Christmas gift guide: what to buy for drinks lovers this season

From rare spirits and vintage sparkling to bespoke adventures and artisan glassware, this curated guide promises to exalt your festive celebrations. Whether you’re searching for the perfect gift or planning to treat yourself, these treasures will ensure a truly spirited Christmas.

Born of the moss-draped dreamscape of Scotland’s Jupiter Artland, X MUSE is crafted from two heritage barleys. Each sip is a conduit to the land it sprang from. Best savoured neat, it’s a game companion for life’s most decadent bites: the pop of caviar, the briny embrace of oysters, or the silken sigh of sashimi salmon. (£49.50, fortnumandmason.com)

Bathtub Gin has partnered with Harlie Brown Studio to create a limited-edition bottle, available on its own for £34.95, or as part of a punch bowl set for £130 (masterofmalt.com). With it, you’re not just pouring drinks; you’re ladling out good cheer.

This is a gin which captures the nocturnal allure of the Queen of the Night cactus, as well as wild ivy, tea leaves, and the scent of rose. Encased in a perfumier-grade bottle so lavish it could sit comfortably amidst the bijouterie of a duchess, it arrives with two martini glasses. (£168, www.seventyonegin.com)

The 58 & Co. Gin Making Experience offers alchemy for the bon vivant. Over three hours, guests don the mantle of gin-maker, crafting and distilling their own spirited opus. Along the way, there are cocktails to embolden, and charcuterie to fortify. The pièce de resistance? Departing with a wax-sealed, bespoke bottle of your own gin — literal proof you played a hand in your own delicious destiny. (£125, 58andco.com; 10 per cent off bookings in December with code: COHOHO)

Less a spirit, more a geological love letter. Enclosed in a bottle which evokes the sinuous drift of volcanic smoke, it’s a hymn to the 100 per cent Blue Weber agave from which it draws its fiery soul. On the palate, it turns between the orchard sweetness of apple, the creamy elegance of almond, and an unexpected whisper of candyfloss. (£115, thewhiskyexchange.com)

A compact showcase of Derbyshire’s distilling renaissance. Born in a repurposed transatlantic telephone cable factory, it offers a trio of miniatures which tell the stories of oak, grain, and innovation. Called Caduro, Bourbon Barrel, and Virgin Oak, these form a tasting tableau. (£24.95, thewhiskyexchange.com)

From the vaults of Johnson Reserve, this spirited odyssey is aged in rare Cognac and Mizunara casks, bringing flavours of green apple, tropical fruits, and lightly toasted hazelnuts. (£175, masterofmalt.com)

Arriving in a kaleidoscope of festive colours, these glasses heighten whisky from drink to ritual. Glencairn says it has engineered the glasses to amplify aroma and taste, helping to celebrate the liquid they hold. (£54.95, Glencairn).

From a bottle of red and gold opulence, tailor-made for the season of excess, comes a spirit about velvet and fire, with a lick of spice. Perfect for the cocktail aficionado, or anyone who believes their festive tipple should be as dressed up as they are. (From £32, tesco.com).

A homage to the golden age of French café culture, the Trilogy Range reveals layers of dark chocolate, tangy wild cherries, aromatic bay leaf, and zesty marmalade. It’s a complex and balance tipple crafted to linger as vividly as the echo of a Parisian soirée. (£144.80, hermitagecognac.com).

Described by former Le Gavroche sommelier Rémi Cousin as “sexy sake that pleases everyone,” Drunk Monkey Junmai Daiginjo, from François Chartier, combines higher acidity with compelling flavours. (£69.95, maisake.com)

This sustainably made, vegan, Oxfordshire sparkling rosé, crafted from the excellent 2018 vintage, is bursting with notes of ripe strawberries, tangerine, and blood orange. Pretty graphics, too. (£49.20, Hedonism Wines).

Created for Moët & Chandon’s 280th anniversary, the hefty bottle of Création No. 1 showcases the maison’s Champagne mastery with a blend of six vintages, partly aged in oak. Notes of honey, orchard fruits, menthol, and toasted nuts lead to a chalky, saline finish. (£194, thefinestbubble.com)

In honour of Charles-Camille Heidsieck’s bicentenary, the legendary Champagne Charlie makes a grand return with a multi-vintage blend reaching to 1998. Just 3,800 bottles made of the nougat-scented showstopper. Try it with N25 caviar. (£378, thefinestbubble.com)

From Pasqua, ‘house of the unconventional’, comes a bold field blend of Garganega, Pinot Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc from five top vintages (2016–2020). Called ‘Hey French — You Could Have Made This But You Didn’t, it delivers tropical fruits with volcanic soil minerality. (From £26.99, majestic.com).

From the hands of cinematic legend Ridley Scott comes the Mas des Infermières Magnum Imperatores special edition, a £300 homage to the director’s latest epic, Gladiator 2. This blend of syrah and grenache is adorned with Scott’s label of feuding Roman emperors, Caracalla and Geta (selfridges.com).

The Coravin Forest Green Timeless Six+ is more than a wine preservation system – it’s a humble revolution for oenophiles with a conscience. Cloaked in a lush green as rich as an English vineyard at dawn, it lets you pour perfection without pulling the cork. Each unit sold plants a tree, rooting your indulgence in something lasting. (£239.99, Coravin.co.uk)

One for all, and all for one, these slender glasses are designed to enhance all wine styles. The handmade Original (£90 for two, £270 for six) offers exceptional thinness and balance, while the durable Precision (£48 for two, £90 for four) is ideal for daily use. (richardbrendon.com)

Designed by Turkish innovator, Nude the Vini Carafe is a striking decanter which gracefully encapsulates either a bottle or magnum within its unconventional frame. Its vertical ribs and sinuous contours combine elegance with functionality. (£116.16, crosbys.co.uk)

Capturing the essence of a single exceptional year at Quinta dos Canais, this port is aged in oak for two years then bottled unfiltered. It rewards careful decanting and pairs well with your boldest, bluest cheeses. (£30, tesco.com)

Cockburn’s, the UK’s top-selling Port, brings a cosy après-ski-inspired lodge to South Bank. The festive pop-up offers mulled Cockburn’s Special Reserve, aged port, port negronis, and memories. (southbank.london)

A masterpiece of time, crafted from meticulously aged wines which showcase deep complexity and elegance. With notes of dried fruit, honey, and spice, it offers a luxurious, velvety finish which resonates on the palate longer than the running time of Titanic. (£449.99, tauruswines.co.uk)

Guided by John Warland’s expert words, and Horst Friedrichs’ evocative photography, this book captures the charm, character and value of these tucked-away gems which ought to demand your patronage. Make it your resolution to visit them all. (£24.89, amazon.co.uk)

Proof that abstinence needn’t lack elegance. This non-alcoholic sparkling wine fizzes with charm, delivering a crisp tally of lime, peach, and green apple notes. A toast to flavour without compromise, it’s the perfect partner for moments that call for celebration, minus the morning-after regret. (£9.95, masterofmalt.com)