Christmas cocktails and wines to make your holiday merry!

At this time of year its always worth considering wines that will match your Christmas menu.

Created by the team behind LWC, the UK’s largest independent drinks wholesaler, they’re guaranteed to get the party started!

Santa’s Little Helper:

· 50ml Old J spiced rum

Try something a little bit different to pair with your turkey or ham.

· 25ml cloudy apple juice

· 15ml cinnamon syrup

· 20ml lime juice

Shake or build in a glass, then garnish with apple slice and a cinnamon stick. Best served long with ice.

Rudolph:

· 50ml Old J cherry rum

· 15ml Amaretto

· 25ml cloudy apple juice

· 10ml vanilla syrup

· 20ml lemon juice

Shake or build in a glass, then garnish with an orange twist and a cinnamon stick. Best served long with ice.

Gingerbread Man:

· 50ml Old J spiced rum

· 25ml cloudy apple juice

· 15ml cinnamon syrup

· 15ml PX sherry

· 20ml lime

· Small chunk of ginger the size of the end of your thumb

Crush the ginger in the shaker. Add all ingredients and shake with ice then double strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist and a gingerbread man.

Yuletide Negroni:

· 50ml Old J dark rum

· 25ml PX sherry

· 15ml Campari

· 5ml El Dorado 15-year-old rum

Stir down for one minute then strain into a chilled coupé and garnish with an orange twist.

White Christmas:

· 40ml Agnes Arber gin

· 10ml Monin vanilla liqueur

· 5ml Monin winter syrup

· Drop of bitters

Shake in a cocktail shaker then double strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with star anise.

Sometimes a cool, crisp glass of white wine or a warming red is the only drink that will do, and LWC is urging restaurants and pubs to reconsider their wine list as the nights draw in.

Seasonal additions to the wine list can improve the customer experience and overall offering, so at this time of year it’s always worth considering wines that will match your Christmas menu.

Classic pairings such as the fantastic Alma de Chile Chardonnay Reserva from the Maule Valley offers an elegant, rich and oaky palate or the warming and fruit forward Waddling Duck Pinot Noir from Marlborough in New Zealand .

Alternatively, try something a little bit different to pair with your turkey or ham: Marqués del Atrio Blanco Rioja from the well-known region in Spain offers the same richness and acidity of a chardonnay, or Cramele Recas Pinot Noir from the increasingly popular vineyards of Romania has the crunchy red berry fruit you would expect from your cranberry sauce.

And what about dessert? Or cheese? Having a range of digestifs on offer is a great way to round off the meal (especially when printed on the dessert menu!). Dessert wine, Port, Pedro Ximénez sweet sherry and Madeira to name but a few are all associated with the festive season.

LWC delivers beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks to all licensed establishments from large corporate businesses to sole traders and event organisers. To find out more, visit their website.

Please drink responsibly #drinkaware