The six spirits of Christmas

As much as we love it, there is – believe it or not – more to spirits than just gin, and that includes craft gin too. We round up some of the alternative spirits you should be reaching for this festive period

(Rex)

Ah, December! That month of schlepping from one work do to another, boozy set-menu lunches with colleagues, dinners with old friends, weekend parties and impromptu visits from neighbours and family. So many social occasions to navigate – and, potentially, a lot of the same old, same old going on in your glass.

The next few weeks are a marathon for your taste buds. Start too strong and you’ll have palate fatigue – and most likely the flu – by week two. So, whether you’re throwing a party from the comfort of your own home, or reluctantly organising one for the office, help is at hand. Here are six alternative spirits and aperitifs to revive and inspire, plus the perfect cocktail recipes to use them in.

And even if you decide to say: “Bah, humbug!” to all the festive get-togethers, no one should be a Grinch to themselves. These recipes are all single-serve, so why not make one or two, just for you?

Rutte Celery Gin, £34.55, Thewhiskyexchange.com

For the gin buff whose drinks cabinet is starting to resemble a rather large pharmacy, this is for you – a generations-old gin from small-batch distillery Rutte, based in Dordrecht. Founded in 1872 by Simon Rutte, it is the smallest distillery in the Netherlands. The recipes have been passed down through seven generations, the fathers each holding on to their passion until their last breath.

Still handmade in the same tiny back room behind the sweetshop-for-adults-style frontage, this celery gin is distilled with traditional juniper plus celery, coriander, angelica root, sweet orange peel and cardamom. But celery haters needn’t give this one the swerve – the celery flavour is so subtle that if it wasn’t mentioned on the label, I don’t believe many would be able to pick it out from the taste. This is light and well-rounded, with subtle herbaceous notes of mint, fresh coriander and parsley. Refreshing ripe citrus keeps everything clean and balanced.

Perfect cocktail: Celery Basil Smash – created by Jörg Meyer, owner of Le Lion Bar de Paris, Hamburg

2 parts Rutte Celery Gin
¾ part fresh lemon juice
⅔ part simple syrup
Handful of fresh basil (eight torn leaves)

Add all ingredients and shake vigorously, then double strain into a tumbler over ice. Garnish with a sprig of fresh basil.

Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, £29.95, Thewhiskyexchange.com

Dating back to the 15th century, Rosolio was once a fashionable Italian liqueur, the perfect toasting tipple among townsfolk and royalty alike. Popular up and down the country and made with locally sourced ingredients from each area, practically every Italian nonna would carry a recipe to her grave. The concept for Italicus, created by Giuseppe Gallo (previously the brand ambassador for Martini & Rossi) dates back to a royal recipe made in the 1800s for the King of Savoy and later fused into his family’s own rosolio-making tradition. Gallo’s floral and aromatic aperitif is primarily based on Calabrian bergamot peel with Roman chamomile, Sicilian cedro lemons, lavender, gentian, yellow rose and melissa balm. In keeping with tradition, the bergamot and cedro are cold pressed separately to extract the highest-grade essential oils, then blended with neutral grain spirit while the remaining botanicals are macerated for over a week before being added. No essences are used, making this product completely natural, somewhat expensive to create and most certainly a labour of love. The stylish azure glass bottle is eye-catching.

Perfect cocktail: Gallicus – created by Giuseppe Gallo

Floral, with a slightly bitter, spicy edge and with notes of ripe citrus, Italicus makes a great partner for prosecco, enhancing the flavours and keeping the sweetness and acidity levels refreshing.

50ml Italicus
50ml Prosecco DOC
Ice cubes
Three green olives to garnish

In a large wineglass, pour Italicus over ice. Top up with prosecco and stir. Garnish with three green olives.

Hands down the easiest cocktail on the list, this one’s your party tipple sorted. Serve in a coupette or as a long drink, depending on how generous you are feeling. Can also be topped with soda water for a less-boozy burst.

Nikka from the Barrel, £37.99, Waitrose.com

Founded by Masataka Taketsuru – the godfather of Japanese whisky – in 1934, this Japanese whisky is not only a marriage of styles and continents but is also one of love, inspired by Taketsuru’s wife Rita, a Scot. The couple wed in 1920 in Glasgow during his apprenticeship in whisky production.

