READY to indulge in some Christmas spirit?
It’s never been easier, with the supermarkets full of festive-themed gins and liqueurs.
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From classic dry flavours to snow globe liqueurs complete with edible gold flakes, there is sure to be a seasonal sip for every palate.
We asked drinks expert Helena Nicklin, of thethreedrinkers.com, to taste and rate a range of gins that can all be drunk slowly over ice or mixed into cocktails.
Here she gives her verdict on the best, with marks out of five.
M&S spiced sugar plum gin liqueur, 70cl, £10
A STUNNING-looking Christmas bottle, this sugar plum gin liqueur twinkles with a seasonal blue and silver theme.
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The booze itself lacks freshness, though, with its sweet, blueberry flavours.
And it has hints of something that’s not quite a mince pie.
This needs some more intense flavours to balance the sugar but, that said, it’s nice enough sipped over ice.
Rating: 3/5.
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The Infusionist gold flake clementine gin liqueur, 70cl, £9.99, Aldi
WITH strong, ripe, zesty flavours, this Christmas-themed gin liqueur from Aldi sparkles with glitter and has a light-up bottle – so it’s twice the fun.
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Absolutely delicious when poured neat over ice and its taste will not get lost in a Crimbo cocktail either.
While it’s simple, it is effortlessly drinkable.
A guilty pleasure tipple.
Rating: 5/5.
Mandarin gin liqueur with gold flakes, 70cl, £12, Sainsbury’s
THE mandarin flavour is authentic and delicious.
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But the label says it contains tastes of ginger, cinnamon and cardamom, which are quite hard to pick out.
Simple to sip and it would mix well.
Amplify the taste with a similarly flavoured citrus mixer or stick in some fresh ginger and you’ll be all set for festive parties.
Rating: 3/5.
Whitley Neill festive edition, mince pie gin, 70cl, £17.99, B&M
WHITLEY Neill makes bona fide, brilliant gin and this festive bottle does not disappoint.
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While on the pricier side, it’s proper booze that’s very easy on the juniper and gives mega mince pie vibes with notes of baked apple, boozy sultanas and candied orange peel.
Great for non-gin lovers too, with a terrific round texture.
Amazing with Indian tonic but you can also sip it alone.
Rating: 5/5.
Hortus light-up clementine winter gin liqueur, 70cl, £13.99, Lidl
SIMPLE and sweet with a surprisingly refreshing zestiness.
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Sipping this gin liqueur is like biting into a ripe clementine.
Not much else going on flavour-wise but it delivers what it promises and would be cracking in a Christmas cocktail as it could easily stand up to more complex ingredients.
The light-up, snow scene bottle is very cute too.
Rating: 5/5.
Hortus special release Christmas gin, 70cl, £15.99, Lidl
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LIDL’S own brand Hortus gives a drier, more classic gin-like tipple.
The special release seasonal offering has festive notes of warming cinnamon and Christmassy herbs and spices.
The booze is fairly aggressive though, so it would do well drunk with a tonic of your choice or mixed into a gin cocktail to smooth it out.
Rating: 2/5.
M&S clementine light-up gin liqueur, 70cl, £10
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THE original snow globe gin liqueur, it has a beautiful bottle flickering with pretty gold flakes.
It is super soft to sip and the clementine flavour is delicious, but it is lacking the intensity and freshness of some of its rivals.
Poured over ice, it loses some charm and it does get a little lost if sipped with a mixer.
A bottle would make a great pressie as it’s so pretty.
Rating: 4/5.
The Infusionist gold flake morello cherry liqueur, 50cl, £13.99, Aldi
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THIS gin liqueur is all about the glitter and light-up, novelty Christmas tree-shaped bottle – but sadly, not a lot else.
Unusually for Aldi, the cherry flavour is weak and it tastes very synthetic.
Not much going on at all on drinking and if you mix it, all the flavours disappear in a shower of shimmers.
A fun decorative bottle for the shelf though and it would make an entertaining secret Santa present.
Rating: 1/5.
