The best cocktails and liqueurs for your Christmas drinks cabinet

Essentially, celebrating Christmas means three things: meeting relatives, eating (loads) of good food and consuming a copious amount of alcohol. All this while Mariah Carey, Wham!, Michael Bublé and Frank Sinatra are playing on repeat in the background. Once the turkey has been devoured and the bottles of wine are empty, it’s time to attack the mince pies – ideally with a good cocktail in hand. 2020 may have been an underwhelming year but we’ve put together a list of liqueurs and kits that will make your festive celebration one to be enjoyed to the full.

La Hacha and Two Keys Festive Margaritas

London-based agave specialist bar Hacha has partnered with Two Keys to create the ultimate Christmas twist on its very own award-winning Mirror Margarita. Deano Moncrieffe, the bar’s co-founder and Agave Spirits consultant and ambassador, has crafted two new limited-edition reinventions of the modern classic cocktail, which are available for delivery nationwide. The newly developed cocktails are packed full of festive flavours and are the perfect treat to enjoy in the comfort of your own home this Christmas. Each set of cocktails contains two serves and all profits will go to support Equal Measures, a charitable initiative to raise awareness around diversity and inclusion within the hospitality industry. The fragrant Clementine and Cinnamon Mirror Margarita is made from Spanish clementines with a subtle sweet spice of cinnamon, a perfect match for the crisp delicate bitterness of Two Keys lemon mixer, while the festive Mulled Mirror Margarita combines warm winter spices – ginger, cinnamon, cloves, clementine and star anise – topped up with Two keys pink grapefruit to add a wonderful citrus dimension. The festive Mirror Margaritas are available to purchase online from https://www.hachabar.com/shop priced at £19.95 for two cocktails, with delivery available nationwide.  

Dishoom’s Permit Room cocktails

Dishoom has launched its first-ever collection of bottled cocktails from the Permit Room, which are now available to order for at-home enjoyment. Dishoom’s daru-wallas have been busy in the Permit Room batching and bottling a brand-new collection of cocktails, and are delighted to now offer the India Gimlet, Sonia’s Negroni and Permit Room Old-Fashioned to be imbibed at home. The individual cocktails and the Permit Room Collection make delightful and delicious gifts, either as a treat for oneself or to bestow upon a loved one. Each and every drink is lovingly batched and bottled by the aforementioned daru-wallas at Dishoom King’s Cross. The 200ml bottles contain two generous serves and are priced at £14 each, or £38 for the set, and are available to purchase in the Dishoom Store. The bottles can be recycled, reused, or returned to any Dishoom where this thoughtfulness will be kindly rewarded. These decadent tipples join the Dishoom Store alongside very many gifts perfect for the festive season (and beyond), including Bacon or Vegan Sausage Naan Roll Kits, the Masala Dabba, the Dishoom cookery book and their album of Bombay-London grooves, “Slip-Disc”. 

Aloha 65

You may have already seen Lola surfing down Spirit of Aloha 65’s iconic blue bottle over the summer, but it turns out Lola also skis (wooden skis of course)! With the launch of the winter label edition of its flagship Spirit of Aloha 65, start-up company Big Wave Brands is bringing the après ski to you this season with the perfect seasonal gift and centrepiece for your festive drinks cabinet. With its sweet and warming botanicals of pineapple, ginger and chilli at its heart, Spirit of Aloha 65 is the perfect autumn or winter tipple and hits the spot on a cosy evening in front of the fire served just on its own over ice, or instead of a gin and tonic as a long drink mixed with ginger ale or a seasonal tonic like Fever Tree’s Clementine tonic water. Or if you’re up for some mulling, try whacking some Aloha 65 in either red wine, cider or cloudy apple juice together with some cinnamon, star anise and cloves – job done. Christmas is such a great time to enjoy drinks with friends and family, and this year why not bring along a bottle of something different that will get you all in the festive mood.  Aloha 65 is available to buy from Master of Malt, and you can get yourself an even better deal by using the discount code TUC20.

St Germain

St Germain – the world’s first French elderflower liqueur – has teamed up with London florist, Hedges & Flowers, to bring a dash of inspiration to homes this festive season with the St Germain Winter Bloom limited-edition bauble and Spritz kit. Available to purchase via the Hedges & Flowers online shop, the kit includes an assortment of four handmade glass baubles, filled with beautiful, dried florals and tied with a luxurious velvet ribbon – the ultimate accessory to effortlessly elevate homes this year.  Also included is a bottle of St Germain elderflower liqueur, two art deco high ball glasses, a glass carafe and a jigger – providing all the tools required to make a delicious St Germain Spritz, the perfect aperitif for the festive season to enjoy after decorating the tree. Whether it is sharing a cocktail moment with friends virtually or with loved ones in the home, St Germain and Hedges & Flowers provide the picture-perfect way to enjoy beautiful shared moments together, whilst adding a touch of French “joie de vivre” to our homes. Available to pre-order online via Hedges & Flowers, the kit costs £40 and will be available throughout the month of November and December with nationwide delivery.  

Martini Negroni cocktail kit

Iconic vermouth brand Martini is introducing the ideal Christmas gift for Negroni lovers and cocktail connoisseurs – a limited edition Martini Riserva Speciale Negroni cocktail kit. Each beautifully presented kit contains the trio of spirits needed to make a perfectly balanced Negroni – Martini Riserva Speciale Bitter, Martini Riserva Speciale Rubino and Bombay Sapphire gin – along with premium glassware and cocktail equipment. This exclusive kit is the perfect way to recreate the bar experience we’ve all been craving form the comfort of your home and to squeeze the most flavour with minimal effort out of your Christmas break. Kits are available to buy from the Bacardi Gift Shop, at £43.00.

