Ah, Christmas. The time for overindulgence. Too much food, booze and time spent with people you have to people you love dearly. No having to go to work in the morning, just bad TV and lying comatose on the coach. It truly is magical. To help the magic along we have started our Christmas Alcohol Reviews. Here are our top picks to buy the people who have been very, very good this year. 
Snow Leopard Vodka
This vodka (made with spelt, the so-called ‘grandfather of grains’) was created by a passionate conservationist determined to save these critically endangered big cats. Which is why we should all buy one this Christmas.
Stephen Sparrow, an ex-drinks industry expert, heard about the snow leopard’s plight during a trip to the Himalayas. Shocked at learning there were less than 5,000 left in the wild, he came back and founded the Snow Leopard Trust UK – and then created this super-premium vodka to help fund its projects. Stephen has set a global goal to raise a million dollars annually for snow leopard conservation by 2025. That’s the the figure the President of the Snow Leopard Trust has advised could provide the ‘step change’ to remove the animal from the endangered list. This goal has been helped by the vodka recently gaining national distribution in Waitrose.com
With 15% of the vodka’s profit going direct to the Snow Leopard Trust, funds are provided to community-based conservation projects. These range from replacing farmers’ livestock that might be taken by snow leopards; through to helping educate herders’ children and training for adults in spinning wool and handicrafts for extra income. Supporting these projects helps educate the local communities and fosters a positive attitude towards the snow leopard.
£36.00 RRP for a 70cl bottle and available at Waitrose.com, Harvey Nichols and Ocado.com, as well as all good independent drinks retailers. Snowleopardtrustuk.org / snowleopardvodka.co.uk
Snow Leopard Vodka – The Conservation Martini
Glass: Martini
75ml Snow Leopard Vodka
5ml French Dry Vermouth
1 sprig of rosemary to be stirred in a mixing glass
Method: Add ingredients into an ice-filled mixing glass and briskly stir for 20 seconds.
Pour into a Martini glass.
Garnish: Rosemary sprig placed in the Martini or cocktail glass.
Whitley Neill Gin
This is top-class, truly wonderful gin. Perfect for gin lovers, winner of the World’s Best Gin Award at the International Wines and Spirits Festival, super-premium Whitley Neill Gin stands out from the crowd with its African botanicals cape gooseberry and super-fruit baobab, which has six times more vitamin C than an orange. Whitley Neill is slightly softer than more traditional gins and the taste is refreshingly citrusy and sweet. Whitley Neill Gin is available in sainsburys.co.uk priced £24.00.
Lamb’s Spiced
This is wonderful spiced rum with a lower alcohol content that other spiced rums. The sophisticated readers of Frost will know that is a good thing. New Lamb’s Spiced is a perfect gift for rum aficionados and cocktail lovers. It’s a gentle blend with a lower alcoholic content (30% abv) than other spiced rums, which makes this smooth golden liquid ideal for sipping. Natural spices and hints of cinnamon and caramel give Lamb’s Spiced a sweet, warming flavour. Lamb’s Spiced is available in Tesco.com priced £14.49 for a 70cl bottle.
Lamb’s Navy Rum
A true classic. This is high-end rum. Truly Iconic British rum, Lamb’s Navy, is the perfect tipple to have in the cupboard at Christmas – not only is it a great cake preservative and ideal ingredient for flambéing the Christmas pudding, but it’s a great winter cocktail ingredient too. Lamb’s Navy Rum is available from all major supermarkets priced around £14.50 for 70cl.
Bootlegger
This is something truly unique for whiskey lovers who want something different. It is actually unaged white whiskey. It is gorgeous, sophisticated and luxurious with just the right amount of vintage kitsch.
Bootlegger is an unaged white whiskey inspired by the raw liquor ‘Bootleggers’ moved around the US during Prohibition. It has a raw sophisticated taste with aromas of peat, oak and vanilla with a smooth finish and has been created for sipping neat over ice as well as in cocktails. Bootlegger is available from Harrods.com and other premium retailers priced around £37.50.
Tequila Rose
Our editor loves tequila, just a shame she can’t drink it at the moment because she is pregnant! We did the hard work for her: This is a unique and delicious take on tequila. Tequila Rose is a luxurious blend of premium Mexican tequila and real strawberry flavoured cream liqueur. It’s an ideal alternative to traditional cream liqueurs at Christmastime and makes a fabulous gift for female foodies and cocktail lovers. Tequila Rose is priced £14.99 for 70cl from various supermarkets.
