Picture the scene: the fire’s crackling, your feet are propped up in newly gifted socks, the remote’s in one hand, and, more importantly, a festive drink is in the other. For many, imbibing (responsibly) is as much a part of Christmas as the tree.

Everyone has their own tipple of choice, though Hot Press recommends a bottle (or two) of Moët & Chandon if you’re looking to celebrate in style. The world-famous Champagne isn’t just for ringing in the New Year: its bright, fresh profile, toasty touch, and notes of green apple and citrus have a real festive flavour, making for an ideal intro to the Christmas dinner, or a lift to the collective spirits on a cosy night in.

If spirits are your thing, around these parts, Hennessy V.S.O.P is always a good shout. And not just because of its celebrated hip hop credentials! Balanced and smooth, it blends layers of dried fruits, vanilla, spice, and a long finish. Enjoyable straight or over ice, it’s also a quality ingredient for winter cocktails, such as a Hennessy V.S.O.P Old Fashioned, a Sidecar, or even a deliciously refreshing Hennessy & grapefruit juice.

Speaking of mixing drinks, the Christmas break provides a very good opportunity to elevate your cocktail skills. There are few better guides on that theme than Isadora Petinari, a bartender at Nine Below, close to 3Arena in Dublin, who also just happens to be the recently crowned World Class Ireland Bartender of the Year 2025.

The word from Petinari is that warm drinks are very popular this time of year.

“We get lots of orders for hot drinks around Christmas,” she explains. “Mulled wine, hot chocolate cocktails and Irish coffee. We’ve noticed we’ve been doing a lot of Brandy Alexanders lately. It’s a classic over Christmas, mostly because of the weather in Ireland – it’s a warm comfort drink.”

When it comes to what bottles to keep around, darker spirits shine during winter.

“Whiskey or flavoured rum are usually better for mixing with warm drinks,” Petinari says. “White spirits don’t match as well, unless you get reposado tequila or something aged, which tends to work better with those Christmas flavours. I’m a bit of a sucker for tequila, so reposado or añejo tequila are fantastic if you don’t wanna use whiskey. For whiskey, if you’re gonna do something higher quality, I would get a 12-year old, but even a normal 3-year-old is fine.”

There’s nothing quite like a 12 year-old Jameson, or a 12 year-old Redbreast Single Pot Still.

“I also really like spiced rum,” Isadora adds, “which already has some of those [Christmas] flavours in its base, so we’re just enhancing some of the details.”

Of course, stocking the right spices and ingredients matters too.

“When it comes to spices that pair best with Christmas flavours I think about cloves, cardamom and cinnamon – everything that you see on desserts,” Petinari offers. “It’s nice to have some fresh spices. You can burn them, you can mix them during the shaking, you can shave them. There are many ways you can incorporate them to improvise something. It’s an idea to have at least one pre-made ingredient – something you can mix on the go – like a syrup that you incorporate with some of those spices.

“Definitely have some nuts so you can garnish. You can use them for a multitude of different things. It’s good to have a variety, because you can use them to enrich some cocktails.”

For beginner home mixologists, she recommends sticking to reliable and comforting classics.

“A Brandy Alexander is a great option,” Petinari says. “It’s only three or four ingredients and it’s super easy. You don’t need to pre-make anything – just mix everything, shake, put it in a glass and it’s perfect.”

I’m thinking Hennessy VSOP as the cognac of choice!

“Hot whiskey too. Again, the ingredients are easy to maintain at home: coffee, a bit of sugar syrup, which you can keep for a while in the fridge, and cream, which you can buy ready-made. If you’re hosting, a big bowl of mulled wine usually goes very well with the pies!”

Speaking of wine, the end of the year also offers a chance to reflect on 2025’s biggest drinks trends. Wine-based cocktails have had a moment.

“Wine is good because it’s something that you can share. We’re working on punches now, because you have a lot of families and groups going out for Christmas celebrations. Things to be shared are usually very popular. Wine is one of the oldest ingredients. A variety of different fortified wines can be used as a sweetener in a cocktail instead of sugar. We use Verdejo (a popular Spanish white wine – Sub-Ed) in different cocktails.

“Our New York Sour is a classic. It’s elegant, the float is really cool and the blend looks really cool as well.”

But while some trends rise, others have been reshaping the industry, with non-alcoholic cocktails coming more to the fore.

“Younger generations have been drinking less,” Petinari observes. “Which means that non-alcoholic options are an essential part of a menu nowadays for any respectable bar. And it’s not about having a bunch of juices thrown together, but high quality, well-thought out drinks. People are spending €8/10, so they should be getting the same experience as someone drinking alcohol.

“Definitely invest in two or three non-alcoholic drinks for the winter. You can use classic recipes. For mulled wine, use non-alcoholic wine for your base, and add grapefruit juice to enrich it. There are so many options. One of our favourite replacements is apple, because the acidity brings the same-ish experience of alcohol.”

A Glass Apart:

A selection of cocktail recipes to enjoy this Yuletide.

Hennessy V.S.O.P Sidecar

Ingredients:
50ml Hennessy V.S.O.P
20ml triple sec (or Cointreau)
20ml fresh lemon juice
Optional: sugar rim

Method:
Add all ingredients to a shaker
with ice.
Shake vigorously until well-chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe glass (with an optional sugar rim).
Garnish with a lemon twist or orange zest.

Hennessy V.S.O.P Old Fashioned

Ingredients:
50ml Hennessy V.S.O.P
10ml maple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Orange peel (for garnish)

Method:
Add the maple syrup and bitters to a mixing glass.
Pour in the Hennessy V.S.O.P and fill the glass with ice.
Stir until well-chilled and silky.
Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass.
Express the oils from an orange peel over the top and garnish.

Jameson, Ginger Ale & Lime

Ingredients:
30ml Jameson Original
90ml ginger ale
1 wedge lime

Method:
Fill a high ball glass with ice and pour in a shot of Jameson. Top up the glass with a good quality ginger ale and stir briefly to mix. Don’t overdo the mixing as this will dissipate the carbon dioxide that gives it its fizz.
Take a large wedge of lime, give it a squeeze and then drop it into your whiskey glass.
The ideal ratio is about three parts ginger ale to one part Jameson.
Sip to taste – it’s simple and positively delicious!

Non-alcoholic mulled wine (serves 4)

Ingredients:
750 ml non-alcoholic red wine.
230 ml grapefruit juice
115 ml apple or cranberry juice
1 sliced orange
4 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
4 cardamom pods
1–2 tbsp honey (or brown sugar)

Method:
Add ingredients (excluding honey/sugar) to a pot and warm gently over a low heat for 20-30 mins. Sweeten by adding honey / sugar to taste.
Switch off the heat and let steep for 15  mins before straining and serving.
Bonus tip: for a more intense flavor, lightly toast the spices in a dry pot for about 1 minute before adding the liquids.

The Christmas Special Issue of Hot Press is out now: