Christmas is coming… are you ready?
With just over two weeks left until The Big Day, shoppers are scrambling to make sure their cupboards are stocked to the brim.
Got the food and treats sorted? Then it’s time to start thinking about the drinks.
As always, there are plenty of festive tipples on offer but too much choice can be a difficult thing.
Thankfully, to help you avoid disappointment, we have put together a guide of tried-and-tested alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Let’s start with a classic.
Hayman’s London Dry Gin, from £21
Let’s be honest, Hayman’s Gin is already known for being a quality product in this spirit genre.
The reason the bottle has made it onto our list isn’t actually because of the flavour but rather the gorgeous packaging.
At £21, it’s also a fairly affordable bottle of gin and could make for a great host gift.
Taste-wise, you can expect a pretty standard gin – and that’s a positive thing.
It’s smooth, easy on the palate and a great base for a range of mixers.
Ruta Maya Rum – multiple flavours, £29.99
If you think you’re ‘not a rum person’, Ruta Maya is here to change your mind.
While most flavoured rums are sweet and sickly, this Belizean brand manages to balance out the flavours quite nicely.
If you’re bringing a bottle to a Christmas bash, this is a great option for three reasons. Firstly, the bottles are beautiful with a slim, stylish shape. Secondly, the rum is – as mentioned – pretty nice.
And thirdly, you’ll seem like a booze connoisseur as the brand only recently launched in the UK.
Out of the four flavours, we preferred the coffee and cocolime options, but we would say yes to a glass of any Ruta Maya bottle.
Stockists include Master of Malt, Amazon and the Whiskey Exchange.
Pimentae / Tommy’s Margarita – multiple options, from £4.50
If you’d rather be on a beach this Christmas than suffer through cold Britain, this is the tipple for you.
Pimentae was first launched by its founders, Alice and Wynter, back in 2021 with one mission: to make tequila accessible.
The brand offers a range of options from Tommy’s Margarita cans – which is a refreshing welcome drink at just 125ml – to the larger Tommy’s Spice Margarita bottle, and more.
If you’re imagining a harsh shot with a wedge of lemon and a dash of salt, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised.
This is tequila as it should be: complex but not complicated.
We can already feel the sand beneath our toes.
Nozeco Buck’s Fizz, £4.50 at Ocado
Non-alcoholic drinks are rising in popularity, with major brands jumping on the band wagon to offer alternatives – and we’re all for it.
But replicating the flavour of a classic alcoholic beverage can be a tricky balance to hit.
Some brands – like Lucky Saint, a 0.5% beer brand – hit the nail on the head.
But when you start getting into wine or prosecco, things get a little bit more complicated.
Nozeco is a zero-alcohol sparkling wine brand owned by Les Grands Chais de France, which has several products on offer including a Buck’s Fizz – which is a play on the classic cocktail usually made with bubbly topped with orange juice.
We tried it ourselves and are on the fence.
While this is a decent non-alcoholic tipple, a Buck’s Fizz it is not. But if you are fine with that, then you’re golden.
Plus, the bottle is lovely, it costs under five quid and will add a sense of celebration to the festive occasion for sober guests.
Other options from Nozeco include white or rosé sparkling non-alcoholic wine, as well as a spritz.
Rock Rose Winter Spiced Negroni, £27
Christmas without a spiced tipple is like candy canes without stripes.
Dunnet Bay Distillers’ Rock Rose Winter Spiced Negroni is an acquired taste.
But then again, so is Campari, which is one of three base flavours for this spirit. The other two are gin and vermouth.
If you don’t fancy making cocktails this Christmas, this is a great alternative and it certainly has a festive flavour, with a light kick in the aftertaste.
Plus, the red colour is very festive.
Merser Signature Rum, £29
Every well-stocked drinks cabinet includes a decent rum.
If you need one for yours, might we recommend Merser?
It is sweet but not overwhelmingly so and glides on the tongue – if you drink it straight.
Sure, you could add a fizzy cola drink to this aged golden rum but we really recommend that you don’t.
Merser shines all on its own and works perfectly as an after-dinner tipple with a piece of chocolate from the Celebrations tin.
Triple treat hamper, Macknade, £45
If you’re bringing a bottle to a dinner party this year, why not treat the host to a complete package?
This Christmas, Macknade is selling a ‘Triple Treat Hamper’ that contains a bottle of English Chardonnay – which tastes crisp, clean and classic – as well as a milk chocolate bar and a soy wax scented candle.
If you’re not one for sharing, just bring the bottle to the festive feast and save the chocolate and candle for yourself.
Either way, it’s a winner.
Spiced Rum Punch, The Cocktail Co., from £15
Forget hot chocolate to warm up this winter.
It’s time to upgrade your game with a spiced rum punch.
One choice on offer is this version from The Cocktail Co., which we sampled recently.
The process of heating the rum up was fun and added something special to the evening but here’s the irony: it actually tasted better cold.
We would still recommend it as a tipple but it’s dealer’s choice on what temperature you serve it at.
The brand also has a Hot Apple Gin but it’s currently out of stock on the website.
Della Vite Zero, £14.95
Introducing Della Vite Zero – which is probably the prettiest bottle of the bunch, and we’re not just saying that because the brand was founded by a model.
That’s right, this zero sparkling wine was created by Cara Delevingne, alongside her sisters Poppy and Chloe.
Hats off to them, the trio have designed a gorgeous tipple that will stand out on your shelf.
Made from Grenache grapes from the south of France, the liquid has a light pink colour and smells faintly of apples.
As for the taste test? It passes with flying colours.
Goodrays, £7.50 at Waitrose (four-pack)
CBD-infused drinks are having a moment.
If you’re keen to try something a little different this Christmas, Goodrays has a nice range of flavours that come in cans.
And they’re pretty affordable as well, with Waitrose selling a four-pack for £7.50.
In comparison, Trip – another popular CBD drinks brand – costs around £2-3 per single tin in most shops.
Flavour-wise, we are partial to the Blood Orange & Grapefruit.
Discloser: CBD drinks are not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. It is advisable to contact a doctor if you are unsure whether you can consume CBD drinks, have a health condition or take medication.
Gin-making kit, Just Spices, £45.99
Okay, so this suggestion doesn’t actually include any alcohol but we had so much fun making our own gin that it just had to make the list.
The kit from Just Spices contains everything you need to infuse your own spirit.
It includes a variety of spices like rosemary, lemongrass, juniper and more, as well as two glass bottles, a funnel and a sieve.
There’s a recipe book, too, which you could use. Or you could do what we did – throw some bits in at random.
We waited 10 days before serving our creations at a dinner party and had the guests guess which ingredients each bottle contained through a taste test.
It was an excellent group activity and the winner walked away with whatever was left in the bottles.
We can’t recommend this kit enough!
