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Heart London Magazine’s 2022 Christmas Gift Guide – Christmas Tipples
It’s already that time of your again and didn’t it arrive quickly, when party season hits and we can enjoy a Christmas Tipple of three! Here are some of our old and new favourites, this year more than ever there is something for everyone!
Amarula African Gin
It isn’t just the pretty bottle that you will love as the gin inside it also tastes divine! This is currently the only gin crafted from the marula fruit. Growing in the wild, marula has drawn herds of elephants to its trees with its captivating scent for thousands of years, signalling to the surrounding local communities that the fruit is then ripe for harvest. This gin is undeniably fruity, bursting with sweet, exotic notes and an underlying thread of juniper. Orange is strong on the palate, with a touch of sweet spice that’s very subtle and lets the fruity flavours of the gin take centre stage. Perfect to enjoy at Christmas and all year round!
Available from Masters of Malt for £25.00
Maestro DOBEL’s Diamante Tequila
This is one of our favourite tequila’s on the market, Maestro Dobel Diamante is nothing less than spectacular and perfect for sipping straight, chilling, or serving on the rocks. On the palate, Maestro Dobel has a nice mouthfeel as it feels overly smooth yet tasty. Flavor is rich in agave, along hints of vanilla and oak with a bit of black pepper. Maestro Dobel is nicely rounded, as it strikes a good balance between the sweet agave notes of Tequila, along vanilla with oak and pepper. It is well worth stocking up on this amazing tequila is it certainly a great party starter!
Available from Waitrose for £42.00 (usually £52.00)
Bushmills Irish Whiskey 10 Year Old Single Malt
Bushmills’ unrivalled single malts are triple distilled from 100% Irish malted barley in copper pot stills and are renowned for their signature smooth taste. The Bushmills 10 Year Old whiskey is fresh and zesty with aromas of honey, vanilla and milk chocolate. It can be served neat, over ice, or mixed in a range of classic and creative cocktails. This Whiskey has a good balance, a medium body and warm smooth texture. A perfect present for any Whiskey lover!
Available from Waitrose for £25.00
Soho Street Cocktails
Soho Street have created the perfect party cocktails in a bag, so all you have to do is pour, serve and drink! They have all your favourites from the Espresso Martini, our favourites the Pornstar Martin, Cosmopolitan and Pina Colada. They also share the story behind the Pina Cola on their website which adds to the fun! Take it from us these Cocktails are simply delicious and are sure to be a hit all party season long! Every cocktail is made using the finest ingredients and purest fruit purees, so they taste just as good as back in the day. The pouches are also recyclable so you can drink guilt free!
Available from Soho Street Cocktails for £28.99
The Wine Society’s The Joy of Wine Experience Tasting Kit
The Wine Society is the perfect place to shop for wine as gifts or to enjoy at home all party season long. Whether a White Burgundy or French Syrah is more your style they can certainly cater for any discerning wine connoisseur. They have carefully selected cases and sets to suit your mood or taste. We love the The Wine Society’s The Joy of Wine Experience Tasting Kit as not only will it cater for any guest this Christmas it is sizeable enough to share and drink at home! We love this particular selection of ten wines that have been paired for fascinating comparisons! This wonderful kit includes The Society’s Cava Reserva Brut NV, The Society’s French Pinot Noir 2020, The Society’s Prosecco, The Society’s Saar Riesling 2019, The Society’s Claret 2020, The Society’s Australian Shiraz 2020, The Society’s Chilean Limarí Sauvignon Blanc 2021, The Society’s White Burgundy 2021, The Society’s White Rioja 2020 and not forgetting the spectacular The Society’s French Syrah 2021. It is certainly a conversation starter tasting and comparing this beautiful wines, make this a Christmas to remember with a little help from The Wine Society!
Available from the Wine Society for £95.00
Smirnoff Cherry Drop Flavour Vodka
If you have read any of our previous reviews you will know that we are huge vodka fans and couldn’t wait to try the brand new Smirnoff Cherry Drop Flavour Vodka, which is the latest addition to their deliciously bold range of flavoured vodkas. This lovely vodka is full of sweet cherry flavour making it perfect over ice or with a little lemonade or soda water! As with all Smirnoff drinks it is sure to get the party started! The flavour bursts through with every sip you take, the perfect drink to enjoy at Christmas and all year round!
