If you’re hosting Christmas guests, then a well-stocked ready to go home bar is a must have. You’ll probably have a lot of these in anyway, but this guide just helps fill any gaps in your inventory so that everything festive drink is catered for.
Of course, Christmas is the perfect time to put a home bar to good use, but they’re a great feature to have all year round. Whether it’s going the whole hog, and carving a small, bespoke area for it, or just expanding on the drinks cupboard, take a look at our guide on creating the perfect home bar here. Before you do that though, let’s dive into the Christmas drinks essentials! We have tonnes of recommendations for specific bottles across the website, and we’ll link to some throughout, so you know where to go.
Christmas Spirits
The star of the cocktail, spirits are obviously essential, but wide-ranging and expensive too. If you’re planning on making some festive cocktails, then vodka is the most popular cocktail spirit, so it has to be included (these our are favourite wallet-friendly vodkas). However, this is where you will need to cater to your guests. If you know what they like, then we’d recommend buying a premium bottle of this, or multiple, and only getting a budget option for a less popular spirit.
Gin’s resurgence continues, and it’s probably the most popular British spirit in the 2020s so far, so a bottle or two would be wise – perhaps a London Dry and a flavoured gin (we have some recommendations here). We also think gin bottles are the most beautiful available, so they spruce up the home bar nicely.
A Whisky is a must, not just for cocktails and simple serves, but for cosy winter warmers like Hot Toddies and Irish Coffees in the evening. A good Scotch should suffice unless you’ve got serious dram drainers round, in which case branch out with a Bourbon and Irish Whiskey too.
Of course, Rum is another big one that people will likely want to sip on, and in an ideal world you’d be stocked up with a light and a dark, but if you aren’t sure what guests will want, go dark – it’s used in more wintery recipes, and works great in the Christmas punch.
Christmas Syrups
If you’re into cocktail making, syrups are a mixology essential and can transform drinks. Christmas syrups are also a fantastic way of making drinks feel festive and special, rather than just the same drink as any other day of the year. They’re surprisingly easy to make yourself, as we have shown here! A simple syrup is always good to have available (and it can rescue an underwhelming drink), but being able to easily elevate serves with cinnamon, winter spice, cranberry, ginger etc. will be a guaranteed hit
Christmas Liqueurs
The first name here has to Baileys. Served simply with ice, or in a Baileys Hot Choc, its quintessential Christmas drinking, and someone will want one at some point. If you want to give Baileys some competition this year, then believe it or not, there are similar cream liqueurs that a lot of people actually prefer. Take a look!
Elsewhere, coffee liqueurs like Kahlua are handy for lots of cocktails and have a rich, Christmassy profile and Amaretto has the indulgent, nutty sweetness that suits the season.
You can liqueurs for pretty much anything, from classic flavours to eyebrow raisers. The Giffard range is expansive and they stock pretty much every kind of liqueur you can think of to a high level, so browse their collection and see if something takes your fancy.
Christmas Wines
Wines depend hugely on the people you’re anticipating to host. If they’re into wines, then it’s easy to get carried away with all sorts of bottles, for solo sipping or different foods. Alongside spirits and mixers, sparkling wine is the most bought drinks product for the festive season, so you have to have this in your home bar without a question. Prosecco is the most bought, but Cava and Crémant are other fantastic value alternatives for bubbly cocktails and nostalgic classics like Bucks Fizz. They also wash down food nicely. Of course, Champagne is an option if you want to spend a little more.
For Reds, if you want to play it safe, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are universally popular across the world, but Malbec and Shiraz take the top two spots in the UK, so a couple of different varieties should cover your needs.
With Whites, you really can’t go too wrong with crisp whites like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio – the UK’s favourites.
As we say, if you’ve got some oenophiles round, then you probably want to try something more niche, or buy in a greater range of wines, and if cheese and wine pairings are expected, then things get a tad more complicated but we’ve got a guide on dream cheese and wine marriages here.
Christmas Glassware
Proper glassware is what takes your home bar to that next level, contributing towards an authentic bar experience. But don’t get us wrong, it’s not the be all and end all, and there’s no need to empty your wallets for all the different glass variations. You’ll likely be stocked up with many of these already, so it’s probably just a case of filling in some of the gaps.
A few wine glasses will of course be needed, ideally with smaller glasses for whites and larger for reds. Get some flutes for sparkling wine serves like Bucks Fizz, some rocks glasses for spirit-forward serves, and particularly if you’re getting the cocktail shaker out, some tall/Collins glasses for more elaborate serves. Let’s not forget a pint glass for the beer and cider drinkers too.
Christmas Mixers
They’re the most popular mixers for a reason, so getting some Coca-Cola and lemonade in is first priority. Beyond that, some delightful tonics for G&Ts, cocktails or diluting neat spirits. Ginger beer is also in keeping with the warmth and spice of the season, and a popular mixer for a variety of highball serves. Lastly, if you’re planning on making cocktails, then fruit juices are a must. If you don’t want to make your own, then apple, orange and cranberry are the most useful to have stocked.
Christmas Garnishes
Garnishes are another undervalued step in creating an authentic bar experience and give drinks that special little something that they deserve to have over Christmas. Fresh lemon and limes are the most obvious essential, bringing zingy citrus and refreshment to so many serves. Oranges and cherries are other popular garnishes in the fruit department.
Ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks will both be useful, the former for the rim of the glass and sprinkling on cream, and the latter for infusing with hot drinks. You can go as far as you like with garnishes really, because whilst the cocktail umbrellas might be a little out of season, you’ll find herbs like rosemary and thyme cropping up in recipes, as well as edible flowers, chocolate dustings, nutmeg, and all sorts.
A home bar is all about making it work for you, stamping your personality on it with preferred drinks and design, but the above is a guide to the essentials that will keep everybody pleased (or most people, at least – we can’t guarantee the satisfaction of all relatives). For more ideas, pay a visit to our in-depth guide, and browse our website for up to date recommendations on all kinds of drinks.