If Christmas for you is all about what festive sips you’re going to enjoy with friends and family alongside the feast, the presents and the glitz, then our guide of what to drink when will take you on a sleigh ride of old and new favourites. From traditional cocktails with a twist to celebratory drinks for New Year, we’ve pulled together a serve for every Christmas occasion.

Best for Christmas Eve

The night before Christmas is the best time to go all out festive, and as it is National Egg Nog Day, this Rum Egg Nog recipe is the perfect accompaniment to a mince pie or two.

50ml KEEPR’s Honey Spiced Rum
25ml Whole milk
1 Egg
Nutmeg to garnish

Dry shake all the ingredients first before shaking with ice. Strain into a tumbler glass and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Best for Christmas Day lunch

With the spiced notes of the rum and the addition of cranberry juice and blackberries, Two Birds Merry Berry Cocktail is a wonderfully warming and fruity serve to greet your guests with or to complement your showstopper Christmas spread.

25ml Two Birds Spiced Rum
15ml Blackberry syrup (or mashed up fresh blackberries)
25ml Cranberry juice
20ml Lime juice
15ml Sugar syrup
Egg white (to create foam)
Rosemary and dried orange to garnish

Shake all the ingredients together before straining into a tumbler glass. Garnish with rosemary and a dried orange wheel.

Best for the Boxing Day buffet

For a stress-free cocktail that’ll serve all your guests, this KEEPR’s Berry Punch Cocktail is bursting with fruit flavours. Just fill up a large jug and let everyone help themselves.

100ml KEEPR’s British Elderberry, Mulberry & Honey Gin
7 Mint leaves
6 Chopped strawberries
6 Orange slices
6 Cucumber slices
Ice
Soda water or ginger ale

Fill a two-litre jug with ice. Add the mint leaves, strawberries, orange and cucumber and the gin. Top with soda water or ginger ale. As a guide there should be one part gin to seven parts ginger ale/soda water.

Best for Christmas movies

You can’t beat a late afternoon Christmas movie with a liquid snack of a boozy hot chocolate. Two Birds Salted Caramel Vodka Hot Chocolate is lip smackingly good, especially when it is topped with cream.

50ml Two Birds Salted Caramel & English Vodka
250ml Hot chocolate
Whipped cream and cocoa to serve

Make your favourite hot chocolate as usual. Add the vodka and top with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa.

Best for New Year’s Eve

A bubbly and light gin cocktail, the English Heritage Elderflower and Rose Spritz has delicate floral notes from the gin, sweetness from the apple juice and the obligatory New Year’s Eve sparkle from Champagne.

25ml English Heritage Elderflower & Rose Gin
50ml Apple juice
Sparkling wine

Combine the gin and apple juice and shake over ice. Pour into a Champagne glass and top with sparkling wine or Champagne.

Best for New Year’s Day

Whether you like to enjoy a lazy New Year’s Day or start the year with some entertaining, a brunchtime Bloody Mary will get you into the swing of things. Try this Dodd’s Bloody Mary made with gin instead of traditional vodka for a welcome twist on the original.

(Makes one pitcher)
Large handful of ice
100ml Dodd's Gin
500ml tomato juice
1 tbsp lemon juice, plus slices to serve
Few shakes of Worcestershire sauce
Few shakes of Tabasco
Pinch of sea salt or celery salt
Pinch of black pepper
Celery sticks, to serve

Place the ice in a large jug and add in all the ingredients. Stir until the outside of the jug feels cold and then strain into a glass. Serve with a slice of lemon and a couple of celery sticks.

You may also like:

A Christmas Sour with Two Birds Christmas Spiced Vodka, or a Hot Toddy made with Two Birds Sloe Gin or KEEPR’s Bourbon & Smoked Honey.