15 Of The Best Craft Spirits To Try This Christmas

The Christmas season demands an upgrade. While we certainly respect the classics—the single malt that’s been waiting patiently for a year, the venerable gin that anchors the perfect Negroni—the relentless pursuit of quality and character means we’re always looking for something new, something unexpected, and something undeniably cool to anchor those festive moments. Forget the generic crowd-pleasers; this year, we’re digging deep into the world of craft spirits, seeking out bottles with provenance, personality, and a story worth telling around the fire.

From small-batch rums that will transport you straight to the Caribbean to gins that redefine the botanical landscape, the modern craft scene is delivering liquid masterpieces that deserve a spot on your holiday drinks trolley. We’ve curated a list of fifteen exceptional bottles that promise to elevate your cocktails, warm you from the inside out, and make this Christmas one to remember. Prepare your ice cube trays; here are the spirits you need to be pouring this December.

1. Sly Dog Rum

Starting strong, we’re moving away from the spiced rum homogeneity and introducing something with genuine bite and character. Sly Dog Rum takes a vibrant, punchy base and infuses it with real Caribbean spices, but manages to maintain a brilliant balance that avoids cloying sweetness. Perfect for the discerning rum drinker, this is an incredibly versatile bottle that stands up beautifully in a rum old fashioned or simply over ice. It’s the kind of complex, high-quality spirit that reminds you why rum deserves its place among the most revered categories in the liquor cabinet, offering a deep warmth that is absolutely mandatory when the weather outside is frightful.

2. Renais Gin

For those who think they know gin, prepare for a beautiful contradiction. Renais Gin is an innovative spirit crafted with grapes, including those sourced from the prestigious Burgundy region, giving it a subtle, fruity backbone far beyond the usual juniper bomb. The result is an incredibly smooth, luxurious, and aromatic gin that elevates a simple G&T into an event. The brand emphasizes sustainability and quality, creating a product that feels both utterly contemporary and deeply rooted in its agricultural heritage. It’s the perfect, sophisticated pour for those festive gatherings when only the most elegant martini will do.

3. Hampden Rum

If you appreciate a spirit with history, pedigree, and zero apologies, Hampden Rum is your anchor. Hailing from the Trelawny Parish in Jamaica, this rum is renowned for its signature high-ester, intensely funky, and powerfully flavorful profile. This isn’t mass-market mixing rum; this is pure, complex, artisanal joy, often aged for years in tropical conditions to develop deep notes of overripe fruit, spice, and earth. It’s a spectacular sipping rum that serves as an education in the traditional Jamaican style, demanding respect and rewarding the drinker with an unmatched depth of flavour that makes it perfect for reflective, post-Christmas dinner contemplation.

4. White Peak Wire Works Whisky

Moving into the world of grain, White Peak is a name that represents the vibrant future of English whisky. Distilled in the heart of the Peak District, the Wire Works range has quickly gained a reputation for crafting expressive, accessible whiskies that retain a distinct sense of place. Expect bold, layered flavours that defy their relative youth, often showcasing notes of orchard fruit, light spice, and a gentle wood influence. It’s a fantastic choice for those looking to expand their whisky horizons beyond the traditional Scottish or American choices, offering a unique regional character that shines both neat and in a robust winter warmer cocktail.

5. Portobello Road Gin

A true London dry classic, Portobello Road Gin stands out not by reinventing the wheel, but by perfecting it. Crafted on Portobello Road itself, this gin strikes a flawless balance between traditional juniper structure and carefully curated botanicals. It’s crisp, clean, and possesses an undeniable backbone that makes it a dream for cocktail enthusiasts. This is the ultimate versatile spirit that deserves a spot on your shelf; it will handle a simple highball, underpin a perfect Gimlet, and provide the dry anchor needed for a complex festive punch, proving that sometimes, heritage and quality speak loudest.

6. Arbikie Highland Rye Single Grain Scotch

Rye whisky has long been the domain of the Americans, but Scotland’s Arbikie distillery is planting a flag in the ground with their Highland Rye. This is a game-changer: a rye whisky distilled using locally grown ingredients on their family farm in Scotland. The resulting liquid offers the signature spicy, peppery kick of rye, beautifully tempered by a Scotch smoothness and a unique terroir. It’s a sophisticated, boundary-pushing dram that makes an incredible, complex Manhattan—a welcome antidote to the usual festive sugar rush.

