Christmas “cheer” — that thinly-veiled allusion to being gently sloshed through most of December. This is the time of year where slight stumbles are a given; when soft slurring is par for the course on any given Wednesday.
There are different ways to do it. There is the chap who drinks pints of Boddingtons into the double figures and puts it on Twitter. There are the lost heel brigade, the Guinness purists, the ones big into the shots.
And then there's the Going Out desk, famously keen on a good time. Below, our writers share what they like to put away over the Christmas holidays — before going dry and healthy in Jan (as if).
David Ellis
I don't drink much over Christmas, as you'll notice. Still, some obstacles cannot be overcome. There is Christmas morning for a start; salmon cannot be avoided, neither can Champagne. Earlier this year, a bottle of Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle (£180, claridges.co.uk) arrived at my desk out of the blue — no card, no clues — so I've been saving that for the occasion. I am grateful to the mystery gifter, though I suppose it could be from an especially inept enemy. If supplies run low — which would be some going, given it's just me and mum this year, and she doesn't drink — I'll crack open the Chapel Down Brut (£26.99, waitrosecellar.com). They offer a personalisation service, where each bottle can be sent with a message on; I used it to troll a friend, but then bought another bottle for me. Christ knows if I'll still be on the fizz after lunch, but if I am, my favourite English sparkling at the moment is Langham Corallian (£30.95, langhamwine.co.uk); I had a bottle at Harry Lobek's excellent London Shell Co and I've been thinking about it ever since.
Wine for the meal will be from Burgundy, whether red or white, but I never go too wild here. The day itself is quiet for me; the run up is the bit that exhausts me. Before I leave London, I'm having friends over for a few Ellis Martinis — half gin, half vodka, not dry but withering, twist. For the vermouth, recently I've been turned onto Cocchi Extra Dry (£10.95, thewhiskystock.com), while for gin I've lately been pouring Sky Wave (£44, masterofmalt.com). It's nicely peppery, which gives the drink a kick. Vodka can be anything, so long as its been in the freezer. I build mine straight in the glass, no dilution.
Mostly, though, I stick to Scotch. Here I am basic; for most purposes, Johnnie Walker Black (£22, waitrosecellar.com) never fails. I take the glass, fill it to the brim with ice and liquid, and sip through the evening. It is not a distracting drink. That said, at Christmas, I tend to end up thinking. I like something special, then, and this year the Singleton 18-year-old (£75, harveynichols.com) has stood out; it is all apple tart and cinnamon spice and heavy on the chocolate notes too. It's one to savour; I go slowly with it. That said, their 12-year-old is reliable, and the 14-year-old is special. I'm an equal oppurtunist. But like I say, I don't drink much over Christmas.
Joanna Taylor
After much toing and froing, this year it has been decided that I’ll be in London for Christmas, with my two younger sisters and our father. It’s the first time we’ve all been together for the “big day” in years, which calls for celebration. And by celebration, I mean a stomach-curdling array of drinks to suit our every whim.
To kick things off on Christmas morning, it has to be Ruinart Blanc De Blancs (£80, clos19.com), with a slither of orange juice (shudder) for those who insist. Then, after a brisk walk up and around Alexandra Palace, we’ll slouch on the sofa with a round of whisky macs, made with the subtly peaty Torabhaig Single Malt Allt Gleann (£55, torabhaig.com), the second release in the Legacy Series and Stone’s Ginger Wine (£6.50, tesco.com) before getting stuck in (i.e. bickering) in the kitchen, perhaps with a Tarquin's Cornish Gin (£37, tarquinsgin.com) and tonic in hand.
With our turkey, I’ll crack open a bottle of Château De Crézancy Sancerre Rouge (£21.99, majestic.co.uk), while my sisters, who prefer white, will devour a bottle of Fortnum’s sancerre blanc, Domaine Andre Dezat, (£22.50, fortnumandmason.com) and my dad, a big cider drinker, will try Breton (£7.80, claptoncraft.co.uk) for the first time – wish me luck. I have a feeling that Lidl’s highly drinkable Gavi DOCG (£7.99, Lidl), will pair perfectly with the King’s speech (who am I kidding? We always miss it), Monopoly and Scrabble, before we descend — or ascend, if you’re a part of the Taylor family — to the inevitable… Baileys (£13, tesco.com) and a sleep on the sofa. Ho ho ho.
Ben McCormack
Champagne will always be the ultimate celebration drink and I intend to have a glass of fizz glued to my lips at all times this Christmas: Krug Grande Cuvée (£194.99, masterofmalt.com) to greet my religious rellies on their return from midnight mass (unless the priest has gone on too long and I’ve drunk it all), Dom Ruinart 2010 (£250, clos19.com) with the mid-morning canapés, Dom Pérignon Rosé 2009 (£350, hedonism.co.uk) for the turkey.
And as Champagne for most people means Möet & Chandon (a bottle is opened every second of the day, somewhere in the world), the maison’s new Collection Impériale Création No. 1 (£210, selfridges.com), released to mark the house’s 280th anniversary is, ahem, an absolute corker. Should the champers run out, I’m not ashamed to say that I have the softest of spots for a bottle of Bailey’s (currently £13, reduced from £22, tesco.com). Who needs a Chocolate Orange in their stocking?
