Mulled Wine
A long held tradition, especially on cold evenings, a glass of mulled wine is a wonderful way to greet guests after a trudge through the winter weather. Mulled wine can be bought ready-mixed such as the ever-popular Glühwein or you can create your own by adding cinnamon, orange, cloves and honey to a bottle of red wine and warming it by the fire in a pan. By adding orange juice you can turn the mulled wine into a punch.
Traditional Ales
Although largers are always popular, traditional ales still hold an important part of the drinks market and are always one of the top ten drinks for Christmas. With hundreds of microbreweries up and down the country, there are plenty of ales to choose from. Some breweries also produce speciality ales for the Christmas season and these are often beautifully presented with specially designed labels, making them a perfect Christmas present for an ale lover. Kernow Gold Ale, for example, is one of the most popular and well loved of the traditional ales.
Brandy
What better way to finish off Christmas Day dinner than with a glass of fine cognac? A warming, palate-cleansing drink, fine cognac has been traditionally the perfect way to round off a good meal. Classics such as Hennessy Fine de Cognac always go down well at Christmas.
Alcohol free larger
Although Christmas is a time of celebration, you may be entertaining guests who have to drive after the party. A selection of alcohol free beers will mean that they can join in the toasts without running the risk of drinking and driving afterwards.
White wine
The drier, lighter white wines such as Pino Grigio have become more popular over heavier, sweeter wines, and are perfect for mixing with soda water or lemonade to make a refreshing ‘spritzer’. White wine also makes a perfect accompaniment to fish or white meat dishes, helping to cleanse the palate in between courses.
Red Wine
Heavier and more full bodied than most white wines, a good red wine such as a Merlot or a New World Shiraz makes an ideal gift for your party’s host. Red wines tend to have richer bouquets and prices range from just a few pounds for a perfectly drinkable bottle of Merlot to hundreds of pounds for a vintage bottle for a true wine connoisseur.
Rose wine
Rose wine became popular in the 1970’s with the iconic Mateus Rose. After dropping out of fashion for a while, Rose has made a comeback in the past year, with new varieties available, particularly from the New World producers such as Australia and Chile. They are often slightly sweeter than most white wines.
Cocktails
A combination of stronger spirits and either fruit juice or carbonated mixers, cocktails are an ideal way to get a party really jumping. Do remember though, that cocktails can actually be much stronger volume-wise than they first appear, particularly if the fruit juice or mixers mask the taste of the spirits. If you’re mixing cocktails this Christmas, why not go for some exotic additions such as Rodniks Absinthe, for a truly unique flavour?
Spirits
Spirits are always high on any list of the top ten drinks for Christmas, mainly because there is such a huge variety available, catering for all tastes. From superb malt whiskeys such as Glenfiddich, Irish whiskeys such as Jameson’s or Bushmills, through to the more exotic like the coconut rum mix of Malibu or the warming orange flavour of Cointreau, a selection of spirits (including the old favourites such as Vodka and Bacardi) is a must for any Christmas celebration.
Champagne
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a glass of Buck’s Fizz on Christmas morning. The refreshing mix of champagne and orange juice is a classic and sets the tone for a day of celebration and fun. Champagnes are available to suit all pockets, from the indulgently expensive Dom Perignon to the cheaper Cava. Remember that to call itself Champagne, the wine has to come from the Champagne region of France. A quick check on the label will tell you if your Champagne is genuine.
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