Made from matured malt and grain whiskies blended together, the spirit is then re-casked to combine the two different styles. It’s similar in method and taste to Scotch, but with maturation taking place in the cooler mountainous climate of Hokkaido to impart gentler notes to an already big character. The result is both complex and refined. Copper gold in the glass, with notes of milk chocolate, cinnamon, leather, vanilla-infused oak, walnut, caramelised apple, chocolate-enrobed clementine, stewed apricot and prunes served with a dollop of cream (there really is this much and more). The finish is dry and rich, with a comforting warmth of peppery spice that stays tingling on your lips for a long while after. A love letter in a bottle, this is also a go-to cocktail mixer for top London bartenders.

Perfect cocktail: Shimbashi (a twist on the Brooklyn) – created by Amaury Guyot, head bartender at Dersou, Paris

45ml Nikka From the Barrel
20ml Fino sherry
15ml house bitters mix (Luxardo Amaro and Angostura bitters)

Place a martini glass in the freezer to chill for 10 to 15 minutes. Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into the chilled martini glass and add lemon zest to garnish.

Rutte Old Simon Genever, £28.45, Thewhiskyexchange.com

Apparently all gins were born from genever – a slightly off-clear spirit made from malt wine and a juniper-based distillate. A cross between whisky (with its velvety mouth-feel and malty, smoky nuttiness) and gin (for it’s herbal notes), this Old Simon has a lot to offer. Created by Simon Rutte himself, he was experimenting way back in 1872 by distilling malt wine with grain alcohol and adding 11 different botanicals including roasted walnuts, hazelnuts, angelica root, coriander, oris root, mace, celery, carob, liquorice and fresh fruit. Served neat, it will appeal to die-hard whisky fans and used in cocktails it adds depth and complexity.

Perfect cocktail: Old Martinez – created by Simon Difford

2 parts Rutte Old Simon Genever
1 part sweet vermouth
⅓ part dry vermouth
⅓ part orange liqueur
A dash of Angostura orange bitters
Orange peel

Combine all the ingredients, apart from the zest, and stir in a mixing glass until cold. Strain into a chilled coupette glass and garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Kamm & Sons, £26, Masterofmalt.com

A truly British aperitif, this bittersweet ginseng spirit is made in a similar way to gin and contains 45 natural botanicals including ginseng, fresh grapefruit peel, elderflower, juniper berries, fennel seeds, echinacea, hibiscus, goji berries and manuka honey. Essentially, everything you need for good health bottled. Kamm & Sons can be added to a plethora of different cocktails to increase the taste quota. For something short and strong, you can’t beat the Grosvenor cocktail, made by founder Alex Kammerling himself, using 50ml Kamm & Sons, 25ml Punt e Mes vermouth and 5ml Islay Whisky, served with ice and a twist of lemon peel. For group glugging or for something to warm the cockles after a long winter’s walk, the Hot Kammberry will have you ditching the mulled wine in no time.

Perfect cocktail: Hot Kammberry – created by Alex Kammerling

35ml Kamm & Sons
10ml bourbon whiskey
15ml maple syrup
150ml cranberry juice

Warm all the ingredients in a saucepan and strain into a heatproof glass. Garnish with lemon peel.

Cocchi Americano Bianco, £21.95, Thewhiskyexchange.com

This was created in 1891 by Giulio Cocchi, then a young pastry chef from Florence who upped sticks to discover the food and wine culture of Asti. His white wine vermouth uses a base of moscato wine, fortified and infused with gentian flowers and leaves, wormwood, cinchona (used to make quinine), citrus peel and elderflower. After 12 months ageing, the rich, fruity appeal (marmalade, peach and white cherry) and honeyed sweetness is balanced with spicy bitterness. Sometimes compared to Lillet Blanc but with more kick, this won’t be collecting dust on your shelf any time soon – although with its slick, Thirties-designed label, it certainly has that collector’s appeal.

Perfect cocktail: Dutch Negroni – created by Chi Ho Ta, bar manager at Dr in Rotterdam

30ml Rutte Old Simon
25ml Tempus Fugit Kina l’ero d’Or
25 ml Cocchi Americano

Stir and strain into a tumbler on an ice block. Garnish with grapefruit zest.

Nuria Stylianou is our WSET-qualified wine and spirits columnist. Email her on nuria.stylianou@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @nu_on_the_vine