A very boozy Christmas: Mulled wine, festive cocktails and whiskies to put the cheer in your holiday party this 2021

The best way to get into the festive spirit is undoubtedly spirits of the boozy sort. After all, the holiday season is best toasted with all sorts of fun tipples — mulled wine and Christmas cocktails, bubbles and whisky. Whether you’re bringing a bottle for a Christmas party, toasting the new year, or just stocking up for home indulgence, here’s your guide to enjoying a very boozy year-end in Singapore this 2021.

Mulled Wine Kit from ATLAS

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After all that festive feasting, there’s nothing like winding down with a warm mug of mulled wine. Pull together your own comforting brew at home with ATLAS’ Mulled Wine Kit ($50), featuring a bottle of plummy, full-bodied Calabria Bulletin Place Merlot 2019. Throw in a spice blend of Christmassy classics like cinnamon and nutmeg, add housemade vanilla cognac syrup, simmer, and serve. Yum.

Order Atlas’ Mulled Wine Kit online here.

Bubbly deals at Bottles & Bottles

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Get the party popping with bubbly from Bottles & Bottles. You’ll find a sprawling range of fine champagnes on offer at this wine and spirits retailer at prices for every budget. Love your boutique bubbles? The Épernay-based, family run house Champagne Lombard has an enjoyable Brut Nature Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs ($72, usually $91) and an excellent Brut Nature Grand Cru Millésime 2008 ($133, usually $170).

You’ll also find recognisable premium brands like Cattier, Dom Pérignon, Louis Roederer, and Billecart-Salmon. Stock up for Christmas and New Year’s Eve bashes; we love that they’ve included handy food pairings for each bottle too.

Shop Bottles & Bottles’ champagnes on offer online here.

Christmas cocktails from Compendium Spirits x Section D

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Shake up a dose of festive spirit with a DIY cocktail kit from homegrown distillery Compendium Spirits and private home bar Section D. The Christmas Cocktail Box ($108) packs everything you need to whip up two tipples, complete with bartending tools to impress your guests.

Pining for Snow swirls up a white Christmas in a glass with its sweet, creamy mix of Ondeh Ondeh Soju, Melaka Arrack, apricot tea mead, and full cream milk. Meanwhile, Santa’s Fireplace puts the spice in everything nice with Fireball Mead fermented with maple syrup, spiced rum, and popcorn tea. Each cocktail serves up to three portions.

Order the Compendium Spirits x Section D Christmas Cocktail Box online here.

Cocktail classics from Jigger & Pony

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If you’re planning to round out your party fuel with cocktail classics, Jigger & Pony — they recently defended their ninth position on World’s 50 Best Bars — has got you covered. Their bottled cocktail brand PONY delivers timeless tipples like the bourbon-based Old Fashioned (from $33 for 200ml), the Negroni (from $32 for 200ml) lifted with orange flower water, and the Manhattan (from $33 for 200ml).

We’ve got a soft spot for their Chocolate Boulevardier (from $34 for 200ml) too. Laced with chocolate bitters and cocoa nibs, this bittersweet, warming brew is perfect for liquid dessert.

Shop PONY cocktails online here.

Drinks by the Dram from EC Proof

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Forget the twelve days of Christmas — a taste of twelve tipples is more like it. EC Proof’s Drinks by the Dram is a series of tasting sets that’ll jazz up any party of boozehounds. Gather your fellow malt lovers and travel round the world with the Whisky Collection 2021 ($128), featuring a dozen 30ml whiskies in a range of styles.

The 12 Dram Premium Rum Collection ($110) runs the gamut from white rum to barrel-aged numbers, including suitably festive sippers like Don Q Oak Barrel Spiced Rum.

For juniper junkies, the 12 Dram Premium Gin Collection (S$95) includes fun expressions from craft trailblazers like Kyrö Distillery, Four Pillars, and Ableforth’s.

Shop EC Proof’s Drinks by the Dram online here.

Festive whiskies from The Single Cask

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To ring in the season, whisky haven The Single Cask has just unveiled a pair of Christmas releases for all Scotch-loving folks. Bottled by The Single Cask, these single malts have all the sugar and spice of Christmas fruitcake in a bottle.

The TSC Dailuaine 2008 13YO ($210) comes finished in a first-fill rum cask, with a cinnamon and caramel backbone heightened by hints of citrus. One for the peat lovers, the TSC Ledaig 2010 10YO ($378) is finished in a Guyana rum barrel and comes laced with whiffs of sea salt. Or hey, splurge for the season and snag both for $548.

Shop The Single Cask’s Christmas releases online here.

Gin martinis from Hendrick’s

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Just in time for festive tippling, Hendrick’s Gin has launched their first-ever bottled cocktail: the Hendrick’s Gin Martini ($88 per bottle). The first release from William Grant & Sons’ ready-to-pour Batch & Bottle range, this martini was crafted by Master Distiller Ms Lesley Gracie together with five renowned bars round the world — including Singapore’s very own Nutmeg & Clove.

Expect a refreshing serve laced with citrus and Hendrick’s distinctive floral notes. Limited bottles are available in Singapore, so thirstiest tipplers first!

Shop Hendrick’s Gin Martini at Nutmeg & Clove.

Vino bundles from Drunken Farmer

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Put the funk in your festivities with natural wines from Drunken Farmer. This vino purveyor is all about organic, biodynamic, and minimal-intervention wines, and you can count on finding vibrant flavours in every bottle. Their pocket-friendly 5 Bites/5 Wines bundles feature whites, reds, and bubbles for pairing with any feast.

The September bundle ($272), for one, stars a juicy pét-nat from Domaine Jousset to kick off your party, a redcurrant-forward Pinot Noir from Domaine Bonnardot, and a peachy-sweet moscatel from Christophe Beau’s Terroirs Bogus.

Shop Drunken Farmer’s wine bundles online here.

A 'Beery Christmas' from Thirsty

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Getting our holiday spirit hopping is Thirsty Beer Shop, with their absolutely sprawling range of over 500 craft brews. With beers categorised by style as well as flavour — fruity and juicy, dark and roasty, and everything in between — it’s easy to pick out the right pairings for your festive feasting.

Otherwise, let yourself be surprised with their 'Beery Christmas' Gift Box ($59) of eight mystery craft beers. The pack of eight spans different styles for every taste, from a hazy IPA to a hazelnut porter.

Shop Thirsty’s beer collections online here.

READ ALSO: The world’s 50 best bars 2021: Connaught Bar takes top spot, Jigger & Pony is Singapore’s best bar

This article was first published in City Nomads.