Guides and tasting notes

Suro Elderflower Liqueur with two Hugo Spritz glasses on a timber garden table at sunset, with NSW Christmas bush and festoon lights

The Hugo Spritz: How to Make It at Home, and Which Elderflower Liqueur to Use

How to make a Hugo Spritz at home in millilitres, with the Suro maison serve and four elderflower liqueurs side by side. It also covers a gin Hugo, an alcohol-free Hugo and the bottles to give a Hugo fan this Christmas.

Dos Maderas 5+5 rum with its gift tube and El Dorado 21 Year Old rum on a beach deck at sunset, with a wrapped present

Rum for Christmas: Gift Bottles for Every Rum Drinker

Single bottles of rum to give this Christmas, from Dos Maderas 5+5, which comes in a gift pack with glassware, to old Guyana and Panama rum. Each pick says who it suits, with 2005 and 2008 vintages for milestone birthdays.

Clase Azul Reposado and Gran Cofradia Reposado ceramic tequila bottles on a limestone bench in a summer courtyard with string lights

Tequila Gifts for Christmas: Clase Azul and the Hand-Painted Alternatives

Which tequila to give this Christmas, bottle by bottle: Clase Azul Reposado for the famous decanter, Gran Cofradía Reposado for a hand-painted bottle without the Clase Azul outlay, and picks for sippers, mixers and mezcal explorers.

Willett Family Estate Rye and Willett 12 Year bourbon on a walnut sideboard by candlelight with pecans and a wrapped gift

Bourbon Gifts for Christmas: Willett Family Bottles, Kentucky Classics and More

Single bourbon and rye bottles to give this Christmas, led by the Willett family labels from Bardstown, Kentucky. Each pick says who it suits, from the collector to the bourbon and cola drinker.

Distilleria Negroni Bitter and a tin of Luxardo Maraschino Cherries with a Negroni and a Manhattan on a marble bar at golden hour

Christmas Cocktails 2026: Ten Drinks for a Hot Australian Christmas, and the Bottles to Make Them

Ten Christmas and Boxing Day cocktails for an Australian summer, each made to the IBA or producer recipe in millilitres. Every one is linked to the bottle that makes it, with Luxardo cherries for the drinks that call for a cherry.

Christian Drouin Le Gin Carmina and Hartshorn Sheep Whey Gin with a strawberry gin and tonic on a garden table in summer

Gin Gifts for Christmas: Bottles for Every Gin Lover, From Pavlova Gin to Navy Strength

A bottle by bottle guide to gin gifts for Christmas, matching each gin to the person who will drink it. From a softer, sweeter pavlova gin to navy strength for the martini maker.

Nagano Meijo Kisekirei sake and Togouchi Premium Japanese whisky on a cedar table in a ski lodge with snowy mountains outside

Sake Gifts and Japanese Bottles: For the Japan Lover, and the Skier Back From Hakuba

Single bottles for the person who loves Japan: Nagano sake explained in plain words, plus Japanese whisky and gin. Each pick says who it suits, from the wine drinker to the skier back from Hakuba.

Togouchi 15 Year Japanese whisky and Sakurao Sauternes Cask Finish single malt with their gift boxes and a glass of whisky

Whisky for Christmas: Which Bottle to Give, From Islay Smoke to Sherry Casks

Single bottles to give a whisky drinker this Christmas, chosen by the kind of whisky they already enjoy: smoky, sherried, Japanese or Australian. A separate section covers 2008 bottles as an 18th birthday gift, not a Christmas one.