Bacardi Mixing console

According to Bacardi, a fifth of the population intending to keep themselves entertained by making cocktails at home this season. This is why they’ve created a product that will upgrade any virtual cocktail party to new heights. Custom-made using sun-soaked rum barrels from the Bacardi distillery in Puerto Rico, this limited-edition integrated music console and bar cart designed by renowned furniture designer Hugh Miller will make a stylish addition to any home. With a built-in Fluance RT80 vinyl turntable, Bluetooth speakers housed behind a brass mesh fronting, a record storage shelf and a bottle of premium Bacardi Gran Reserva Diez, this is the ultimate gift for the music and cocktail lover in your life. This iconic feature piece is available from minimauk.com at £1,700.

Stambecco Amaro

Stambecco Amaro hails from the Vergnano family distillery, Torini Distillati in Pidemonte, Nother-Eastern Italy, and is made with 100% natural ingredients. Master distiller Bepper Ronce creates the herbal liqueur by infusing 30 traditional herbs and spices including sweet and bitter oranges, coriander seeds, marjoram, oregano, wormwood (also known as artemisia blend), cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg with the unique addition of maraschino cherries, to create a bittersweet amaro. The addition of maraschino cherries makes this a unique style of Amaro and a world first, a perfect gift for anyone who fancies a favourite with a fresh twist. Pick up a bottle on Proof Drinks for just £24.99.

Hotel Starlino Aperitivo and Vermouth

If you’re looking for a bit of variety, we recommend the Hotel Starlino Vermouth and Aperitivo gift set. The 100%-natural Italian range includes Starlino Rose, Starlino Arancione and Starlino Rosso and at 17% ABV, all three expressions answer the trend for lower-alcohol drinks, making them perfect for those who want to host a safe socially distanced gathering. If you want to add the literal cherry on top, the range also includes Starlino Maraschino cherries, which are matured for 15 days in their natural Marasaca juice, then rested for an additional seven days to reach perfection. The result of this artisan production method is an all-natural, luxury cherry that is delightfully sweet and tart, perfect in cocktails and desserts. Get your hands on a Hotel Starlino gift set for just £12 on Amazon.

J&B Rare Cocktail Porter Kit

The team at J&B Rare has created a limited-edition Seasonal Sours Collection cocktail kit, in collaboration with Cocktail Porter, just in time for Christmas! The kit is perfect for mixing bar-quality cocktails at home with three deliciously smooth, unexpected twists on the classic whisky sour serve. The kit includes all the ingredients to shake up six whisky sour cocktails, including 2x Burnt Pineapple Sours, 2x Walnut & Cinnamon Sours and 2x Spiced Apple Sours. Each pairs beautifully with J&B Rare’s elegant blend of 42 malt and grain whiskies. Simply shake the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a rocks glass, for an impressive tipple, perfect for the cold winter months ahead. The kit is available to buy on Cocktailporter.co.uk, priced at £41.95.

Adam Handling’s Eve Bar

Adam Handling has launched a range of bottled cocktails coming straight from his zero-waste Eve Bar. Available nationwide, these concoctions are “prepared by us and poured by you”, which allow people to try the bar from the comfort of their own home. Eve’s signature guest favourites include the likes of the No X in Espresso coffee martini and Pandan Old Fashioned, which are available alongside some brand-new cocktails such as the refreshing and refined Lemon BonBon and exclusive Eve Grounded Negroni. There’s also a non-alcoholic alternative in the delicious Maple Salted Negroni. Each bottle is perfect for sharing at 500ml each – priced on average at £24 – and comes pre-prepared, complete with tasting notes from Eve Bar’s team of mixologists, so all that’s left is to do is simply pour at home and enjoy. To place an order visit www.adamhandling.co.uk/hame.

Tanqueray festive cocktails

To make this year extra special, Tanqueray is showcasing the ultimate array of festive cocktails, with a taste guaranteed to be unmistakably Tanqueray. Each cocktail, expertly crafted by Tanqueray Brand Ambassador, Pippa Guy, pairs perfectly with a much-loved canape or small dish, to be enjoyed at home over the festive period. Whether it’s decorating the tree or simply spending quality time with your household over some seasonal food and drink, these cocktails are the ideal way to enjoy those Christmas moments at home. The elegant hand-crafted serves include The Tanqueray London Dry Gin Fizz, The Tanqueray Flor De Sevilla Negroni and The Tanqueray No. Ten Dirty Martini. Check out the recipes below.

Tanqueray Festive Gin Fizz

Ingredients:

• 50ml Tanqueray London Dry
• 10ml Sugar Syrup
• Two Keys Lemon Mixer (150ml)
• Lemon

Method:

Combine gin and sugar syrup into a shaker, shake vigorously. Pour into a glass filled with ice, top it with Two Keys Lemon Mixer. For the final touch, garnish with lemon.

Tanqueray Flor De Sevilla Negroni

Ingredients:

• 35ml Tanqueray Flor De Sevilla
• 25 ml Campari 
• 25ml Sweet vermouth 
• Orange 
• Ice

Method:

Pour Tanqueray Flor De Sevilla, Campari and Sweet Vermouth into a glass over ice and stir, for the finishing touch garnish it with an orange.

Tanqueray No. Ten Dirty Martini

Ingredients:

• 50ml Tanqueray No. Ten 
• 10ml Dry Vermouth
• 15ml Olive Brine
• Olive

Method:

Stir the Tanqueray No. Ten, Olive Brine and Dry Vermouth together, and pour it into a chilled martini glass.  For the finishing touch garnish with an olive.

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