Festive gins to try this Christmas

Now December is upon us, it’s time to embrace the Christmassy twists on elements of our everyday lives: heartwarming TV adverts, festive snacks, Christmas jumpers, and, of course, seasonal winter gins! From traditional flavours to contemporary twists, we’ve rounded up some of this year’s winter gin offerings – which will you be putting on your Christmas list?

Junimperium – Winter Edition

This offering from Estonian distillery Junimperium is designed to evoke the sensations of a Northern European Christmas market, with botanicals including bitter orange, cardamom, vanilla, cassia bark and native lingonberries.

Tarquin’s – Figgy Pudding Gin

Using Tarquin’s Cornish Dry Gin as a base, this dessert-inspired gin features dried fig, fresh clementine zest, festive spices and brandy-soaked cherry wood chips. One of the distillery’s recommended serves is a sticky, festive Figroni.

York Gin – Chocolate Orange Gin

Inspired by the Terry’s Chocolate Orange (which used to be made in York), this festive spirit is distilled with fresh oranges and cocoa nibs sourced from a Yorkshire chocolatier for a smooth yet zesty sip. Try it in an Espresso Martini!

Limehouse – Apple and Cinnamon Gin

From the makers of Greenall’s comes the Limehouse Apple and Cinnamon Gin – conjuring up images of boozy winter punches and warming puddings. The producer suggests serving this with ginger ale or in a warming hot toddy.

Warner’s – Christmas Cake Gin

Taking its inspiration from the family’s homemade Christmas cake, this syrupy gin is distilled with dark chocolate, ginger, juniper and festive spices and blended with cherry juice, Warner’s sloe gin macerate and treacle. Try it with Coca Cola – the distillery’s recommended serve!

That Boutique-y Gin Company – Yuletide Gin

Described as an effort to ‘distil Christmas’, this gin features such festive ingredients as cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, clementine, ginger, clove-studded oranges (or pomanders) and Christmas tree needles (from balsam and Douglas fir).

Martin Miller’s – Winterful Gin

This second seasonal release from Martin Miller’s is inspired by ingredients commonly used in mulled wine recipes in its home countries of England and Iceland (where it is known as jóla glögg) and features botanicals including cinnamon and mandarin orange peel.

Pickering’s Gin – Gingerbread Gin and Brussel Sprout Gin

Scottish producer Pickering’s Gin has taken two classic festive flavours to create a pair of vastly different but equally intriguing Christmas spirits: the herbaceous and tangy Brussel Sprout Gin, and the sweetly spicy Gingerbread Gin.

Edinburgh Gin – Christmas Gin

This festive offering from Edinburgh Gin uses two more unusual festive botanicals: frankincense and myrrh. Expect notes of orange and cooking spice which would make this gin a cracking choice for a Christmas G&T.

Snow Globe Gin

Looking for festive flavour and visual pizzaz? Try a Snow Globe Gin! Harvey Nichols has an orange and gingerbread gin liqueur in a snow globe bottle with edible gold leaf (pictured), while Marks and Spencer has rhubarb and clementine gin liqueurs in snow globe bottles.

Generation Eleven – Barrel Rested Gin

While this is not a festive flavoured gin per se, the resting process using Sauternes casks lends a lovely dried fruit and vanilla character to G11’s Sussex Dry Gin, and it’s also great for pairing with cheese – a lighter alternative to the more traditional port with your Christmas cheese board!

Looking for more gin inspiration? See our pick of some of 2020’s best new releases here.