Xmas Drinks 2021: The spirits you need on your cabinet over the holidays
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin is ideal for seasonal cocktails. Made by the experimental Scotch whisky-makers at Bruichladdich, using a rare, salvaged Lomond still, the Botanist combines nine traditional gin botanicals with a further twenty-two ingredients foraged from the island. The resulting spirit is incredibly smooth, enlivened by citrus, mint, and harmonious floral flavours, that make it great for a Martini or simply mixed with soda. The distillery is currently selling a “Plant Conservation Edition”, with £5 from each purchase going to protect endangered flora. 46% ABV | 700ml | £37
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the flagship product of the Buffalo Trace Distillery, which is home to several storied Bourbon brands, (including the rock star Pappy Van Winkle). A perennial favourite of bartenders, this versatile spirit has hints of mint and custard amid the more dominant caramel and vanilla that typify Bourbons. Sip it, use it in cocktails, or incorporate it into hot drinks or desserts. You’d struggle to find a better whiskey for the price. 40% ABV | 700ml | £19
Cucielo Vermouth di Torino Rosso is the perfect ingredient for the Manhattan and Negroni cocktails we mastered during the lockdown. The name is a combination of the Italian words for sky (cielo) and cuckoo (cuculo), and the ingredient list uses botanicals found along the migratory route of the cuckoo, which flies the length of Italy as it makes its annual journey from the Congo to Scotland and back. Sicilian orange, pomegranate, cloves and wormwood enfold you in their bittersweet embrace. (A bianco version is also available). 16.8% ABV | 750ml | £23
Doorly’s 14 Year Old Rum is the oldest regularly available spirit from Barbados‘ fabled Foursquare Distillery, and was recently selected as The Whisky Exchange’s Rum of the Year 2022. A mix of pot and column distilled spirits, this rum is packed with flavours of rich brown sugar, tropical fruits, and even hints of chocolate. Bottled without additional sweetening, the long, tropical maturation in ex-Bourbon and Madeira oak casks provides a natural spice. Be transported from the bleak midwinter to a golden Caribbean beach. 48% ABV | 700ml | £59
GlenDronach 15 Year Old Revival is the reincarnation of a wildly popular sherried Highland single malt whisky. Supply constraints meant that its predecessor was discontinued in 2015, but this reimagining, aged in both Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks, is a more than worthy successor. Undoubtedly the most festive-tasting drink in this list, an initial fruity burst of figgy pudding and glacé cherries tapers into almost liquorice dark sugars. An exquisite complimentary pairing for your mince pies. 46% ABV | 700ml | £66
Lagavulin 2020 Distillers Edition is a seriously smokey Islay whisky, distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2020. Anyone pondering last-minute gift options should know that it’s been tipped by Diageo’s Global Luxury Brand Ambassador, Ewan Gunn, as an excellent acquisition for Scotch-lovers looking to build a collection. Double-matured in Pedro Ximénez casks, the sweet flavour of raisins balances the characteristically assertive Lagavulin. This is a tall, dark, stranger you’ll want to invite to your celebrations for Hogmanay. 43% ABV | 700ml | £100
Maestro Dobel 50 1·9·6·9 is an ultra-premium tequila tribute to the year of Woodstock and the moon landing. In this third edition of the Maestro Dobel 50 series, 100% agave spirits have been aged more than three years in American and French oak, and finished in Sauternes casks for an appropriately out of this world flavour. Only forty of the large, distinctively shaped decanters are available in the UK. Perhaps not an obvious Christmas gift, but an extravagant one, and a whole lot of fun. 40% ABV | 1.75l | £950
Rémy Martin TERCET Cognac is a new regular addition to the Rémy line-up; a satisfyingly sophisticated Cognac, that slips into place between the 1738 Accord Royal and the sumptuous XO. TRECET celebrates the creative collaboration of Rémy’s Wine Master (who selected the grapes and made the wine), their Master Distiller (who turned the wine into eaux‐de‐vie), and their Cellar Master (who selected the spirits and aged them in French oak). Exclusive to Fortnum and Mason until 2022. 42% ABV | 700ml | £99