The holiday season is the perfect time to stock your bar with spirits that bring warmth, cheer, and a touch of magic to every celebration. From festive cocktails to cozy sips by the fire, the right bottle can elevate any gathering or make for a thoughtful gift. Here’s our curated list of the best holiday spirits for 2024, guaranteed to spread joy and good cheer.
Reverend Hubert Winter Gin Liqueur
Reverend Hubert Winter Gin Liqueur is a luxurious blend that captures the essence of the festive season in every sip. Crafted with a base of premium gin, this liqueur is infused with warming notes of winter spices, zesty orange, tart cranberry, and a hint of cinnamon.
The result is a velvety, well-balanced drink with a touch of sweetness and a lingering botanical finish. Perfect for sipping neat by the fire or adding a seasonal twist to cocktails, Reverend Hubert Winter Gin Liqueur evokes the cozy charm of winter celebrations with every glass.
Find it here: Reverend Hubert Winter Gin Liqueur
Bardinet Inspirations
Created especially for seasonal festivities, this vivid gift edition of Bardinet reflects the holiday’s wonderful radiance. Inspired by the vibrant fusion of lanterns, patterns and fireworks which illuminate towns and cities during the festival, its orange, gold and pink hues are an eye-catching showcase for Bardinet VSOP’s renowned depth and rich, smooth character.
Made from carefully selected grapes and aged in oak barrels, giving it a smooth and rich flavor profile. Crafted with mixing in mind, its smooth and fruity blend brings new depth and character to classic cocktails and long drinks as well as inspiring drinkers to be creative with their serves. Ideal for the festive season!
Lind & Lime Gin Furoshiki Bottle
Organic Scottish gin, Lind & Lime, has become the first UK spirits brand to launch a bespoke and reusable furoshiki gift wrap, based on a tradition that has been a part of Japanese culture for over a
millennium. Lind & Lime’s furoshiki wrap offers a zero waste alternative to gift boxes. Available in two patterns and made from 100% organic cotton, once the gift is unwrapped, it can be tied into a scarf, hair accessory, bag, or pocket square.
Black Cow Christmas Spirit
Black Cow Vodka is at it again with an amazing new expression just in time for the holiday season. This to-die-for spirit is infused with the fruits and spices traditionally associated with the Christmas season! Its inspiration is the quintessential Christmas pudding with citrus, cloves, cinnamon, figs, currents, raisins and vanilla all macerated in Black Cow Vodka.
Try the Mulled Apple recipe and you might just forget about Mulled Wine!
Find it here: Black Cow Christmas Spirit
Ron Carúpano Rum
This holidays season, Ron Carúpano invites you to discover 260 years of rum mastery and tradition. More than just a drink, our rums are a gift that transcends in time, meant to be shared and savored on every special occasion with friends and family. With its exceptional quality, Ron Carúpano stands out as Venezuela’s ultra-premium rum, perfect for celebrating and gifting.
Find it here: Ron Carúpano Rum
Voltaire & Franklin Coffee Liqueur
Unlike Voltaire or Benjamin Franklin who used to drink up to 30 cups of coffee a day in Paris’ trendy Café Procope in the 1700’s, we enjoy our coffee mixed in equal measures with vodka and espresso and shaken with ice, served in a martini glass and enjoyed (responsibly) with friends. The perfect Espresso Martini!
Find it here: Voltaire & Franklin Coffee Liqueur
The Glendronach Unveils “The Master’s Anthology”
The Glendronach Distillery today unveils The Master’s Anthology, a new collection of Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky that captures the breadth and depth of sherry cask maturation. Curated by acclaimed Master Blender Rachel Barrie, this anthology celebrates almost 200 years of expertise in crafting rich and complex single malts.
The new collection comprises three non-age-statement single malts, with each expression composed to celebrate a different aspect of the rich and rewarding Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Ode to The Valley, Ode to The Embers and Ode to The Dark.
Find them here: The Glendronach
The Deacon Scotch Whisky
It’s perfect for Christmas – delicious enough to top the nice list, but rebellious enough for the naughty one, too. The Deacon is a premium blended Scotch Whisky that looks and tastes like nothing else on the market.
This complex, rich dram crafted from smoky Speyside and peated Islay whiskies is exceptionally smooth, with charred orange, sweet malty biscuits and woodsmoke on the nose giving way to juicy orange, delicate spice and tangy peat.
Deacon is also offering a special gift box with bottle. Metallic copper in colour, with a portrait of the beguiling character that appears on the label central to the design and you can get that at Waitrose.
Find it here: The Deacon Scotch Whisky
Avallen Calvados
As we await Avallen’s new spirit, Orchard Eau-de-Vie, let’s celebrate Avallen’s 5th anniversary.
Avallen is a Climate Positive company with the environment at its core. Made from nothing but apples, water and time, Avallen calvados is completely natural with no additives or added sugar. Avallen’s liquid is fresh, fruity, and proudly apple forward in its flavour profile which is aged in French oak barrels for 2 years. Avallen is now also available in a paper bottle – one of the first spirits to take this bold, sustainable move.
Find it here: Avallen Calvados
Black Lines Oatnog
The festive period is around the corner, and everyone’s favourite Christmas tradition is back in town. Yes, it’s Black Lines’ annual festive Oatnog release. A sell-out year on year, this dairy-free, decadently creamy, and perfectly spiced bottled cocktail has people eagerly queuing up for their first taste of the season. Think Eggnog, but better. This is Christmas in a bottle.
