Christmas Gift Ideas for Drinks Lovers

Whether you’re stuck for a last-minute stocking filler, looking for a limited-edition special gift, or just want something to take to a Christmas party that is classier than a bottle of supermarket plonk, we’ve rounded up the best Christmas presents for drink lovers.

Angostura No.1 Rum

Christmas should be a time to relax but the reality is we’re usually rushing around too much to take the time to slow down. But Angostura’s No. 1 Rum demands to be appreciated at leisure. Sipping it slowly reveals almonds and orange on the nose and peaches and figs on the palate. It’s also great in an Old Fashioned – one of the easiest cocktails in existence, leaving you with more time to enjoy what’s in your glass.

£110, Harvey Nichols

Billecart-Salmon Bicentenary Gift Set

Everyone knows that Champagne should be chilled but it’s so much more dramatic to serve it from an ice bucket than the fridge. Raise a glass to Billecart-Salmon’s 200^th anniversary with this limited-edition gift set including an ice bucket and a bottle of Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru.  

£170, ChampagneDirect.co.uk

Edinburgh Gin Apple & Spice Liqueur

You’ll find sugar and spice and all things nice in Edinburgh Gin’s liqueur, which has the freshness of crisp green apples to cut through the sweetness. Try it by itself in a tumbler to make the most of its cinnamon scent, or over ice in a highball charged with good-quality lemonade.

£18, John Lewis

Glengoyne Teapot Dram Batch No. 006

Batch No. 006 is the sixth release in Glengoyne’s Teapot Dram series, created in tribute to the distillery’s former tradition of giving its workers three fingers of whisky, three times a day – many of which ended up being stored in a copper teapot on the windowsill of the staff canteen. Which would be one way to liven up your Christmas lunch when it’s time for a cuppa.

£90, Glengoyne.com

Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge

Gin and lemon might be the default partner for tonic water but it’s far chicer to do as the French do and serve a Grand Marnier and tonic with a slice of orange. And if you really want to push the boat out, try a Grand 75: 30ml of Grand Marnier and 15ml of fresh lemon juice, shaken over ice, topped up with Champagne and garnished with an orange spiral.

£16, Waitrose

The King’s Ginger

If a Boxing Day walk is an inescapable part of your Christmas, make sure you have something warming waiting for you when you get home. With aromas of ginger, lemon, sherbet and golden syrup, King’s Ginger liqueur will have you feeling toasty before you’ve even taken a sip. Add it to mulled wine for a spicy winter kick or simply add 35ml of King’s Ginger to your favourite hot chocolate.

£19.50, Waitrose

The Glenrothes Soleo Collection 10 Year Old

Speyside distillery The Glenrothes has launched the Soleo Collection, six ‘age-statement’ single-malt whiskies all matured in 100% sherry-seasoned oak casks. Keep the top-of-the-range 40-year-old for yourself, but the vanilla-scented 10-Year-Old is just the ticket to get any party started.

£28, Tesco

Laurent-Perrier Rosé NV Champagne Robe Limited Edition

Laurent-Perrier Rosé is guaranteed to add sparkle to any party with its seductive pale pink colour and elegant palate of strawberries, raspberries and wild cherries. This limited-edition rose gold metal enclosure, detailed with the LP monogram, will also guarantee that your fizz is the best-dressed bottle at any party.

£58.50, The Champagne Company

Pinkster Gin Cracker Gift Set

Way better than a paper crown and a dad joke that even your dad might dismiss as unfunny, Pinkster’s crackers are filled instead with a 5cl bottle of gin and a mini jar of Gin Jam, providing you with a party game of devising ingenious new cocktails combining both ingredients. Buy a pair of crackers so you have someone to pull this Christmas.

£10, Debenhams

Moët & Chandon ‘Art de Vivre’ Limited Edition Gift Bottle

Nothing expresses the art of living like Champagne and this homage to the art de vivre from one the most famous names in fizz would make a splendid gift for anyone with a lust for life. Moët & Chandon’s iconic Versailles-inspired Orangerie building takes pride of place on the bottle – just as it does at the Moët estate in Epernay.

£40, Clos19.com

Rémy Martin XO Glass Pack

What could be more Christmassy than a glass of Cognac by an open fire?  This gift box from Rémy Martin has everything you need for a winter warmer: a pair of elegant tumblers and a bottle of smooth and mellow Rémy Martin XO. And the gold box looks so smart you won’t need to bother with wrapping paper.  
 

£192, >Harvey Nichols

Silent Pool Gin Botanicals Collection

Instead of filling your home with the scent of gin, this trio of 100% natural, handcrafted candles from Silent Pool is inspired by the botanicals that the gin is made from. Each candle is made from a selection of essential oils and, just like Silent Pool gin itself, is handcrafted in the UK.

£30, silentpooldistillers.com

Tamdhu Single Cask Distillery Team Edition

If you really want to earn some brownie points this Chrimbo, have a look at Tamdhu’s new Single Cask Distillery Team Edition. Bottled to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Speyside distillery, only 603 individually numbered bottles have been released. Expect dried fruit and spices on the nose, butterscotch and marmalade on the palate and a long-lasting finish of toffee and banana. Who needs Christmas pudding?

£250, tamdhu.com

Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label NV Personalisation Tin

While we wouldn’t recommend trying to hitch a lift after a Christmas party, you can at least be pointed in the right direction with Veuve Clicquot’s personalised tin. Label it with the destination of your choice and the Champagne house will calculate how many kilometres you are from Reims – home of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label.

£56.99, Selfridges

If buying your presents isn’t the only thing you’ve left late this Christmas, forget the stress of ordering a turkey and book yourself into one of these London restaurants open on Christmas Day.