Available from ASDA for £14.00
This is lush juicy sweetness – a delicious luscious cherry flavour for wintertime enjoyment.
Neat and Shaken BLOOM London Dry Gin Gift Set
Neat and Shaken have a fantastic range of gift sets available and we are particularly fond of the BLOOM London Dry Gin Gift Set which is the perfect present for any gin lover! It is also a great set for the party season as it is filled to the brim with all the finest ingredients you need to make cocktail time go with a fizz. Includes a 70cl bottle of BLOOM Original London Dry Gin, dried rose buds, orange slices and strawberries for garnishes, a branded BLOOM Copa glass and a rose gold measure jigger. Each of the garnishes is cased in a cute tin keeping them perfect and ready to use when you nee them, although with gin tasting this good I think you may use those garnishes pretty quickly!
Available from Neat and Shaken for £42.91
Gulliver’s 47 Bourbon Cask
Founding his business in Banbury, England in 1747, Samuel took inspiration from his fictional ancestor and set off on his travels around the world. He searched out the most highly skilled and experienced distillers to produce drinks of unparalleled quality and craftsmanship. Gulliver’s 47 is a celebration of Samuel Gulliver’s adventures in 1747. This fine English single cask, single malt whisky is distilled exclusively for Samuel Gulliver & Co. at the St. George’s Distillery, Norfolk. They only use whole, unbroken ex-bourbon oak casks that retain the integrity of the flavour in the oak for a perfect ageing process.
Available from Masters of Malt for £61.00
Pommery Brut Royal Champagne
There is nothing better than watching the bubbles in a chilled glass of Pommery Brut Royal Champagne before you sip this delightful fine wine! With a focus on elegance and length the wine offers a clean palate at the end without any dryness. Pommery Brut Royal Champagne is fruity, with interesting aromatics and a lovely, balanced and refreshing acidity and creamy palate, this Brut makes it a delicious aperitif, at the dinner table or wherever strikes your fancy! The perfect Christmas gift and a must to bring in the new year!
Available from Waitrose, Ocado and Majestic for £40.00
Champagne Jacober, Blanc de Blanc, Centurion
This beautiful champagne is well loved and there is a reason why the delicate nose dominated by vanilla and elegant, smooth with subtle notes of pine nuts make it a bubbly you will want to come back to. The bottles celebrate the Royal British Legion and 10% of sales go to this wonderful organisation, so you can enjoy this delicious champagne knowing you are giving at the same time! The perfect Christmas tipple indeed.
Available from Eminent Wines for £55.00
The Society’s Prosecco
Prosecco is a great party drink making this a great choice to share with friends! This delicious bubbly is only £10.95 making it excellent value for money, so why not buy a bottle or two. The pinprick bubbles lift the pear and peach aromas and ensure a lovely balance of freshness and fruit. It is lower in alcohol and much less acidic, there this is easier to drink and very moreish.
Available from The Wine Society for £10.95
The Society’s Cava
Made in the same way as Champagne by the small family house of Sumarroca, this effervescent bargain’s fragrant appley flavour and brioche-like richness proved irresistible. Gloriously refreshing superbly structured and delightfully punchy. This is an excellent value; you really can’t ask for much from a Cava and perfect for Christmas. It is no surprise this wonderful Cava won best sub-tenner sparkling wine for Christmas 2014.
Available from The Wine Society for £9.50
Cipriani Bellini
This is a fresh take for Christmas Day enjoy this wonderful Bellini instead of Buck’s Fizz. Introducing the Original Bellini cocktail, a gentle and easy-going blend of Italy’s finest white Peach puree and Prosecco, invented by Giuseppe Cipriani at the renowned Harry’s Bar in Venice in 1948. With a delicate sparkle, this is a joyous cocktail for every celebration. This bellini is so good, it’s the perfect hostess gift and a great Christmas Tipple.
Available at www.sacla.co.uk £25 for 750ml bottle.
Drambuie
During Prohibition, Drambuie carved a niche in America because it was able to beautifully mix in with bootleg spirits and tame their rough edges. It has been a favourite in our family decades, and we are never without a bottle during the festive season. It is perfect in a cocktail, especially in the Rusty Nail! Drambuie is Sweet but lively and light on the palate, as the flavour explodes and the whisky boldly appears, wrapped in honey and herbs. Drambuie is the perfect after dinner drink and simply divine on the rocks! It is the perfect liqueur gift for loved ones who are drinks connoisseurs.