Combining the finest ingredients including Two Drifters Rum, Oatly Barista, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Vanilla, each 750ml bottle contains 5 serves. Dairy out, oat milk in, the Black Lines Oatnog is a vegan take on its egg-based predecessor.
This year £1 from every bottle sold will be donated to Save The Children’s Gaza Crisis emergency fund. The money will go directly towards providing life-saving essentials to children and families affected by war, including food, water, shelter and mental health support.
Find it here: Black Lines Oatnog (sold out!)
Ruta Maya Rum – Cocolime, Coffee, Ouro, and Blanco
Distilled at the iconic Traveller’s Distillery in Belize City, Ruta Maya Rum offers everything you want in a standout gift: sweet, spicy flavours that impress from the very first sip, all sustainably produced with a deep respect for the land. With four distinct and irresistible flavours—Cocolime, Coffee, Ouro, and Blanco—this is the perfect spirit for transforming any Christmas gathering into an adventure.
- Cocolime bursts with vibrant tropical notes, blending creamy coconut with a refreshing twist of lime—ideal for a zesty Cocolime Fizz that feels like sunshine in a glass.
- Coffee is rich and aromatic, with earthy undertones and a hint of dark chocolate, making it perfect for a festive Coffee Tonic that adds a touch of sophistication to your celebrations.
- Ouro is smooth and golden, aged to perfection with warm caramel and subtle spice, ideal for sipping neat or adding depth to a punchy Maya Martini.
- Blanco, meanwhile, is pure and unaged. It showcases the raw, clean flavours of sugarcane with a crisp finish—it’s your go-to for classic rum cocktails.
Find them here: Ruta Maya Rums
Bathtub Gin and Harlie Brown Studio Collaboration
Just in time for the festive season, Bathtub Gin is excited to announce a new collaboration with acclaimed ceramist Harlie Brown Studio, launching a limited edition design Bathtub Gin bottle and punch bowl.
“Le Punch” bowl is equally as beautiful, featuring a hand-painted exploration of Bathtub Gin’s botanicals plus Harlie Brown’s iconic ‘wiggle’ details and a ‘gooey and gorgeous’ melted glaze finish—perfect for adding a touch of art to any dinner or cocktail party.
As we all embrace our hosting era, with dinner parties and home entertaining making a major comeback, this limited edition set is the perfect addition to enrich any social occasion!
Find it here: Bathtub Gin and Harlie Brown Studio Collaboration
The Orientalist Spirits
This unique brand introduces four exceptional craft spirits – Origins Vodka, Gunpowder Gin, Dragon Whisky, and Imperial Rum – to British shores.
Founded by renowned entrepreneur Michel Lu, The Orientalist Spirits is dedicated to blending heritage, artistry, and quality. Each of the four craft spirits tells its own distinct story while showcasing the brand’s commitment to excellence.
The Orientalist Spirits prides itself on sourcing the finest ingredients from across Asia, distilling them to perfection to deliver an authentic taste of the region. These exceptional spirits include:
- Origins Vodka: Crafted from a unique blend of high-quality ingredients sourced from across Asia.
- Gunpowder Gin: Inspired by the deep-rooted tradition of tea — a drink cherished across Asia— Gunpowder Gin celebrates a ritual that unites all of Asia.
- Imperial Rum: Is a tribute to the tropical flavours of Southeast Asia, handcrafted from an exquisite blend of rums aged between 6 and 23 years from Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
- Dragon Whisky: This eight-year-old double wood matured blend combines the finest whiskies from Asia’s top three whisky regions: Japan, Taiwan, and India.
Find them here: The Orientalist Spirits
Candy Cane Cherry Vodka Liqueur
When people talk about the Christmas spirit, we’re pretty sure they mean The Candy Cane Cherry Vodka Liqueur! It comes in a beautifully decorated 70cl bottle, tied with a bow, making it the perfect Christmas gift, table centrepiece or treat for yourself!
Find it here: Candy Cane Cherry Vodka Liqueur
Savoia Rosso
Savoia Americano Rosso, a certified vegan vino aperitivo features a complex blend of over 24 hand-selected botanicals including artemisia, bitter orange, gentian root, rhubarb, and pink grapefruit, along with winter warming cardamom and ginger, offering an adored bittersweet flavour with a touch of Marsala wine.
Peat’d Sauces
Tongue in Peat has shifted from making my favorite peat-smoked tomato juice to making peated tomato sauce!! Cold-smoked from dawn ‘til dusk in a traditional Glaswegian smokehouse, an intense flavour is unearthed, that quickly transforms a variety of dishes making them taste richer, deeper and more complex, naturally
Peat smoking imparts is the richest, smokiest aromas that mother nature provides. We use its off cuts from Isle of Islay to create the hack of all cooking hacks as by just twisting off the lid and pouring this jar into any dish, it add depth with little to no effort required. Some may say, its “Vine Dining”.
The range includes Original, Garlic, Chilli and Truffle. They are all fabulous!
Best Cocktail Books 2024 for the Cocktail Lover in Your Life
From one of the world’s most iconic cocktail bars, The Connaught Bar Book brings the expertise of its legendary team to your home. This elegant guide shares the philosophy, techniques, and signature recipes that have earned the bar its global acclaim. With stunning photography and behind-the-scenes insights, it’s a celebration of artistry and innovation in mixology.