CHRISTMAS is creeping up, and we know how important a good gift to a loved one is. Whether you’re buying for a whisky connoisseur or someone that wants to indulge in something new for the festive period, we’ve compiled a guide to the best Christmas drinks. Read on to see our selection.
The beautiful Perrier-Jouët eco-box
Perrier-Jouët eco-designed gift boxes
Nothing beats a bottle of bubbly at Christmas time. French champagne house, Perrier-Jouët have introduced a new eco-friendly designed box which ensures you can enjoy your champagne whilst also supporting sustainable packaging. Their fully recyclable eco gift box is embossed with the brand’s legendary anemones, and makes an ideal present for someone that enjoys champagne and wants to stay green.
The Grand Brut is an award winning champagne which offers a dry and mellow flavour with delicate vanilla aromas.
Price: £45.00
The eco gift box collection is available to buy through various retailers.
Click here to buy it
Kraken Black Spiced Rum ‘Unknown Deep’
The Kraken Black Spiced Rum ‘Unknown Deep’
Unlike many other spiced rums on the market, Kraken’s Black Spiced Rum really does add a little spice without all the unnecessary sugar. The rum is made up of a secret imported Caribbean spice blend which offers a flavour-filled kick in every sip. This limited edition bottle named ‘Unknown Deep’ is the first in a new series which tells the story of a deep-sea diving expedition. The bottle comes in a black embossed black glass which has a striking gold detail on it. Serve it over ice or with some ginger beer and a squeeze of lime for optimum enjoyment.
£1 from the sale of every bottle of Kraken Black Spiced Rum goes to a nautical conservation charity called Project Aware: Divers Against Debris.
Price: £37.95
Buy it here
Hexagonal bottle of The Sexton
The Sexton
This single malt is made up from 100% Irish malted barley which is then triple distilled in copper pot stills. The Sexton is known for its bold and fruity character which is defined by an ageing process in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks. Along with its bold flavour, it also comes in a unique hexagonal bottle that you may want to keep as a showpiece.
This Christmas, The Sexton have created a festive limited edition release of a Christmas cracker called ’The Night Before Christmas Crackers’ which includes jokes, a party hat, a pre-mixed cocktails and the chance to read some jokes and have a chance to win a year’s supply of The Sexton.
Price: £28.94
Buy The Sexton here
Joshua Vides X Ballantine’s Whisky bottle
Ballantine’s Whisky
Ballantine’s is a household name in whisky, but their new special collaboration with artist Joshua Vides is a great reason to buy a bottle as a gift. The black and white bottle design makes it a truly unique purchase and brings modern art to the words of whisky. The hand-drawn illustrations break the conventional image of a whisky bottle and challenges the perception of a traditional Scotch. Back in 1920, Ballantine’s released their rectangular shaped bottle in order to conceal it in briefcases. Vides takes inspiration from this history and reimagines prohibition in the modern day.
£26.08
Buy the limited edition release here
Kinahan’s Kasc Project Whiskey
Kinahan’s Kasc Project Whiskey
Irish whiskey pioneers, Kinahan’s have returned with the launch of the first of its kind, The Kasc Project, which evokes flavour from the use of bespoke handmade hybrid casks. The casks are made up of 5 different wood varieties, each giving the whiskey a uniquely rich flavour. Its first expression has been described as “a riot of unconventional flavours” meaning the daring whiskey drinkers will enjoy the unfiltered blend of malt and grain whiskeys used to create this 43% abv delight.
£34.95
You can buy Kinahan’s Kasc Project Whiskey here
Spirited Union Botanical Rum – Sweet Orange & Ginger
Spirited Union Sweet Orange & Ginger
What’s not to love about botanical rum? Not only can you taste the warming flavours of a beautiful Jamaican rum, but you can also enjoy the festive notes of orange and ginger which are perfect for the winter season. The ginger gives the drink a spicy heat whilst the zesty Valencia & Curaçao oranges lift the rum into a versatile drink which can shine at the centre of a punchy cocktail, be enjoyed alone as a straight sipper or simply mixed with some ice cold ginger beer served with a lime wedge and slice of ginger.
Price: £37.54
Available to buy here
Pinkster Gin
Pinkster
Don’t be fooled by the pink appearance. Pinkster does not belong to the trendy new category of pink gin which sees added sugars and colouring to sweeten a regular gin. Pinkster is pink by mistake. When founder Stephen Marsh found he couldn’t drink beer or wine due to the yeast and sugar not agreeing with him, he set out to make a drink he could enjoy throughout dinner. After experimenting with different fruits Stephen found that raspberries worked the best and that’s how Pinkster’s colour was born. The raspberry infusion is subtle but present lingering on the tongue as a secondary flavour rather than overpowering the taste of gin. The gin is dry but effortlessly smooth to drink – unlike some dry gins. Pinkster is a great healthy alternative to beer and wine and makes for an incredibly easy accompaniment with a meal.
Price: £35
Pinkster gin is available to purchase here.
Van Hunks Sparkling Mead collection
Van Hunks Sparkling Mead
Mead has made a comeback, but it’s not what you think. This is a luxurious sparkling mead. The kind you can enjoy as an aperitif, or with a nice meal. The mead uses hand-harvested honey as it’s base ingredient, giving it a natural sweetness. It is then fermented in the bottle much like champagne, and this allows the mead to develop a crisp, dry finish which is littered with the light fragrance of honey. Van Hunks is the ideal bottle to share amongst friends, and can even be a replacement for bubbly if you want to drink something more adventurous.
Price: £25
Van Hunks Sparkling Mead is available to buy here
by Katrina Mirpuri