Beyond the typical items you’ll already have in your drinks cupboard, allow us at The Bespoke Black Book to bring you the ultimate drinks guide for the festive season!
The Original Rum Box – 24 Days of Rum
According to their website, 1423 World Class Spirits – the people behind this box of delights – came about because a group of Danish friends who enjoyed the occasional dram of whisky together were persuaded to try rum instead. I know the feeling (see above) but, while I’m content to sip the stuff, they researched it, had their own bottling, and now have a thriving spirits business. Which, well, makes me feel like a slacker. Never mind, I’m a slacker with 24 rum miniatures from all over the (rum) world, full tasting notes to read and two tasting glasses because – ha – they think I’m sharing… Possibly my favourite advent calendar to date. RRP £80
Just Spices Gin Making Kit
So this is an oddity… With the rise of gin schools at just about every distillery in the country, it was probably inevitable that someone tried to recreate the experience at home. The catch with that, without access to base spirit, is that this kit – with its selection of 16 botanicals, bottles, labels, accessories, etc. – requires you to supply your own vodka to flavour it.
It’s a fun experiment and a great gift for someone interested in why gin tastes the way it does but, if you bought it yourself, and bought two bottles of vodka to flavour… wouldn’t you just buy two bottles of gin? It’s nicely packaged though, and informative. RRP £50
Moth & Martini Glass
I have a bit of a soft spot for Moth. They’re a good product, sensibly priced, very well made, nicely packaged, ultra-convenient. And, for Christmas, they’ve put together a whole load of gift ideas – they’ve also got cocktail crackers – including this rather fine box set, of a Martini glass and, even better, four drinks to pour into it: two cans of their Margarita; and two of their excellent Espresso Martini. Moth. Saving Secret Santa problems everywhere… RRP £29
Palmaráe Gin
According to its label, Palmaráe Gin “pairs well with paradise.” Sadly I didn’t have any of that to hand so I paired it with tonic and, frankly, that seems to work too. While I still, probably, prefer my gin old-school and juniper-forward, this rather unusual combination of French distilling and Moroccan flavours – medjool dates, orange blossom, mandarin, Moroccan mint and fleur de sel de Marrakech – is a delicious and smooth curiosity. RRP £79.99 for 70cl (Also available with a hand-made leather case for £159)
Josephine Wine Glasses, Tasting Set
Wine tastes different out of different glasses. If you’re rolling your eyes, fair play, you carry on as you are. If you’re nodding in agreement then perhaps, like me, you had your tiny oenological mind blown at a tasting hosted by Riedel or Josephine. The shape of the bulb, and the way the liquid interacts with the rim, genuinely change the flavour of the wine.
While Riedel makes glasses for specific grapes (and I always have to refer to the web to remember which of my limited collection is a Pinot Noir glass, or whatever), Josephine takes a more general approach with their exquisitely elegant, handblown glasses, labelled “white”, “universal”, “red” and “champagne”. That feels a much more sensible approach and this Tasting Set, a very smart if slightly extravagant Christmas present, gives you one of each. RRP £250
Niche Cocktails
The rise of the ready-made cocktail is a movement of which I deeply approve. Convenience, balance, easily chilled… This nicely – nichely? – branded newish kid on the block does a very good job, frankly. I mean, the Matcha Mojito, like all Matcha drinks, will never do it for me – soz – but the Pink Grapefruit Gin Fizz and, particularly, the Brazilian Lime Margarita, absolutely ticked my boxes. A well-priced and worthy addition to any fridge.
Rock Rose Gin Winter Edition
Rock Rose is a new gin for me. Hey, I never claimed to be an expert, and have you seen how many gins are out there? Anyway, it’s a good, straightforward one and – yay – juniper-forward. I’m also a sucker for a good bottle and this curvy little bottle is a tactile little number.
This “Winter Edition” – “created with thoughts of bracing walks, roaring fires and nights in mind” apparently – is also flavoured with spruce tips, harvested, they explain, by gardener Hanna, in the December of the previous year. So that’s nice. It won’t be everyone’s cup of piney tea but I like it. Good value too. RRP £39
Della Vite Zero
Sometimes celebrity side projects are pure cash-in. Sometimes, they’re actually quite decent and celebrity-created drinks seem to have a surprisingly high batting average. That was certainly the case with Della Vite prosecco, the sparkling wine range from those Delevingne sisters Chloe, Poppy and Cara.
Now they’ve released a non-alcoholic rosé version – a vegan-certified, non-alcoholic rosé version, no less – and… it’s a belter. Seriously. I poured glasses of this for a couple of regular wine drinkers and chose not to tell them it was zero alcohol and, not only didn’t they notice, but they both admired its flavour and dryness. The latter is thanks to its impressively low sugar content (something that feels an increasing rarity in Prosecco World), the latter down to pleasing red apple and berry notes.