Available from Waitrose for £18.00
Disaronno
The infamous Disaronno Original is the perfect tipple to gift the loved ones in your life this Christmas. This ideal drink to share with friends and family in cocktails or over ice – delicious and oh so smooth. This wonderful Liqueur is perfect to enjoy in front of the fire with family and friends. An age-old favourite; the World’s Favourite Italian Liqueur -Disaronno captures the senses with its amber colour, rich aroma and incomparable taste which has made it the world’s favourite Italian liqueur.
Available from Sainsbury’s for £15.00
Bepi Tosolini Saliza Amaretto
Saliza Amaretti is a rich, tasty liqueur from the Italian producer Bepi Tosolini. The taste of Tosolini Saliza Amaretto is so much better than other mainstream Amaretto, the taste is smooth and is pure luxury. This lovely Amaretto is even great to sip on its own, simply delicious and the perfect drink to enjoy this Christmas by the tree. This delicious tipple will also make a lovely present for Amaretto lovers old and young alike.
Available from Masters of Malt for £26.75
Engine Organic Gin
This wonderful gin will make a perfect present for any gin lover in your life, not only is the aesthetic of the tin funky it is absolutely delicious with a mixer of over ice with a slice. Engine Gin is distilled at Italy’s Torino Distillati. Engine Gin features licorice, sage, rose and lemon, is vacuum distilled from a base of wheat and is canned at 42% ABV. This gin us sure to get the party started making it perfect for Christmas parties or to enjoy on New Year’s Eve.
Available from Tesco for £32.00
Dark Matter Spice Rum
We are big Spiced Rum fans at Heart London Magazine and Dark Matter Spice Rum is certainly one for the books. Winter seems like the perfect time to enjoy this hearty and delicious drink! Spiced Rum is a molasses-based rum that features full-bodied notes of long pepper, fresh ginger, green peppercorns and allspice. It has a fabulous full-bodied taste, packs a punch and delivers a long-lasting flavour. Just delicious!
Available from Tesco from £29.00
Black Cow Vodka Christmas Spirit
Black Cow Vodka Christmas Spirit has all the ingredients of Christmas pudding, macerated in velvety smooth Black Cow vodka. The delicious taste is created from Black Cow vodka, brown sugar, currants, figs, raisins, orange zest, lemon zest, cinnamon and vanilla. Two of my all-time favourite tipples are champagne and vodka, so you can imagine how delighted I was to learn you can use this delectable drink as a champagne topper or even better warm with apple juice, which I must add it is simply divine!
Available from Ocado for £25
One Eyed Rebel Spiced Rum
It isn’t surprising this delicious, spiced rum won the 2021 Gold World Rum Award as the fiery ginger, sweeping undercurrents of vanilla and a heart of rich cassia will set your glass alight. This perfect gift is so tasty you may need to buy an extra one for yourself! The lovely lasting vanilla sweetness makes it great in mojitos or poured over ice! It’s almost really creamy and dessert-like making it really stand out from the crowd!
Available from Masters of Malt for £26.74
Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka
Made from British apples with a dash of potato spirit, Dutch Barn Orchard not only tastes great on its own but is also great for making cocktails, the perfect gift for any alcohol lover! On top of that, the bottle is made from 60% recycled glass so, if you’re looking for a meaningful and eco-friendly gift this Christmas you have found it! The vodka itself is smooth and can be enjoyed with your favourite mixer or over ice with lots of fresh lemon slices!
Available from ASDA for £27.00
W&J Grahams Port
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a glass of port by the fire and W&J Grahams Port is divine. This 10 Year Old Tawny is rich with nuts and figs. Its mature flavours match perfectly with sweet desserts, especially dark chocolate with ginger or orange notes. Alternatively, for the perfect gift, pair it with a box of salted caramels. This lovely drink is perfect to drink by the fire on Christmas eve or with a selection from your cheese board! It is also great value for money for a high-quality product!
