Alcohol Gift Guide

This festive season, Johnnie Walker has partnered with The Whisky Shop to deliver an exquisite personalised gift experience. Shoppers who purchase a selection of Johnnie Walker blends including an exquisite 70cl bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label at The Whisky Shop on Friday 14th and Saturday 22nd December, will be able to take away their very own complimentary bespoke ode, created and written in store. Produced on a vintage typewriter, consumers will be encouraged to pick a theme, share key words or even thoughts and feelings that they would like to be included in or used as inspiration for the poem; the perfect personalised gift to give loved ones this Christmas. Poet activation: The Johnnie Walker Blue Label poet activation is available at The Whisky Shop, Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 8HP only. Dates / times: The poet activation will run on Friday, 14^th December 2018 between 14:00pm-17:00pm and on Saturday, 22^nd December between 12:00pm-15:00pm The Following Johnnie Walker products are included Johnnie Walker Blue Label 70cl – £150, Johnnie Walker Blue Label Glass Pack 70cl – £150, Johnnie Walker Ghost and Rare Port Ellen 70cl – £275 and Johnnie Walker Private Collection 2018 70cl – £650.

Citadelle Réserve Gin – £43

A unique and unusually aged French gin produced in very small quantities in the heart of Cognac. Hand-blended and matured in acacia, mulberry, cherry, chestnut and French oak wood barrels, Citadelle Réserve is then refined in an eight-foot tall, egg-shaped oak barrel of 2,45 meters high producing an elegant, softer gin that’s incredible in a classic gin martini.

Pierre Ferrand Cognac 10 Générations – £35

Made from unique Ugni Blanc grapes from Grand Champagne and aged in French oak, this cognac is a connoisseur’s dream with flavours of baked pear, honey, muscat grape, pineapple and cloves, and fruity spice cake and raisin aromas, it has a real pedigree and strikes a wonderful balance between delicacy and opulence. 10 Générations is a tribute to the Ferrand family who have built up the Cognac house since 1630.

Sekforde Drinks – £1.50/bottle

An innovative range of botanical mixers specifically designed to complement and enhance the flavours of premium spirits. With no additional indulgence needed over the festive period, Sekforde have created lengthening, flavour-forward drinks that are low in calories and sugar.

Sekforde for Gin & Vodka (without quinine) – raspberry, rose and sage botanicals
Sekforde for Whiskey – Sicilian orange, rosemary and gentian
Sekforde for Rum – lime, mint rose and cacao
Sekforde for Tequila & Mezcal – prickly pear, fig and chocolate bitters

Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva– £39

A fabulously decadent Venezuelan dark golden rum, distilled from molasses in a copper pot still before it’s aged for up to 12 years. One of the most awarded rums, it holds more than 20 medals to its name and is unbeatable on the rocks as well as in cocktails; described as ‘Tiramisu in a glass’ by Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell, it features flavours of cinnamon, dark chocolate, Christmas cake and toffee, making it the perfect sipping tot for winter nights.

Diplomático Single Vintage 2004 – £95

A deep and complex rum, it has spent 12 years aging in ex-bourbon and ex-single malt whisky casks, developing toasted, spicy notes, before being carefully blended and aged for a further year in sherry casks for the perfect finish. Slightly more dry and oaky than the previous releases, it shows an aromatic profile with notes of vanilla, coffee and chocolate.

With the seemingly relentless series of gin launches, which you’ll ever here me complain about, but there is a new vodka which should be on your Christmas list. KAVKA Vodka – a new, premium vodka from Poland that’s been created to taste ‘how vodka used to’ instead of being multi-filtered and flavourless. Made at a small distillery in western Poland, with over 200 years of production behind it, Kavka is a blend of rye and wheat vodka to which a touch of aged apple and plum spirits are added, inspired by 18th and 19th century vodka recipes. Named after the Polish word for ‘jackdaw’ (depicted on the bottle) or little coffee – during prohibition people were said to pop our for a ‘kavka’ or code word for an alcohol drink. Delicious in an icy Martini or simple spirit/mixer combo, Kavka retails at £34.99 from The Drinks Shop and Hedonism Wines.