7. Black Cow Pure Milk Vodka

Don’t let the name confuse you; this is a serious spirit with a truly unique origin. Black Cow Vodka is distilled entirely from the milk of grass-grazed cows, transforming what would otherwise be a waste product from cheesemaking into an ultra-smooth, creamy, and exceptionally clean vodka. The result is one of the silkiest vodkas you will ever encounter, making it superb for sipping chilled or for crafting the smoothest, most luxurious Espresso Martini imaginable. It’s an example of brilliant British innovation proving that provenance and sustainability can lead to world-class flavour.

8. Pulteney Stroma Whisky Liqueur

While sometimes overlooked, a good liqueur can be the key to festive cocktail excellence. Pulteney Stroma takes Old Pulteney single malt whisky and marries it with a blend of secret ingredients to create a rich, warming, and slightly spicy spirit. It delivers deep notes of dried fruit, molasses, and maritime spice, making it phenomenal neat as a digestif after a heavy meal, or drizzled over ice cream. It’s the perfect bottle to bring out when the fire is roaring and the conversation is winding down, offering a sweet, smoky kiss of the Scottish coast.

9. Boatyard Double Gin

Hailing from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, Boatyard Double Gin is a meticulously crafted spirit that epitomizes the small-batch movement. They use a proprietary method involving a double distillation process that captures an incredible depth of flavour, showcasing bright juniper, lemon peel, and a surprising, almost nutty finish derived from a locally sourced botanical. This is a gin built for sipping and savoring, offering a level of complexity that demands attention. A simple measure over a large block of ice allows its superior craftsmanship to shine through.

10. Nc’nean Organic Single Malt Whisky

If you are seeking a sustainable, vibrant, and incredibly smooth single malt, look no further than Nc’nean. This young Scottish distillery has built its reputation on ethical production (they are certified organic) and a smooth, elegant spirit profile. Their whisky is often light, fruity, and approachable, with bright notes of citrus, honey, and spice. It is a fantastic entry point into Scotch for the modern drinker, offering complexity without the traditional heavy peat or excessive smoke. It’s clean, contemporary, and a beautiful addition to any modern bar.

11. Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’

Inspired by the coastal heritage of South Devon, Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’ is a crisp, juniper-forward gin with a pronounced, clean citrus core. Its maritime credentials aren’t just for show; the gin features specific botanicals that give it a refreshing, almost salty hint of the sea breeze. It’s a wonderfully balanced spirit that shines brightly in a classic martini or G&T, delivering a sense of sun-drenched sophistication even if the weather outside is miserable. It’s a true taste of the British coast, bottled.

12. Hepple Gin

From the rugged landscape of Northumberland comes Hepple Gin, a spirit celebrated by cocktail bartenders for its intense, complex flavour profile. They employ a unique three-stage distillation process—including a vacuum distillation and a CO2 extraction—to capture the full essence of their juniper and other botanicals. The resulting gin is herbaceous, powerful, and retains an incredible textural mouthfeel. This is not a spirit to be shy with; it’s robust enough to cut through strong flavours, making it exceptional in a complex cocktail like a White Lady or a Southside.

13. Bán Poitín

For a taste of Irish heritage that predates modern whiskey, reach for Bán Poitín. This spirit, which was banned in Ireland for centuries, is essentially an unaged spirit often made from grain, potatoes, or sugar beet. Bán’s expression is incredibly pure and robust, possessing a clear, slightly sweet, and peppery flavour profile that is surprisingly versatile. Use it as a powerful substitute for vodka or white rum in cocktails, or sip it neat for a taste of history. It’s a challenging, rewarding, and undeniably cool addition to the holiday lineup.

14. East London Liquor Company Rye Whisky

Bringing the spirit of American distilling to the UK capital, East London Liquor Company (ELLC) crafts a superb English Rye Whisky. Using a high rye content, this expression delivers the expected spice and vanilla notes, but with a unique smoothness often attributed to the UK climate. It’s a delicious, contemporary alternative to classic Kentucky rye, and perfect for crafting sophisticated, spicy festive cocktails that demand a strong, characterful base.

15. Merlet Brothers Blend Cognac

While not technically a “new” invention, the use of quality Cognac in modern cocktails is experiencing a huge revival, and the Merlet Brothers Blend is an excellent choice. This small-batch Cognac, produced by a family with decades of history, is designed to be accessible, mixing beautifully while retaining the complex, fruity, and oak-forward characteristics of fine French brandy. It makes a magnificent sidecar or Sazerac, providing a final touch of continental elegance to your Christmas celebrations.