Boozy gift guide

Hoxton Gin / Duff Beer

The folks at Firebox have a whole range of alcoholic gifts - our favourites are pictured here:

Hoxton Gin - £32.99
Created by ultra-modern mixologist Gerry Calabrese, it draws its main character from juniper, but it’s the addition of coconut and grapefruit to the distillation process that takes this tipple in a direction entirely new.

Duff Beer - £9.99 for 6 bottles / £24.99 for 24 cans
Based on Homer Simpson’s beloved brew, this Duff Beer is the ideal gift for superfans, slobs and careless nuclear safety inspectors.

Available from www.firebox.com

See also:

• The budget beauty gift guide

British Cassis

Perfect for a Christmas Day toast!

375ml £15, available from www.britishcassis.co.uk

Pig in a Poke wines

If you are intimidated by the wall of wine in the supermarket or restaurant menu, this is the perfect opportunity to try new wines or to give somebody a gift they will enjoy.

Pig in a Poke’s limited edition buckets, which include Old Spot Red, Old Spot White and Old Spot Rosé,  can be bought on their website www.piginapokelive.com.

Christmas wine selection

Boschendal Unwooded Chardonnay 2010 £5.99 reduced from £8.29 at Morrisons
Delicate lemon & grapefruit aromas, with a soft floral touch on the palate. Ideal to drink on its own or to match with roast chicken.

Bellingham Mocha Java Merlot 2010 £7.49 at Majestic Wine or buy 2+ bottles and save 20 per cent (usually £5.99)
Pronounced aromas of coffee, cocoa and black cherry characterise the intense nose. Smooth and full-textured on the palate, with harmonious oak, and a long finish. Great with after dinner chocolates.

LBV 2005 £12.99 reduced to £9.99 at M&S (Save £3) from 31st October until 1st January
A big, rich, sweet and brambly mouthful. The perfect after dinner tipple.

Russian Standard Gold Vodka

This unique tasting vodka is filtered through charcoal infused with Siberian Golden Root, resulting in seasonal notes of bitter caramel, cinnamon, clove, almond and vanilla. Try it in one of these delicious new Christmas cocktails:

Golden Celebration

Method: Muddle, build and top
Glass: Highball
Garnish: Mint sprig

Ingredients:
60ml Russian Standard Vodka
10ml Wild Cherry Amarena
Small slice of Ginger
One dash Cherry bitters
15ml Lime juice
6 Fresh mint leaves
Top with Champagne

Black Forest Gateaux

Glass: Coupette
Method: Shake and double strain
Garnish: Dusting of coco

Ingredients:
30ml Russian Standard Vodka
12.5ml Amaretto
12.5ml Baileys
1 bar spoon cherry jam
1 bar spoon vanilla syrup
1 bar spoon coco powder
1 whole egg
Coco dusted chocolate ice cream on the side

Russian Standard Gold is available in most major supermarkets, Harrods and Selfridges stores. RRP£20 for 70cl. www.russianstandardvodka.com

 See also:

• The budget beauty gift guide 

Devon Ales

Say bottoms up with three of Devon's most highly sought after ales, not to mention some seriously substantial West country snacks.

The Christmas Cheers! hamper from delimann includes:

• Jale Ale 500ml- award winning ale brewed on Dartmoor
• Beachcomber Beer 500ml -  made fron pale ale and wheat malt to satisfy ale and lager drinkers
• Dartmoor IPA 500ml - the bottled version of award winning draught beer brewed in the heart of Dartmoor
• Burts Crisps  150g- a super large packet of these highly acclaimed crisps
• Dorset Knobs 200g - the iconic savoury biscuit from Dorset, to be enjoyed with cheese and chutney
• Mr Filberts Zanzibar Nuts and Seeds 75g - flavoured with cinnamon, ginger, Dorset honey and ginger
• Mr Filberts Sweet Chilli Peanuts 75g - crunchy, munchy, hot and spicy.
• Ottervale Devon Fire chutney  200g- made locally, full of flavour

£22.50, available to order online from http://delimann.co.uk

Luge in a box

A great touch to include at a Christmas or New Year party, this fun icy drinks dispenser gives your favourite tipple an extra edge.

Simply pour any drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) through the top of the ice and it will arrive into the awaiting mouth or glass perfectly chilled.

Available in four great designs and LED-lit to make the ice sparkle and shine, a Luge In A Box is the new party ‘must have’ for this year.

£159 - includes free delivery anywhere in the UK.

To order visit www.lugeinabox.co.uk, mail hello@lugeinabox.co.uk or telephone 0800 612 7572

Malibu Winter Limited Edition bottle

The new Malibu winter limited edition bottle features coconut flakes that float around the clear rum, mimicking snowflakes, and is available to buy from Selfridges and supermarkets nationwide - RRP £15

Drambuie 15

The perfect gift for discerning malt whisky drinkers, Drambuie 15 is drawn from the finest selection of 15-year-old Speyside Malts. Selected for their soft, complex fragrance and flavour, the rare Speyside Malts ideally complement and balance the herbs and spicy aromas of Drambuie’s famed secret elixir to create an exciting new high-quality product.

