The Sunday Times Magazine - UK (2021-12-19)

The Sunday Times Magazine • 43

Will Lyons

T

he Christmas countdown is

upon us, and while many of

you will have already pored over

our festive wine guide to help with

the big shop, there are always a few

last-minute bottles to snap up. As

home entertaining gathers pace,

you’ll need your very own drinks

Complete your drinks cabinet

with these winter wonders

Taste the
Difference Irish
Cream Liqueur
Sainsbury’s, £8
There’s always at
least one occasion
that calls for a
creamy liqueur over
Christmas, whether
in a glass or splashed
liberally over ice
cream. This version
from Sainsbury’s
delivers plenty
for the price — an
indulgent treat using
triple-distilled
Irish whiskey.

cabinet complete with cocktails,

predinner drinks and digestifs.

Every fridge should have a decent

bottle of dry, tangy sherry on the

go for when friends pop round,

or if you need a restorative glass

while toiling in the kitchen. Tesco’s

Finest Fino Sherry (£6, 37.5cl) is

a beautifully nutty bargain; or, for

something sweeter, a half-bottle of

pedro ximenez such as the 12-year-

old Don Zolio (the Wine Society,

£8.50) is full of figgy richness.

Winter revivers are always

welcome and I like to keep a bottle

of sloe gin on the sideboard to

enjoy when the cold sets in. If you

can’t make your own, Sipsmith’s

NV Cayetano del

Pino Palo Very Old

Cortado Sherry

Waitrose, £14.99

(37.5cl)

A good dry sherry

is essential for any

seasonal drinks

cabinet. Derived

from 100 per cent

palomino grapes,

this cortado has

spent several

years ageing in

wood, imparting

layers of savoury,

walnutty flavour.

A splendid aperitif.

Graham’s 10-Year-

Old Tawny Port

Tesco, £20

Is there any more

versatile and

economical

Christmas drink

than tawny port?

It can be served

chilled as an aperitif,

to accompany the

cheeseboard or

even with dessert.

Aged in oak for ten

years, this copper-

hued example is

rich, luscious and

figgy on the finish.

Plymouth Gin

Morrisons, £20

Produced at the old

Black Friars distillery

in Plymouth, this

grand gin is enjoying

a new lease of life

under the ownership

of Pernod Ricard.

I love its full-bodied,

slightly sweet notes

of juniper — an ideal

pick-me-up for

fatigued festive

palates. Perfect

with Angostura

Bitters in a classic

pink gin and tonic.

The King’s Ginger

Waitrose,

£19.50 (50cl)

The King’s Ginger

was created in 1903

at the suggestion of

the royal physician

for Edward VII to

help ward off winter

chills, and it’s one of

the most reviving

liqueurs I know. Its

ginger tang combines

with uplifting citrus

to stimulate the

senses — a lovely

way to spice up

hot chocolate.

Glenfarclas

10-Year-Old Single

Malt Whisky

Majestic, £30

The Glenfarclas

distillery, just a short

walk from the River

Spey, produces a

creamy, mouth-

soothing whisky

that’s spot on for

Christmas. The

ten-year-old has a

fruity, almost smoky

vanilla sweetness, so

pour yourself a quiet

dram and nurse it

beside the tree.

dark, silky, complex example

(Ocado, £20.50) is ideal. Savour it

neat or, come evening, turn it into

a refreshing long drink with tonic.

For a slightly weightier option,

Lidl’s Ben Bracken Highland

Single Malt (£16.99) offers an

authentic, affordable taste of

Scotland’s finest export. Rum is

increasingly popular too, providing

a sweeter, gentler alternative,

and Mount Gay’s tea-coloured

Black Barrel (Waitrose, £33) is

wonderfully creamy and rich. Here

are six favourites to complete your

cabinet. Merry Christmas! n

Twitter: @Will_Lyons

Instagram: @mrwill_lyons

Drink