Some might argue that it’s a little pricy for something alcohol-free and they might have a point, but you genuinely get what you pay for. Designated drivers rejoice. RRP £14.95
Merser Signature Rum aged 8 years
Rum was my great lockdown “discovery”. I mean, I knew it existed (and so did millions of others), but it wasn’t something I’d drunk that often. Whether I’d sit and sip a glass of Merser Signature Rum is debatable but, as a great value introduction to a world of deliciousness or as a mixer, this blended rum (with liquid from Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and the Dominican Republic that has been aged for up to eight years) packs a lot of bang for not many bucks. Lots of tropical fruit and caramel to this old palate, and a cracker in an old-school rum and Coke. RRP £29
Haymans of London, London Dry Gin
A confession. I was involved in a restaurant project a few years ago and, after testing a lot of gins, we’d settled on Hayman’s as the “house pour”. It was local: they have a lovely set-up in Balham and run excellent tours. It’s still family-owned: Christopher Hayman, great-grandson of founder James Burrough, is a master distiller, and his children, Miranda and James run the business). And – have I mentioned this already? – it’s juniper-forward as gin should be. It’s simple, classic, pure, and makes a great Martini. What more do you want? RRP £28
Étän Rum
Étän’s hook is that it’s been “distilled with a unique collection of five botanicals (“spices”) found in and around West Africa / Cameroon.” Dig into the story, though, and there’s a much bigger picture behind it. It’s the creation of five sisters, raised in London but with roots in Cameroon, and bound by heritage and a “love of a great spiced rum.” The name – you may spot a pattern here – means five in Mungaka, the dialect spoken by their parents. A very good story, a very good – and pleasingly different – spiced rum. RRP £41
Rozél Rosé Vodka
A vodka with the flavours of a classic Provence rosé? Cynical old me did quite the eye roll on reading that one. It feels like a drink made for social media – hell, they admit as much on their website, that it’s a little bit of light pink for the Insta. While I might rage at the origins, the good news is that the result is much better than any of that sounds: triple distilled, delicately fruity with hints of raspberry and peach.
It’s a very well-balanced spirit in its own right but, in the suggested serve – add Fevertree Raspberry and Rose lemonade – it’s an annoyingly enjoyable thing. Which probably explains why they make this stuff and sit here on the sidelines sniping… Around £30
Old Fashioned Candy Cane Cherry Vodka Liqueur
There is, undoubtedly, a market for this brightly coloured, festively packaged, vodka liqueur. It is not, however, me. If you like the sound of a drink that’s like a liquified Bakewell tart, this is very much for you. That’s no judgment – hell, it would be boring if we all liked the same things, right? – but while you enjoy this, I might just stick to the good rum, ta… RRP £14.99
Trivento
And it’s confession time again. I’ve only ever visited one vineyard in Argentina… and it was Trivento. Am I biased? Possibly. Is there a reason they’re at the level of success that they have international representation and invite UK journalists in for tours and tastings? Absolutely. And these two – the Reserve Malbec and the Private Reserve Malbec – are precisely the sort of crowd-pleasing hefty, fruity reds that, well, help you sell lots of bottles of wine.
They’re textbook Mendoza Malbecs – good tannins, vanilla notes, bags of red fruit flavour, with the Private Reserve packing a slightly bigger, peppery punch. They’re available in a lot of supermarkets and it’s easy to understand why: they do exactly what they say on the label.
Elijah Craig Small Batch 1789
Last year I briefly waxed lyrical on the joys of Elijah Craig and how their Small Batch 94 proof can often be found for under £40 and that it’s a whole lot of smooth, vanilla-heavy, caramel-laced bourbon for the money. I haven’t changed my mind yet.
Even at the full RRP, this is a bargainous drop, a spectacularly accessible 70cl of Kentucky’s finest export. Sorry Sanders, but you know that’s true as well as I do… RRP: £44.99
A drinks guide must-have: Mezcal Don Ramon Joven
Mezcal Don Ramón Salmiana… Sixty percent of the time it works every time… Happily any resemblance to Sex Panther starts and ends with the dramatic bottle. The liquid inside, agave aged between eight to ten years, is a very pleasing thing indeed: mellow but with some bite, underlying citrus notes and lingering smoke that never overpowers.
If you’re starting your journey into mezcal, there are many worse places to start. And if you’re looking for a mezcal to play around with in cocktails, this will more than hold its own. And man, what a bottle! RRP £50
Edmunds Cocktails
More pre-made cocktails from Edmunds, run by Suffolk-based brothers Tom and Paul Mayes who use local products wherever possible, and pour, mix, bottle and label everything by hand. They also run a “box builder” option on their website where you can create your own selection of their 12 core options and the occasional seasonal special and cocktails arrive neatly presented, nicely annotated with all the relevant garnishes to show them off fully.
They’re double measures/bar strength, they come in at around £5 apiece and, I mean, who doesn’t occasionally need a Negroni or an Old Fashioned, or Cosmo in the fridge and ready to pour? Great gifting option too.
Monopole Heidsieck & Co Rose Top Brut
A little fizz and Heidsieck & Co. prove as reliable as ever with this delicate rosé, an IWC award winner in 2022. It’s a fine colour and is one of those rosés that taste pink if you know what I mean? I think it’s conditioning that goes back to the 1970s and, probably, the Pink Panther chocolate bar, that I subsequently discovered, many years later, was strawberry-flavoured white chocolate.
