A selection of drinks for festive tipples this Christmas and New Year
Altamura Distilleries Vodka the Crafted from 100% Altamura wheat, a heritage grain cultivated in Italy’s Puglia region.Distilled using a process that preserves the distinct flavours of the wheat. Buy from drinksome.com.
BIRCH Premium Botanical Vodka is the flagship product of Buck & Birch and is a smooth drink with itsstaringredient being Scottishbirchsap . Birch sap is aluxuriouslylightand silky natural ingredient, which is harvested annually each spring from trees within one of Buck & Birch’s partner community forests in Scotland.
This sap is married with pure spirit, then infused with a tincture of birch botanicals, giving the vodka its delicate yet distinctive botanical flavour. A preserved wild Birch twig is the final addition, adding a touch of woodland seasoning and a visual reminder of the tree. Make your own Birch and tonic here.
A 15-Year-Old Blended Scotch drawn from Living Souls’ solera system, to which exciting new whiskies are continually added.
Magnum is exclusively crafted and bottled in Scotland using single malt Scotch whisky. Smooth, creamy caramel notes play off single malt Speyside whisky for a balanced taste with a warming ginger afterglow.
Panther M*lk offers an indulgent alternative to traditional cream-based liqueurs as the world’s first premium, ready-to-drink oat milk cocktail so it is 100% vegan.
Atlantic Gin by Barra Distillers is distilled using locally hand-harvested carrageen seaweed sourced sustainably from the shores surrounding the distillery’s island home.
Torabhaig Single Malt Scotch WhiskyCnoc Na Mòine (translation – hill of peat), has been matured in a combination of Bourbon, American Oak, Oloroso, and Pedro Ximenez Casks.
Sobieski is an award-winning 100% rye vodka from Poland, named after the Polish King Jan III Sobieski, who is famous for pushing back the Ottoman army from Poland and Lithuania in the mid-17th century. The vodka has only recently been available to buy in the UK.
Bardinet Inspiration brandy is a brandy designed for mixing. Distilled from grapes, then matured and blended at the heart of the Domaine De Fleurenne, this is perfect to create cocktails such as B&B, Brandy Alexander, Brandy Cobbler, Metropolitan, Sidecar etc. You can find it in ASDA for £19.
asda.com
Talonmore is a mix of root and plant-based ingredients and can be used to replicate spirit-strength drinks in a multitude of non-alcoholic cocktail. You certainly can’t miss the ginger here. Sweet and malty, almost rum-like in taste.
We tried Talonmore neat, on the rocks, and as a Espresso Martini-style cocktail. The ginger stands out in all of the drinks, with a lingering warmth.
Glen Moray Peated Rioja Cask Finish is soft and gently smoky, uniting sweet notes of plums and cherries with hints of far-off bonfires to bring a new dimension to Glen Moray spirit.
Available in the UK for the first time, this award-winning rum encapsulates 260 years of tradition and masterful rum-making. Ron Carúpano’s latest release has earned five Double Gold medals at prestigious international competitions, including the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. .
Reviewed by Emma Mykytyn
Award-winning food & travel writer
WSET Level 2 Spirits
Edinburgh Whisky Academy - Certificate in Whisky.
Judge at many UK food & Drink Awards