Millie Milliken
I am a sucker for a Snowball and come December, bottles of Advocaat (£15, tesco.com) sit expectantly in my drinks cabinet, ready for any occasion — tree decorating, reruns of The Royale Family, mid-afternoon japery. While I love the simple classic (Advocaat, lime juice, lemonade and a maraschino cherry), I will also be dabbling with the Snowball 2.0 cocktail the geniuses at Silverleaf are serving for the second year running. It's a carbonated, clarified version of the OG using Suntory Toki whisky (£31, waitrosecellar.com), white chocolate, cured egg yolk, lemon myrtle, and a Taiwanese Golden Lily Milk Oolong-infused whey. Its snowy peak is a meringue garnished with lemon curd and lemon balm. Two extremes on a Christmas classic: there's room in my inn for both.
It won’t all be classic cocktails. At a recent British Sake Association tasting, I discovered a spectacular sake from Konishi Shuzo brewery in Japan's Hyogo prefecture, called Genroku Redux (£24.40, tengusake.com). They've been making sake for over 400 years and this style of sake is a nod to the sakes of the past. It is super rich, chocka with nuts, dark fruits, rich soy and some sesame seeds too. It's certainly the most umami sake I've ever tried — and will be wonderful with a cheese board (especially blue cheese) or served with the Christmas pud. Kanpai!
Josh Barrie
This will be my first Christmas with one of my grandparents missing. My maternal grandfather died of a heart attack earlier this year, aged 92. I drove over to be with my nanna that same day and as I walked through the door, she instructed me to fetch a bottle of Chablis from the garage and put it in the fridge. It was there, among various other bottles — some of which I now have my eye on — that I saw this year’s batch of Christmas champagne: six bottles of Veuve Clicquot (£47, sainsburys.co.uk). It is far from the fanciest champagne. It’s not bad either. More important than anything is that it is what my grandfather always bought for us, lovingly and painfully ahead of time, and it’s what I’ll drink this year.
Clare Finney
There comes a moment in the life of every older sibling when one realises one’s little brother or sister has grown up and developed their own opinions. Having three younger brothers, I’ve borne this impunity several times; but my middle brother Alexander’s coming of age moment was not an affront, but the birth of a lovely tradition.
It was Christmas, and I’d made him a g n' t. He was home from university, and full of the heady confidence of living away from home for the first time. From the moment he saw it, I knew something was up: but he took a cautious sip before deciding to say something. “Is this slimline tonic?” he enquired, with his signature eyebrow raise. “Mind if I make it again?” And there it was: the moment I knew my little brother was no longer little, and would henceforth make his own gin and tonics.
From that Christmas on, he’s made them for us all. The gin changes, but the ratio is always spot on: a healthy measure, a small can of full fat tonic water (Schweppes or Fevertree) and plenty of ice, to slow down dilution. Always a slice, always lime, always a highball: his is the best gin and tonic around. It’s almost like it’s been made by a grown up.
Mike Daw
To start the day with a certain style, champagne must be in order. In particular, Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque (£190, fortnumandmason.com), which for me is home (courtesy weddings, work and life’s many other celebratory moments) — but what matters most is how delicious it is. Far superior to the standard Perrier-Jouët, the Belle Epoque is more complex and yet easier to drink. It also pairs exceptionally well should a light seafood starter or salmon-based canape be on the cards.
After 30+ years of outright rejection, some form of eggnog has finally made its way past my mistletoe-puckered lips and, much to my chagrin, it’s perfectly delicious. In fact, it’s Oatnog (£18, blacklinesdrinks.com), the devilishly drinkable rum-spiked concoction crafted by Black Lines. Best served over ice, with a shaving of fresh nutmeg or a sprinkle of cinnamon. Buyer beware, it goes down a little too easily.
If your better angels do prevail this Christmas or if swerving the sauce is required at any point over the holidays, then Botivo (£26.95, botivodrinks.com) is a sensible place to land. The zero/zero aperitif style drink is best made long, over ice, with plenty of soda. The result is a delicious alcohol-free creation that won’t make you appear a crashing bore while preparing it.
This year the main calls for a red, as Wellington overtakes the ever-present bird. The idea is a simple one, beef and red wine, but a Tuscan makes a fabulous alternative to the classic Bordeaux-with-beef pairing. Specifically, the Rosso di Montalcino Il Poggione 2021 (£28.95, thefinewinecompany.co.uk), with its lovely tannins, structure and acidity, should open up to the beef just enough to appease everyone partaking.
A little crowd-pleasing must be the role of any host worth their salt, which unfortunately can mean that the desires of the few are put to bed to satiate the many. Whilst a buttery, 2018 chardonnay calls like a siren, it appears without exception that sauvignon blanc is the preferred wine of the day and as such, an amenable English version should make for an interesting introduction. Specifically Woodchester Valley single estate sauvignon blanc (£26, woodchestervalleyvineyard.co.uk) from the Cotswolds, an award-winning, world-beating wine loved by sommeliers and at-home drinkers alike.
Ending the evening with a slight buzz must call for a martini, what else? “Each to their own” has never been a more appropriate adage and for me, vodka is a must. Beluga if it's available, otherwise Grey Goose (£35.99, masterofmalt.com) keep it in the freezer, pop the glass in the freezer too (if it’ll fit), a teaspoon of vermouth, swilled around the glass and discarded, a single drop each of olive juice and pickle brine, topped up with the thick sub zero spirit. It’s guaranteed Christmas cheer.
