Artisan spirits for Christmas

Whether you’re batch-making cocktails for a party or the boardgames are out and a festive fireside sip is on the cards, get Christmas-cosy inside with these handcrafted spirits

Douglas Fir Gin, Piston Distillery

A gin made from Christmas trees is surely a no-brainer base for a festive tipple or two? Silky smooth, with citrus and pine flavours, this Douglas Fir gin makes for a brilliant festive take on a classic martini.

The Cheltenham craft distillery has introduced a bespoke selection of gift packs for Christmas, including wintry gins such as Forêt Noire, Ginger and Oak Aged as well as liquors, all of which come in smaller gift-friendly sizes. There are also gift boxes, including the 5cl set (£40) featuring eight bottles from its range and a 20cl gift box (£52) including three bottles of gin.

For an experience gift, treat the spirit lover in your life to trip to Piston Distillery’s gin school. It will give them all the more appreciation of what they’re drinking in the future and it could even lead to a better tasting cocktail when popping over to spread glad tidings next year.

£42 for a 70cl bottle, buy it here.

Purbeck Gin, Dorset Gin Company

With organic, carbon neutral and award-winning creds (it scooped a big shiny gold in the Taste of the West awards), Purbeck Gin is a guaranteed feel-good serve this Christmastime.

Purbeck produce gin the traditional way, making their own alcohol before distilling it with organic botanicals such as juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, fenugreek and vanilla pod, in the belief this traditional method doesn’t create any ‘burn’.

In fact, the sustainable spirit is so creamy it works perfectly as a sipping gin, although most will quaff it this party season as a silky G&T, which, for the record, is best served with Fever Tree’s Mediterranean Tonic and a squeeze of fresh lime.

£44 for a 70cl bottle, buy it here.

Honey Spiced Rum, Devon Rum Co.

Delivering a mellow hug with every sip, the smooth and seductive blend of Devon wildflower honey with gently spiced Caribbean rum and Devon spring water makes this honey-spiced rum an unmissable drink this chilly season.

With lighter floral notes, undertones of spicy cardamom, plump juiciness of raisins and a generous pinch of allspice, not only does it lean towards the soothing warm spices of Christmas but the spirit also makes a delicious drink simply on the rocks. If a mixer is a must, make it a lighter one.

Happily, each bottle purchased in the lead up to the big day comes with a free gift bag too.

£43 for a 70cl bottle, buy it here.

Somerset 20 Year Old, Somerset Cider Brandy Co.

Christmas is a time when people love to wallow in nostalgia, and nothing could be more nostalgic than drinking a piece of history courtesy of legendary distillers Somerset Cider Brandy Company.

This 20 Year Old is one of the oldest cider brandies they produce, which, after being distilled, is aged in small oak barrels for 20 years and only one barrel is bottled each year, on Apple Day (October 16).

Notwithstanding the exclusivity of drinking something so rare, the ageing process gives this unctuous brandy mesmerising flavours of figs, hazelnuts and nutmeg, all delivered with a velvety smooth mouthfeel. Serve as is, nothing extra required.

£100 for a 50cl bottle, buy it here.

Golden Hour Gin, Loveday

Celebrated as craft spirit makers, it’s guaranteed that every bottle from this Cornish distillery is going to be well nurtured and tasty to the last, making Loveday a perfectly artisanal choice for the festive season.
The Golden Hour Gin has glorious intentions – the name is a nod to the golden hour, when warm light and long shadows make overdue festive get-togethers all the more beautiful.

Distilled with grapefruit, cardamom and pink peppercorn, and made with Cornish springwater, it has a warming peachy hue and a very subtle sweetness that comes directly from the botanicals, i.e. no nasties are added in to alter the taste.

With its big and bold juniper spice flavours, warmth from the pink peppercorns and lingering heat from cardamom, it’s the perfect base for a wintry gin and tonic, especially with an extra twist of fresh pink grapefruit in the glass.

And, for every purchase made in November, five per cent of the profits go to The Falmouth Food Co-op.

£44 for a 70cl bottle, buy it here.

Like 5 of the best artisan spirits for Christmas? Check out our round-up of gifts for wine lovers.

We choose the companies included in our 5 of the best features based on editorial integrity. Occasionally, some inclusions will be handpicked from clients with whom we have a commercial relationship.