Four bottles to stack under the Christmas tree or pop for your holiday celebrations

With Christmas around the corner, annual leave beckoning and festive celebrations in full swing, we round up a list of some of the best bottles. Whether you’re looking for gift inspiration or a cocktail to impress at your next gathering, this selection of gin, brandy, whisky — and something especially festive — will do the trick.

SUGARPLUM CAPE HOLLY AND WILD PLUM CANDY CANE SPIRIT COOLER

The innovators who brought us the Christmas gin baubles and crackers from Sugarbird Gin thought it time to introduce something to the market that embodies the essence of a South African Christmas. The result is the Sugarplum Cape Holly and Wild Plum Candy Cane Spirit Cooler which is, quite simply, Christmas in a bottle: from the candy cane-inspired festive bottle to the pinkish red liquid inside.

The first sip is immediately sweet, followed by a refreshing tart taste and a pleasant musk-like finish. The recommended way to drink this spirit cooler is chilled, as shots (think Dezemba vibes), or as a Sugar Plum Fizz topped up with sparkling water which cuts through the sweetness of the drink.

If you’re looking to entertain, it makes the perfect base which effortlessly transforms into a Christmas punch or cocktail. For a bit of flair to add to your Christmas party or holiday celebrations, we recommend the Candy Cane Crush.

CANDY CANE CRUSH

Ingredients:

40ml Sugarplum Cape Holly and Wild Plum Candy Cane Spirit Cooler

20ml cranberry juice

To garnish:

Fresh sprig of mint or a candy cane

Method:

1. Fill a shaker with ice and combine the Candy Cane spirit cooler and cranberry juice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass.
2. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint or a jolly candy cane.

• Sugarplum Cape Holly and Wild Plum Candy Cane Spirit Cooler Candy is available through Takealot and online and in-store from Mother City Liquors, Deeliver and Makro for R249.95.

FLOWSTONE BUSHWILLOW GIN 

What we love most about Flowstone Gin is it’s made locally in the Cradle of Humankind, a location that inspires the botanicals used to infuse the gin as well as the name of the brand, “flowstone” referring to the rock formations in the World Heritage Site.

The inclusion of a seed pack in the box from which to grow your own wild African botanicals puts the cherry on top of an already lovely story and the long ribbon showcasing the various prizes the gin has won certainly impresses.

Of the three staples in the Flowstone cupboard, the Bushwillow is slightly nostalgic, prickling at memories of blowing these delicate pods into the air so they look like helicopters. The gin is earthy, woody and bold without being overpowering. Served with two parts tonic, it makes a G&T that even the most serious craft lovers will enjoy. If you’re looking for a cocktail to make from it, we recommend the Dirty Donga with a luxurious twist. It looks classy and perfectly complements the earthy undertones of this gin.

DIRTY DONGA

Ingredients:

Double tot Flowstone Bushwillow Gin

Dry vermouth

Salty brine from a jar of olives

To garnish:

2 olives

Truffle oil

Method:

1. In a glass filled with ice, combine the Flowstone Bushwillow Gin and a small splash each of dry vermouth and salty brine from a jar of olives. 
2. Stir vigorously until well chilled. 
3. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with two olives on a skewer.
4. Lightly spritz with truffle oil. 

• Flowstone Bushwillow Gin is available online, through Takealot and Makro for R464.80. 

MUSGRAVE VANILLA COPPER BRANDY

We’ve been a fan of Musgrave’s gins since they first came out and thought it only fair to pay a bit of attention to its brandies. This one is far removed from the rof and onbeskof nature often associated with brandy. Aged in a pot still for three years, the Musgrave Vanilla Copper has been infused with African vanilla.

There’s no need to tinker much with this one: it’s easily enjoyed served over ice with a splash of sparkling water and a slice of orange. But, if you’re looking to take this spirt to new heights, Musgrave has been experimenting was a classic: the Dom Pedro. Perfect for our sunny Christmas weather, we love the idea of adding seasonal mango to the mix for a fresh, chilly, yet elegant serve.

VANILLA COPPER MANGO CHAI DOM PEDRO

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

100ml coconut cream

2 chai tea bags

2.5ml ground cinnamon

150g frozen mango pieces

100ml Musgrave Vanilla Copper

500g vanilla ice cream

To garnish: 

Ground cinnamon

Method:

1. Heat the coconut cream, chai tea bags and cinnamon in a saucepan over a gentle heat.
2. Once the coconut cream starts to simmer, remove from the heat and allow it to infuse for 15-20 minutes. Strain and discard the tea bags.
3. Chill the coconut cream in the fridge and allow to cool completely.
4. Once chilled, place it in a blender with the mango, Musgrave Vanilla Copper and ice cream. Blend on high until smooth.
5. Pour into two glasses and top with a dusting of cinnamon powder.

• Musgrave Copper Vanilla is available online through Takealot and main retailers for R399.

GLENMORANGIE A TALE OF TOKYO LIMITED-EDITION WHISKY

With the inclusion of this whisky in our drinks round-up we’ve veered slightly from the locally produced track. But we’ve done so with good reason.

The latest limited edition from Glenmorangie is A Tale of Tokyo. Launched globally about two months ago, the premium single malt whisky has just reached South African shores and is bound to be a hit among whisky lovers and collectors.

Director of Whisky Creation at Glenmorangie, Bill Lumsden, has taken his travels around Tokyo as the inspiration for the fourth edition in the A Tale Of limited edition range. In conceptualising this whisky, Lumsden decided to experiment with rare Japanese Mizunara oak casks in combination with bourbon and sherry casks. This delicate balance between casks has taken the softer profile of a Glenmorangie 10-year-old and infused it with a bold flavour balanced with sweetness, peppery notes and flavours of mandarin, almond and marzipan.

We think this bottle is the perfect gift for the discerning whisky drinker in your life. And as a bit of fun, do yourself a favour and read up on the giraffe connection to Glenmorangie. It will make cheerful post-gift unwrapping Christmas chit-chat.

If you’d like to gift yourself a bottle and want to experiment after savouring the whisky neat, the Glenmorangie butterfly sour will do the trick in adding dramatic flair to your next party.

GLENMORANGIE BUTTERFLY SOUR

Fragrant, citrusy and herbaceous, this eye-catching serve deliciously captures the contrasts we love about Tokyo.

Ingredients:

40ml Glenmorangie A Tale of Tokyo

25ml Yuzu sake (light in Yuzu taste)

10ml Mirin syrup

Pasteurised egg white

20ml butterfly pea tea

Method:

1. Add ingredients (except the butterfly pea tea) to a cocktail shaker.
2. Add ice cubes and shake well before straining into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.
3. Pour in the butterfly pea tea and watch it gradually change from a deep blue/indigo to purple/pink colour as it settles in the drink.

• Glenmorangie A Tale of Tokyo is available in South Africa at Norman Goodfellows, Spar Tops, Makro, Checkers, Takealot, Whisky Emporium, Whisky Brothers and other leading retailers for the recommended retail price of R1,599.95.