I do love to treat myself to a few beverages at Christmas time, Bailey’s and Archers have always my go-to favourites, but I’ve recently been trying out a few new drinks from brands I’d never heard of – read on to hear my thoughts on a few fabulous drinks that are prefect for the festive season!

Let’s start with Gin Ting Premium Dry Gin. How gorgeous is this bottle though!? Gin has really been having a moment lately, and there have been countless new brands and flavours popping up over the last couple of years. Gin Ting is definitely one to add to your ‘To Try’ list – it’s hand crafted & produced in small batches to ensure quality, using the finest botanicals & natural flavours. Gin Ting’s mission is to create a clear, fresh, fruity Gin – and they have definitely succeeded!

This wonderfully unique gin is distilled with the finest Juniper Berries along with Cassia Bark, Coriander Seeds, Orange & Lemon Peel, plus a few other secret botanicals. It’s also infused with Passionfruit, Mango and Elderflower, anda subtle hint of Grapefruit, to give a very different take on gin as you know it. This is a must have for gin fanatics!

On the theme of gin, for something a little different, how about this lovely set of flavoured liqueurs? This Carthy & Black Gift Set includes 3x 50cl bottles of award-winning Yorkshire Cream Liqueurs – included you’ll find their Original Cream Liqueur, Gin Cream Liqueur and Lemon Gin Cream Liqueur.  Each is created using the freshest cream, and either the finest Irish whiskey or award-winning Slingsby Gin

My husband and I sat down the other night to try these out. First up was the Lemon Gin Cream Liqueur – on initial sniff I said to my husband, OMG this smells EXACTLY like cheesecake, and he said the same! It also tastes exactly like cheesecake. If you’re a fan of super sweet desserts you’ll love this. The Gin Cream Liqueur was probably my second favourite, not as sweet or lemony as the previous drink, yet still very good. And lastly the Original Cream Liqueur, this is whisky based, and it’s basically a fancy, sweeter Bailey’s, with a strong toffee / caramel flavour.

On to wine now, I have a bottle of The Owl & The Dust Devil Red Wine – this handcrafted environmentally-friendly red wine is just superb! It’s fermented in 620 litre French oak barrels to add layers of complexity and structure to the wine. Violet aromatics of the Malbec compliment the darker notes and structural backbone of the Cabernet Sauvignon whilst the abundant Petit Verdot and Tannat in this wine provide considerable richness and tannins. The wine has been matured for 18 months in smaller French oak barrels prior to release. The Owl & The Dust Devil is smooth, silky and rich, definitely a must try this Christmas!

Or how about Cadello? Inspired by what the Venetian nobles would have served at their masked balls during the Venetian Empire, Cadello is a very unique, nuanced, smooth liqueur. It’s made from eight Italian ingredients, and produced by a 150 year-old, family owned distillery. There are plenty of tempting flavours to be found in this drink, including coffee, chocolate, cocoa, star anise and vanilla, as well as hints of hazelnut, mint, caramel and toffee. If you fancy trying something a little different, I’d highly recommend this.

And lastly, a fantastic treat for yourself as well as the perfect gift idea for whisky fans – The Summerton Club. Offering a simple way to try rare and unique spirits that you definitely won’t find in your local supermarket – the Summerton Club is a subscription service where you can discover a world of fantastic drinks without leaving the comfort of your home.

I have their October bottle of the month, Mackmyra Gruvguld Swedish Single Malt Whisky. Gruvguld is a Swedish whisky created with local ingredients, that isn’t currently available in the UK. Meaning ‘Gold from the Mine’, Gruvguld is a wonderfully smooth Swedish Single Malt Whisky – it’s perfect for a luxurious treat this Christmas!

I’d love to hear which festive drinks are your favourite? xx