Ever since, pink food/liquid should, to my mind, taste that sort of fruit. I can’t be alone in that, right? Er, so, anyway… this doesn’t taste of Pink Panther bars but does have hints of red fruit, and a refreshing and lingering finish. The suggested pairing is fruit-based desserts so this is one for a Boxing Day trifle or pavlova, rather than the dense pleasures of Christmas Pud, but it’s also very sippable on its own. Ooh, and maybe a leftover sandwich. Now that could be a winner… You’ll find this everywhere from supermarkets to Majestic. RRP £40
The Bolney Estate Cuvee Noir
Same genre, different colour. Bolney, who’ve been making wines for over five decades, are one of England’s oldest vineyards and, as befits a company that’s long broken new ground, this sparkling red is very easy to enjoy. Great mousse, heaps of red fruit, and already earmarked for a little cheeseboard action over the festive period. RRP £32
Louis Pommery England
There’s no need to add to the huge number of words out there about the general blooming brilliance of English sparkling but there may be a need to consider something: is it me or are they getting better value? I guess it’s the sheer level of competition. While it hints terrifyingly at climate change, our green and pleasant lands are, increasingly, the perfect place to grow the sort of grapes that make for great sparklers. RRP £36
Yellowstone American Single Malt
I’ve been a fan of Yellowstone’s old-school bourbon for a few years since a lunchtime tasting that, ironically, I can barely remember. Cough. They’ve now diversified (or perhaps reverse-engineered?) to launch Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey. Much like Balcones before, they’re taking advantage of the freedoms allowed in the US to have a play with different cask types, and distillation methods, as well as the sheer range of climates that the US offers.
Made with 100% malted barley, this is aged in new charred American Oak, and the results are impressive, sitting, as you might imagine, between Scotland and the US in terms of flavour profiles. Good now and I suspect it’ll be one to watch in coming years. RRP around £59
Suave Tequila
Cue the inevitable smooth jokes but, this elegantly packaged, certified organic tequila is an impressively sustainable, and excellent spirit. The Blanco, made with 100% blue Weber agave, promises “aromas of freshly cut grass, anise and eucalyptus leaves… complemented by notes of orange, lemon, garden herbs and green agave throughout the palate, with a whisper of smoke in the finish.” I didn’t get all of that but that’s why they’re notes not rules.
I certainly got the eucalyptus, the citrus, herbs and smoke and happily kept going back to try and get more. Ahem. As for the Lunar… it gets its name as it rests in American oak barrels for a complete lunar cycle. It’s a lovely marketing quirk but adds noticeable creamy notes of vanilla and toffee. Very good drinks, with lots of personality. Dear Santa. Any chance? Lunar Blanco (RRP £115) & Suave Blanco (RRP £96.25)
Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon
Never Say Die is a small-batch whiskey, with quite the story behind it. The name comes from a foal from Lexington Kentucky in 1951. After a difficult birth, the foal looked likely to die so, as a last resort, they gave him a shot of whiskey and he made a remarkable recovery – and was thus named Never Say Die. Three years later, he was entered in The Epsom Derby and, at 33-1 odds became the first American-born horse to win the race in more than 70 years.
In 2008, old friends Pat Madden and David Wild met up at the Kentucky Derby and Pat told the story of the remarkable horse born at his family’s farm. Inspired by the story, they decided to create a premium bourbon that would follow the same path: it’s made and matured in Kentucky, spends six weeks at sea, and then receives a second maturation in Derbyshire at White Peak Distillery (Derby, ha, I see what you did there…).
The three different climates considerably change the interplay between spirit and wood, and give results that far exceed its actual age statement. They promise vanilla, caramel, orange and mild oak and that’s precisely what you get, in a liquid that’s sweet and warming and oh-so-smooth. This is a good one, chaps. A really good one. RRP £59.95 (Available to buy from Master of Malt, Amazon, Whiskey Exchange, The Whisky World, Selfridges)
James May’s James Gin
And another celebrity drinks brand or, one suspects in many eyes, another “celebrity” drinks brand. As befits James May, however, he’s: a) very aware of the cliché; and b) has taken his gin in the sort of directions you’d expect given his eccentric TV past, hence flavours such as American Mustard, and Asian Parsnip, (“celebrating both my homeland and the pleasures I’ve enjoyed over many decades of international travel at other people’s expense”) and a petrichor-inspired London gin called Drizzle.
While there’s a certain amount of novelty involved, the gins are now sold in over 40 countries so he’s clearly doing something right. Particularly with the Asian Parsnip. RRP c. £40
Tovaritch Premium Vodka
With 150 awards and counting, this premium Latvian vodka is… well, it’s remarkable. Vodka remains the drink I’m rarely convinced by – I drink for flavour, not alcohol – but this brings something to the party, a little peppery warmth, a hint of fruit. I had to double-check the price, frankly, because this seems like a whole lot of spirit for a pony. Not one to turn into gin… RRP c. £25
