festive period, Selfridge’s genius drink is a new launch this year - and we think it’s destined to become a festive fixture. The serve is heaving with ripe fruit and citrus flavours with a hint of warming caramel nestled within the oat-based cream. Buon Natale!
Buy now £24.99, Selfridges
Fortnum's Mince Pie & Marmalade Gin Liqueur
Just in case you haven't hit your annual quota of mince pie consumption, here comes another way to enjoy the festive treat. F&M have muddled its flavours with marmalade notes in this citrus-laden flavoured gin liqueur, exclusive to the Mayfair store. A lovely spirit to plonk beside the cheeseboard.
Buy now £35.00, F&M
Waitrose No.1 Amaretto Morello Cherry Sour
Need something to zip through all that stodgy festive fare? Keep this RTD cocktail in your fridge drawer until your stuffed-from-mini-canape guests need rousing. Then just shake with ice and decant into a chilled coupe. With cherry, marzipan and a burst of lemon in the mix, it'll get them merry and bright once again.
Buy now £14.40, Waitrose
Daylesford Blood Orange & Cranberry Gin with Gold Leaf
A little sparkle is par for the course come Christmas. Daylesford delivers with its flavoured gin speckled with shards of gold leaf. Like a snow globe for adults - only one you can drink.
Buy now £24.00, Daylesford
No. 3 Perfect Martini Gift Set
Call it a new Christmas tradition if you must, but the dry, sharp flavours of a martini feels absolutely necessary at this time of year. In fact, if you're the one doing the hosting, they should offer it on prescription.
No. 3 Gin has collaborated with NUDE to launch the perfect martini glass, designed to keep the liquid it holds cooler for almost twice the time it would if in a classic glass. The glassware set comes with a bottle of No. 3's best, so you can investigate the hype yourself. Bottoms up!
Buy now £152.00, Berry Bros & Rudd
Shanky’s Whip Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Irish whiskey's strong flavours are mellowed out with vanilla and caramel notes in Shanky's Whip, offering spice and sweetness in every glug. The retro bottle design and label makes this a fun gift to slip into a stocking or wrap up under the tree.
Buy now £24.95, The Whisky Exchange
Clase Azul Reposado tequila
Hail a ‘Feliz Navidad’ to all with this bottle of premium tequila on your drinks trolley. You’ll find Clase Azul’s blue and white bottled reposado behind some of London’s smartest bars, so prized is the smooth, full-bodied liquid within. Think vanilla and toffee caramel notes, making it a surprisingly good partner to enjoy with rich desserts. Your festive fiesta won’t know what’s hit it.
Buy now £174.95, Master of Malt
Isle of Wight Distillery Mermaid Winter Gin
Some might say the gift of gin is gift enough, but when it's from the Isle of Wight Distillery, you can count on the bottle knocking it out of the park. The producer famously uses Venetian glass to house its spirit, and for the Winter Gin edition, it's gone with this sublime plum peach combo.
As for the spirit itself, it's brimming with Christmassy notes: think figs, grape, cassis, orange peel, and a few drops of golden Isle of Wight honey. Pair with a festive mixer and prepare to get jolly.
Buy now £40.00, John Lewis
Absolut Elyx Single Estate Copper Crafted Luxury Vodka
Here’s another luxury vodka to have and to hold. Hailing from Sweden, Absolut Elyx is distilled in a vintage copper still and bottled in fetching rose gold packaging that’s bound to turn heads on any drinks trolley. The award-winning spirit tastes sublime with creamy notes of macadamia, white chocolate and freshly baked bread.
Buy now £110.00, The Whisky Exchange
NIO Cocktails Limited Edition Christmas Cocktail Gift Set
Cocktails are a fun Christmas gift, but there's always the worry about glass cracking and booze spilling everywhere. No such qualms with NIO Cocktails' gift set, which contains six serves from spiced negroni to a winter sidecar and more. Each one is poured into a spill-proof pouch tucked into a cardboard sleeve - like the most elegant Capri-Sun you could imagine - ready to wrap or distribute into grown-up stockings.
Buy now £39.00, NIO Cocktails
Kocktail Espresso Martini, 50cl
Housed in a chic glass vessel, Kocktail’s premixed expresso martini has been crafted with premium ingredients. From Italy’s favourite coffee liqueur, Borghetti, to Wheatley vodka and a cold brew by trendy oat milk connoisseurs Minor Figures, we’ll safely class this option as the Gen Z espresso martini. We mean that as a compliment. The 500ml bottle has a 20 per cent ABV.
Buy now £27.00, John Lewis
Whitebox Single Serve Classic Cocktails
If you’re new to Whitebox Cocktails and want to see what all the fuss is about without committing to one particular flavour, welcome to the boozy pick’n’mix selection of dreams. This set of six is made for festive sippin’ with popular cocktails like a Cosmo, Marg, Martini and Old Fashioned in the mix.
Buy now £36.00, Whitebox
Sea Change Free Alcohol-Free Sparkling
Proving booze-free doesn’t mean fun-free, socially-minded Sea Change has this Italian-produced bottle made from Glera grapes in its ranks. Matching the stronger stuff on flavour and looks, the only thing left out is the alcohol.
Buy now £14.99, The Alcohol Free Co
Wild Idol Non Alcoholic Sparkling Rosé
Served at summer’s biggest events, from Glastonbury to Royal Ascot and Wimbledon, it’s not surprising to learn that Wild Idol Non Alcoholic Sparkling Rosé is pretty decent stuff. After all, if it’s good enough for high society’s biggest movers and shakers… Expect red apple, dried redcurrant and red cherry flavours with creamy bubbles, bright acidity and a dry finish.
Buy now £28.00, Tesco
Pale Fox Alcohol Free Sparkling Wine
For a gift that’s raring to go, look no further than Pale Fox. The small producer likes to dress up its bottles in pretty labels, foiling and a gift box which means it’s the ideal dinner party offering. Marrying Glera grapes with pinot grigio, the brand has nailed its recipe for booze-free fizz with a flavour that sings with juicy fruit and sweet, nutty almonds. Pair with light dishes, like seafood and fruit-laden desserts.
Buy now £20.00, Master of Malt
