12 drinks to get you in the Christmas spirit

Want a little Christmas spirit? From sparkling wines to cider, beer to gin, our wine columnist, Leslie Williams, has the perfect list to choose from.

Choosing drinks for Christmas can feel like a rather monumental challenge but in fact you should keep it fairly simple and go for the reliable and classic rather than being too adventurous. My recommendations below are a mix of classic and unusual.

On the first day of Christmas your true love should say to you “here’s a glass of fizz!” That’s my view anyway as no other drink says Christmas like decent sparkling wine. Champagne is of course my first choice but this year I’m suggesting Irish (well, almost Irish, given that it is made by a Limerick man). I also recommend an actual Irish fizz.