ANYONE FOR XMAS PUDDING GIN&TONIC?
AS CHRISTMAS traditions go, festive tipples are up there with carol singing and mince pies. But this year some drinks on offer are far from traditional. So which are worth it — and when should you drink them? Femail’s drinks expert HELEN McGINN picks the best tipples to help you get into the festive spirit... CLEVER TIPPLES FOR CHRISTMAS EVE
TOO rich for Christmas Day, when you’ll be stuffed with food, these liqueurs are perfect for Christmas eve, wrapping presents by the fire — they’ll keep you going and really get you into the festive spirit. Chocolate Yule Log Liqueur £8, M&S IF YOU love Irish Cream, you’ll love this. Made by blending alcohol, fresh dairy cream and chocolate, it’s super smooth — but I thought it tasted slightly of coffee. It’s lovely over ice. Christmas Cake Liqueur £10, M&S IF YOU’Ve got room for one more slice — I mean, glass — make it this. It tastes of marzipan- wrapped, brandy-soaked Christmas cake. Made from brandy infused with plums, raisins, cherries, citrus peel and spices, it packs a punch at 21 per cent. It’s best slightly chilled. Sacred Christmas Pudding Gin £37.89, amazon.co.uk JUST when you thought the gin craze couldn’t get any crazier. Ian Hart, the founder of Sacred Spirits Company, starts with 75kg of Christmas pudding made to his Great Aunt Nellie’s recipe. He steeps it in whisky before distilling to make gin.
With warming spice aromas, it explodes on the palate with pudding flavours and a big whack of alcohol. Serve it as a G&T with a cinnamon stick or ice cold in a shot glass.
BUBBLES TO KICK OFF THE BIG DAY
TO KICKSTART Christmas morning and wow your guests, these stunning sparklers have got it covered. Graham Beck The Rhona Brut NV £15, M&S THIS is a ‘Methode Cap Classique’ so it’s made in the same way as champagne. Toasty with citrus fruits and a touch of creaminess, I’d take a bottle over some cheap champagnes. Henri Delattre Champagne Brut NV £27.99, Lidl FIGUReS show a 70 per cent rise in exports of magnums to the UK in the past five years — we’ve got a taste for it. Champagne aged in magnums tends to develop better. If you want a fresh citrusy style this is spot on. Taste The Difference Crémant de Loire £9 (usually £11), Sainsbury’s SAINSBURY’S reported a 528 percent rise in Crémant wine sales over the past year and expects to sell close to half a million bottles on December 23, dubbed ‘ Sparkling Saturday’. This is one of the best deals. It’s made mostly from the chenin blanc grape grown in France’s Loire Valley. There’s something of a lemon meringue pie about it. Tesco Finest Prosecco £8, Tesco THIS is prosecco on fine form, light, fresh and frothy with subtle pear flavours. Brilliantly moreish.
DESSERT WITH A DIFFERENCE
THeSe are a real treat, perfect with Christmas pudding — or a side order of Quality Street. Christmas Pudding Wine £8.49, lymebaywinery.co.uk THIS is a wonderful medium sweet wine. Made by the Lyme Bay winery in Devon, it’s Blackbeer and Raisin Wine (think roasted malts with a raisin kick) infused with spices. Warm it up with a dash of brandy for a twist on mulled wine. Rubis Chocolate Wine £9.99, Aldi ReD wine and chocolate! All my Christmases have come at once. Chocolate essence is added to a Spanish fortified red wine, made from tempranillo grapes (like rioja). I prefer it at room temperature. Black Forest Gateau Liqueur £10, M&S IF eVeR there was a day to have pudding in a glass, it’s Christmas. This is rich and warming with black cherries and chocolate. Heavenly. Adnams Broadside Ale 500ml £1.75, Tesco THIS is as close to Christmas cake as beer gets, full of dried fruit flavours and spice. Made by Suffolkbased brewery Adnams, this ruby red ale goes brilliantly with strong cheese. That’ll keep Grandad happy.
HELEN’S book, The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club, is out now (£12.99, Pan Macmillan).