How to Find the Perfect Christmas Spirit

A tribute to my friend Russell Norman who passed away in November and his friend and partner in all things amaro Luca di Vita, this is Venice in a bottle!

From sandbanks and marshes, palaces and waterways, the idea of Amaro Nostrano was born. Gin, artichokes, wild wormwood and marsh samphire combine with sweet and bitter citrus fragrances, saline notes from the Adriatic and juniper and rhubarb from the Dolomites.

This marriage makes our amaro one of a kind: a taste of Venice and a stunning flavour of the lagoon.

The guests of Reverend Hubert Bell Lester (1868 -1929) at Christmas time were always greeted by a glass of his winter liqueur! Now in the modern age, we have his great-grandson to thank for this new update of the original recipe. Think a warming, smooth gin liqueur bursting with aromatic notes of dried fruit, winter spices and the freshest organic orange and lemon zest from Amalfi! Twist up a Negroni or Martini or try their contemporary classic, The Naughty Hubert, made by Alessandro Palazzi at Dukes!

Christmas & New Year is fast approaching, so love having Tongue in Peat - the revolutionary Scottish peat-smoked tomato juice - to creat some fabulous Bloody Marys. 

As the world’s only peat-smoked tomato juice, Tongue In Peat has won multiple awards for its flavour, and is hand-crafted with meticulous care by a team of dedicated artisans in the heart of Scotland. Resulting in a richer, deeper and more complex Bloody Mary mixer. 

Deeply complex in flavour, the carefully crafted but simple-to-serve drinks, create amazingly authentic non-alcoholic aperitifs. If you're a fan of the classic Aperol Spritz, then you're in for a treat. Including a blend of bitter orange oils, rhubarb, and subtle hints of herbs and botanicals, this ‘booze busting’ spritz replicates the flavours you love, whilst maintaining that autumnal orange glow, associated with the holiday! All you need is 175ml of sparkling water, lots of ice and a slice of orange!

ABERFELDY single malt pays homage to its rich past by continuing to create exceptional malt whisky, representing the distillery’s gold standard approach to whisky making.  The 25 Year Old limited edition, in a commemorative pack, celebrates the distillery’s heritage, with a whisky typical of Aberfeldy’s signature soft, honeyed waxy character, augmented by a finish in first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks.  

Waterford Cuvée: Argot is a playful and vibrant single malt whisky from Waterford Distillery. Argot is a blend of Waterford’s Single Farm Origin whiskies and is complex with notes of ripe stone fruits, green foliage, cereal grains, and winter spices, all tied together with light peat smoke that is unique to this whisky.

A celebratory release from Speyburn to commemorate the 18th anniversary of Bobby Anderson’s position as distillery manager. This single malt, aged for 18 years in American and Spanish oak casks, has aromas of toffee and sugared almonds, as well as tropical fruits on the nose. The palate holds flavours of rich dark chocolate, toffee and a touch of citrus, with plenty of smoke throughout. The finish is long and smoky, with a sweeter honeyed edge.

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!

From the revived and rebranded Marquis de Montesquiou Armagnac range, now led by Monkey 47 creator Alexander Stein, comes the youngest of the range, a VS in which the youngest Armagnac in this blend was aged for at least one year. Although the spirit in here is on average three years old. The eau-de-vie was made from grapes sourced from the regions of Bas-Armagnac and Ténarèze.

Perfect for all your holiday vodka cocktails: Cranberry Martini, Espresso Martini, to name just a few! Love this vodka!

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!

Gløgg aka Mulled wine is a popular and traditional concoction throughout winter and especially during Christmas. Gløgg is usually made with a base of red wine, along with various mulling spices. We have taken these classic elements and created a non-alcoholic version that you never would guess was alcohol-free.

There are about a gazillion gins out there, but only one that is devoted to the conservation of the African elephant. That spells Christmas spirit to me! With every full size bottle sold, Elephant Gin contributes 15% of profits to elephant conservation charities including Big Life Foundation, while with each miniature bottle sold, 15% of profits is donated to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. This is not the only reason I love it - it makes some great cocktails, like the Orange Toddy, Black Seeds and the Dzombo Spritz!

This bitters’ initially savoury aroma is rooted deep in the earth, with dominant, ripe wood and warm spice first past the post. Linger though and sweet, stewed fruit and fresh plum unveil themselves to round out a thick and full-bodied profile which will complement and accentuate the subtleties of whatever it’s added to. Put a drop in brandy or Cognac for a real treat.