Available from Tesco for £20.00
Mortlach Single Malt Whisky
Whisky always makes the perfect gift and Mortlach Single Malt Whisky is sure to be well received. This Whisky is big and bold, this definitely holds up to the nickname given to Mortlach – “The Beast of Dufftown.” The wood influence highlights the big character with lighter style flavours that are deceiving as you start to feel the viscosity and depth linger. This is a fantastic 12-year Scotch whisky.
Available from the Bar for £55.00
Kilchoman Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Machir Bay
Kilchoman’s Machir Bay is an excellent single-malt Scotch whisky from the isle of Islay, this wonderful whisky would make a perfect gift this Christmas and is lovely to enjoy all winter long! The distillers use whisky which has been matured in ex-bourbon barrels and Oloroso Sherry butts, resulting in well-balanced flavour profile, with highlights of vanilla biscuits and delicious light fruit.
Available from the Whisky Exchange for £41.95
Bunnahabhain Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
You will hear many fans of this whisky say it is the 12-year malt ever and boy are they right! This 12-year-old single malt Scotch whisky is a light, fresh dram, bottled at the high strength of 46.3 for more complexity and flavour. Bunnahabhain 12 unleashes a deluge of interesting flavours, it’s bright, right and filled with flavours of cholocate, honeysuckle, melon and summer fruits.
Available from Whisky Boys for £44.95
Chimney Fire Coffee X Wry Vodka Espresso Martini
Espresso martinis are one of my favourite cocktails to order while out but sometimes you don’t want to spend the money or go out and making an espresso martini from scratch seems like too much work. This bottled espresso martini is the way to go! It has the perfect balance of sweet and bite from the coffee. The vodka is incredibly smooth, and you don’t have to do anything but pop some into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake it up, then pour into a glass! Faster, cheaper, and far easier than going out and ordering one…especially as nights start getting chillier.
Available from: Chimney Fire Coffee
Price: £24.00
Brookie’s Byron Slow Gin
I can confidently say I’ve never had a gin like this. It’s a plum gin and it’s absolutely delicious. I’ve never had a plum flavoured liquor, much less gin, and plums are one of my favourite fruits! I tried it straight and it had the perfect balance of the sweet and tart plum. While gin is one of my favourite liquors, I know some people aren’t such fans. If that’s the case but they like plums, this is a good gin for anyone who isn’t necessarily a gin lover. It doesn’t have that floral taste that lots of gins do and it tastes more like a plum vodka than a gin. I’m looking forward to making a cocktail with the rest of the gin tonight!
Available from: Masters of Malt for £34.24
American Whiskey Tasting Set – The Perfect Measure
This is the perfect gift for whiskey veterans and rookies alike. The set comes with six whiskeys. While the set is called the American Whiskey Tasting Set, there’s also a Whiskey from Mexico and one from Canada; the remaining four are all products of the USA. My favourites were the one from Canada (J.P. Wiser’s Dissertation Whisky), the one from Mexico (Abasolo), and Westland Garryana from the US! My number one was Abasolo. It’s a corn whiskey with hints of vanilla and chocolate. It’s a lighter whiskey but it still packs a punch of flavour with hints of peach at the front and finishes with a spiced closing.
Available from: The Whiskey Exchange for £54.95
Swish Cocktails
The mojito fizz has an interesting flavour. At first sip it embraces the taste of key lime pie, but overall is definitely a stronger lime taste than the sugary-ness of key lime pie. Breakfast fizz took the crown as my favourite. It has a perfect orange taste and is so easy to drink. I would go so far as to say it doesn’t even taste like there’s any alcohol in it…making it dangerously delicious. Drink responsibly! They have an alcohol-free range as well.
Available from Swish Cocktails for £3.50
Atlas Chai Gin
Chai is one of my favourite flavours and gin is, by far, my favourite liquor so this was something that really excited me; and I wasn’t let down. The chai flavour is just strong enough that chai lovers will be appeased but not so sweet that it makes a classic gin and tonic difficult to drink. The taste of chai is such a festive one and, I think, chai tea lattes are some of the most festive drinks, making this gin great for chai lovers and gin connoisseurs alike.
Available from Atlas Gins for £48.00
Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry Rouge
This is quite a sweet vermouth. I drank it straight at first and really enjoyed the taste but thought that adding it to tonic water would be a good choice, as I wanted to see how it mixed with something (as simply as tonic water may be). It was delicious. I was skeptical at first as vermouth is something I’m very particular about but I’m so glad I tried it with a simple mixer like tonic water. I enjoy sweeter drinks, and this felt like Christmas in a cup!