With a nose of Drambuie’s aromatic citrus spice, fragrant grass and butterscotch notes, Drambuie 15 has a velvet-soft mouth feel with a tang of lemongrass and warming malty notes, berries and heather.  A finish of shortbread, fresh herbs and the unmistakable long afterglow of the Drambuie elixir, results in a refined, drier expression of Drambuie, perfect for sipping and savouring either neat or over ice.

Drambuie 15 can be purchased from all good independent spirit retailers, including www.royalmilewhiskies.com, The Drinkshop.com, and thewhiskyexchange.com with an RRP of £34.99. 

Glengoyne personalised bottles

Create a truly unique gift for a loved one this Christmas with a personalised bottle of Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. In the run up to Christmas, Glengoyne are offering these very special bottles for the same price as a regular bottle.

The personalised bottles are available on the award-winning Glengoyne 10 Years Old (£31.49), 17 Years Old (£54.99) and 21 Years Old (£89.99). Each bottle and matching tube is designed to your own specifications, including a one-off message and a picture of your choice, making it the ideal gift with a truly personal touch. 

Personalised bottles are available to buy online at www.glengoyne.com, or call 01360 550 254. Postage and packing within the UK is £6.50, orders over £50 are free, please allow 10 working days for delivery.

Pink Pigeon

Pink Pigeon is the first super premium, spiced rum from the island of Mauritius.

Although complex in flavour, this mould-breaking spiced rum is fantastically easy to drink and distilled five times with the purest of spirit. Pink Pigeon is blended with hand-pollinated and hand-picked natural vanilla from Madagascar and Reunion Islands. It incorporates a rich and golden appearance with a truly balanced sweetness.

Pink Pigeon is available at the Whisky Exchange, The Drink Shop.com, Berry Bros. & Rudd, RRP £29.00

The Wine Lover’s Gift Box

For those that like the best of both worlds, this gift contains a bottle of Bolney Bubbly sparkling wine, which has a charming elderflower creaminess plus a bottle of Lychgate Red, unbeatable with that great English classic, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. RRP: £32.99 plus delivery.

Available to buy online at www.bolneywineestate.co.ukor alternatively please call 01444 881575

See also:

• The budget beauty gift guide

The Talisker® Single Malt Scotch Whisky Flask and Glass Pack

You know your loved one’s a whisky fan but unsure what to get them? The makers of Talisker whisky has created the perfect solution to honour the award winning malt; a striking special edition of the Talisker 10-year-old 20cl that comes together with a unique Talisker rocking glass and a hip flask.

RRP £19.99 available from all good whisky specialists.

The Ron Zacapa® 23 Gift Box

This year, why not treat their taste buds to the ultra-premium Ron Zacapa 23 gift box, complete with two bespoke tasting glasses. 

Zacapa 23 Solera is regarded as one of the finest rums in the world. It is the result of a unique combination of soil climate and ultra-high-grade cane sugar. It is produced using only the first pressing of the sugar cane, the virgin cane honey.

The Zacapa 23 gift box includes a 70cl bottle with two elegant bespoke Zacapa sipping glasses, and is available exclusively from Selfridges RRSP from £65.

See also:

• The budget beauty gift guide

Chocolate Shop

Chocolate lovers across the country will be able to indulge in the ultimate taste experience this Christmas following the launch of Chocolate Shop, a delicious chocolate infused wine.

The deep ruby red wine blended with rich, velvety dark chocolate, is available in The Co-operative and Sainsbury’s. The wine comes with a suggested RSP of £8.99 and has an ABV of 12 per cent.

See also:

• The budget beauty gift guide

Wines from Codorniu

Why not try one of these delicious wines from the Codorniu range. Pictured here:

• Raimat Abadia Rosé 2010 (RRP £7.49)
   
• Legaris Reserva 2005 (RRP £19.99)

Available from Tesco.com, Wine Rack, Oddbins, Yourfavouritewines.com and Everywine.co.uk

The Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Eventail Giftbox

For champagne fans and style-setters, choose the stylish rose-pink Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Eventail Giftbox. This graceful concertina box fans out to reveal layers of raspberry red, lime green and pinot noir purple surrounding the iconic curvaceous bottle.

Stocked in Harvey Nichols and Selfridges with an RRP from £60.00

Wemyss Malts Single Cask collection

Each cask is a celebration of the unique and contrasting appeals of the different Scotch whisky regions. Wemyss whiskies are each identified by their natural taste and aroma and this latest range of four comprises:

• Caribbean Fruits – a Highland 21 year old hogshead from Glencadam Distillery
• Honey Spice – an Islay 20 year old butt from Bunnahabhain Distillery
• Lemon Grove – a Speyside 22 year old hogshead from Cragganmore Distillery
• Vanilla Zest – a Speyside 11 year old butt from Linkwood Distillery

RRP between £55 and £85

See also:

• The budget beauty gift guide