Grant’s Signature
Grant’s whisky is always brilliant. Perfect for a wee dram. This Christmas Grant’s Whisky is putting a new twist on tradition this Christmas with the release of its Signature character and maltiness blend. With a smooth yet rich taste, with hints of caramel and biscuit which is delicious on its own, over ice or with a mixer. The product of five generations, Grant’s is Scotland’s oldest family owned blend.
The Grant’s Family Reserve is priced at RRP £17.49 (70cl) available supermarkets and off licences. The Grant’s Signature blend will be sold exclusively at Tesco.com, priced at RRP £18.49.
Koko Kanu Coconut Rum
Perfect for rum lovers: Koko Kanu is a subtle blend of crystal clear rum and coconut; the only full strength coconut rum available in the UK.
This beautifully rich tasting coconut flavoured rum from the Caribbean island of Jamaica, is so smooth and round that it’s delicious on its own over ice.
Koko Kanu Daiquiri
Ingredients:
50ml Koko Kanu
25ml freshly pressed lime juice
5ml Gomme (available at all good retail outlets)
Method:
Chill a martini glass
Add all ingredients to a boston shaker, shake and double strain
Pour into the chilled glass and garnish with a slice of lime or a mint leaf
Koko Kanu Grikoko
(Created By Chris Langhan)
Ingredients:
2 Shot Koko Kanu
½ shot lime juice
1 whole Mandarin (quartered)
Dash orange bitters
Method:
Muddle whole mandarin including flesh and zest (everything), add liquid ingredients
Shake hard and double strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with a twist of orange
Bowmore Black Rock Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
This is a very unique no age statement whisky. It has a rich sherry and peat smoke which is then followed by blackcurrants, treacle toffee and cinnamon spice. Buy for someone you want to impress. It is unique and they probably would not have tried it before. This was released for the travel retail market in 2014.
Don Papa Rum
This is brilliant and new for rum lovers. New Don Papa is a premium aged small batch rum from the Philippines which was launched in the UK in February 2014. It is light and fruity on the nose, smooth and delicate on the palate with flavours of vanilla, honey and candied fruit. The Don Papa Rum Gift Pack is available from majestic.co.uk and Majestic stores for £30 and from Harvey Nichols stores and online at www.harveynichols.com
Glen Moray Single Malt
This is a top-class Scotch whisky, buy it for the whisky lover in your life. Glen Moray Single Malt is distilled at the Glen Moray Distillery, Speyside’s most northerly distillery which has been producing whisky since 1897. This 10 year old single malt has been uniquely aged in chardonnay casks. £25.00, available from sainsburys.co.uk and glenmoray.com.
Three Barrels Honey
Excellent French Brandy. Drink it and cook with it. Oh, and buy it for someone else if you can give it away. The UK’s favourite French grape brandy, Three Barrels, has been blended with the finest honey flavours to create Three Barrels Honey. The new spirit drink is so smooth and mellow, you won’t want to give up a drop for Saint Nick.
THREE BARRELS ON THE ROCKS WITH A TWIST
Glass: 10oz Rocks
Method: Pour over ice cubes and spray orange oils over the top of drink
Ice: Cubed
Ingredients:
50ml Three Barrels Honey
Garnish: Trimmed orange zest
THREE BARRELS HONEY AND GINGER
Glass: 12oz Hiball
Method: Fill glass with ice and pour in order listed
Ice: Cubed
Ingredients:
35ml Three Barrels Honey
Top ginger ale
Garnish: Lemon wedge squeezed and discarded, garnish with fresh wedge
THREE BARRELS HONEY COLLINS
Glass: 12oz Hiball
Method: Pour all ingredients in glass except soda, and then add ice
Fill with soda and gently stir, top with ice if required
Ice: Cubed
Ingredients:
50ml Three Barrels Honey
20ml Fresh lemon juice
5ml sugar syrup
Top with soda
Garnish: Lemon slice
THREE BARRELS HONEY FIZZ
Glass: Chilled flute
Method: Pour in order listed and stir
Ingredients:
25ml Three Barrels Honey
Top with Champagne or dry sparkling wine (Cava or Prosecco)
Garnish: Lemon oils sprayed and discard zest
What will be your tipple?
In the first of two articles author and Frost contributor Jane Cable explores the possibilities of a weekend in Bath
, sainsburys.co.uk and tesco.com