Available from The Whiskey Exchange for £14.95
Passoã Passionfruit Liqueur
This lovely drink is the perfect match for the lovers of traditional Pornstar Martini and this drink is not only tasty it is perfect for the to celebrate the party season. It isn’t just the liqueur you will like, the price is great too! Passoa can be used in a number of cocktails or with a mixer for those who enjoy the sweeter things in life. Enjoy! Passoa Star Martini: 40ml Passoa, 40ml vodka, 10ml vanilla syrup, 10ml fresh lime juice, 1 passion fruit (use half the pulp for the mix, keep half to garnish). Shake over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Finish with a shot of Champagne or prosecco!
Available from Waitrose for £14.00
Luc Belaire Gold
I hadn’t heard of the Luc Belaire Gold before I tried it and I must say I was certainly missing out! Luc Belaire began in 1898 in Burgundy and combines grapes of rare quality with craftmanship that can only be found at a family-operated winery like theirs. This elegant sparkling wine pairs perfectly with nearly any cuisine making it perfect to drink over the festive season and it tastes divine. This is a fantastic bottle of bubbly with aromas of some tropical fruit, with notes of pear and citrus. Medium bodied, and finishes similar to champagne. A word of warning you might like to buy more than one bottle of this tasty delight!
Available from Selfridges for £31.99
Luc Belaire Luxe
If you’re a fan of sparkling wines, why not try Luc Belaire Luxe for a more premium touch. It’s the perfect bottle to pop on Christmas day. Sweeter than most sparkling out there although it certainly isn’t too sweet (this is officially classed as a demi-sec) this has plenty of stone fruit, citrus, floral and some bready aromas, typically found with blanc de blancs. This lovely wine not only makes a fantastic present it tastes good too and is excellent value for £30.99. Perhaps get a few in for New Years and bring in 2023 with style!
Available at Selfridges for £30.99
Bumbu Rum Co. Orignal
This delicious higher strength Caribbean rum has had native spices added to it, inspired by 16th and 17th century recipes used by West Indian sailors. With tropical fruit and spices at the fore, a splash of ginger beer would do well to bring out those warmer notes. This smooth rum is flavourful and perfect for the festive season. It is perfectly sweet but not so sweet you get sick of it. Bursting with complex flavors and aromas and totally unique, nothing else like it out there. A great gift and a wonderful drink!
Available at Masters of Malt for £34.99
Beefsteak Club Malbec Mendoza Argentina
Oak ageing gives it lush vanilla and gently spiced aromas – all balanced by a delicious freshness. Soft and smooth – it’s a real crowd-pleaser and whilst it is best paired with steak, why not enjoy a glass around the Christmas tree or by the winter fire! This wine has sweet plum, cherry and black pepper notes, with a baked red fruit character in the background and a hint of oaky astringency. There’s a parma violet quality which runs through the length of the wine. It is very drinkable indeed.
Available from Waitrose for £7.99
Eminent Wines UB40’s Red Red Wine Bordeaux Supérieur
You have probably know UB40 for their music but now you get to know them for their Bordeaux Supérieur! This premium red wine has been produced from a subtle blend of two of the Bordeaux grape varieties, Merlot and Cabernet, to give a rich, deep, red fruit colour with blackberry notes, enriched with ripe tannins, and with a long and elegant finish. This limited edition cuvée of Red Red Wine was created by bringing a private Bordeaux Chateau together with UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, the founding members of Britain‘s biggest reggae band.
Available from Eminent Wines for £28.50
Gonzales Byass Tio Pepe Fino Sherry
One of the first drinks my mother allowed me to sip on at Christmas was a Sherry and there isn’t drink that reminds me of Christmas more. Tio Pepe oozes class and is deliciously refreshing with good weight. This pale-coloured, light bodied wine has a typical salty tang from the onshore sea breezes around Jerez. Enjoy this beautiful Sherry throughout Christmas and create more of the beautiful memories with friend and family. I for one will certainly be buying this for next Christmas as I doubt this one will also very long!
Available from Waitrose for £10.49
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