Christmas drinks to stock up on now

While the cost-of-living crisis is undoubtedly a consideration for shoppers and retailers alike, Christmas is a time where consumers feel able to widen their budgets a little in celebration of the season – for the right product, of course. “The cost-of-living crisis has an impact on everything spirits related. But, the festive period is the one time we see people extend those budgets and reach for higher price points. That trend isn’t expected to change for Christmas 2025,” says Chris Pollard, global sales director at Mangrove. “People will still go out to celebrate, indulge at their Christmas parties, and shop nice gifts for their loved ones. It’s all about winning that custom by delivering the right range and service – and data shows that premiumisation still has a hold when it comes to spirits. So don’t be afraid to opt-up when selecting your range!”

Of course, a festive party wouldn’t be the same without a glass (or more) of fizz, says Lauren Denyer, educator at WSET School London. “Champagne will never go out of fashion and the more patriotic premium fizz lovers may well be reaching for English Sparkling Wine as it is appearing more frequently on supermarket shelves. However for a more wallet friendly alternative, Crémants from the French regions of Alsace, the Loire, Burgundy and Limoux provide great fizz and are delicious and made in the same way as Champagne.”

Warm customers’ cockles

When it comes to trending tastes, most can predict what will sell well – flavours that bring warmth, comfort and joy are expected to outsell more refreshing options – but it pays to keep a keen focus on quality and story, says Chris. “We’re expecting spice to be a fan favourite this Christmas, but in the depths of winter we’ll be embracing those deeper, nuttier varieties – like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. We all still seek indulgence in the cooler months, so sweet drinks with dessert type flavours will also likely be prominent.

“In terms of wider trends, we’re expecting to see a focus on quality of ingredients and provenance of origin continue; people are more mindful with their drinking nowadays and want to know they’re drinking something high-quality.”
Some drinks are seeing their star rising as we enter the festive season. “Rum is set to be the spirit of choice, with all its varieties – but especially its darker variants – taking centre stage,” says Chris. “Nostalgia’s the theme of 2025, so this Christmas expect to see switch-ups of classic cocktails. Martinis, Negronis, Old-Fashioneds, all with twists to those usual flavours that satisfy modern drinkers.”

When it comes to making your drinks selection stand out during party season, supplying shoppers with the classics they turn every winter – while helping them create an occasion – will reap rewards. “Christmas is an excuse to glitz things up a bit, chuck a sparkler in a cocktail, down the obligatory yearly eggnog, crack open more bubbles than usual. We like to mark an occasion,” says Lauren. “Christmas is a great time for fortified wine, such as Port, Madeira and Sherry. Not only do they provide a lovely warmth at a notably cold time of year they are excellent as a digestif (and lower alcohol than spirits), or with a cheese plate. Christmas is a rare period where we have time to indulge and linger after a meal. Snacking on cheese while sipping a Tawny Port or a slightly sweet Madeira is hard to beat! So while these wines are classics, they also tend to be pretty seasonal.”

Don’t forget low/no

Every party will have a handful of guests who don’t drink alcohol, so it pays to stock a few products that will make them feel just as looked after as the conventional drinkers at the do. “The no and low alcohol movement is still strong and growing, no alcohol wine has grown by 8% in 2024 so look out for some 0% alcohol bubbles, there are great ones on the market now,” advises Lauren.
“Low and no options are increasingly an important aspect of ensuring all family and friends can feel included in the ritual of celebration, whether it’s through gifting the perfect spirit alternative or having 0% fizz on hand for a toast,” begins Mariam Mahmud, co-founder of Kahol. “On an individual level, what often gets overlooked is the almost magical role spirit replicas play in allowing those who have given up drinking, particularly for health reasons, the chance to recreate their favourite festive traditions.”

Still unsure how to present low/no options? The answer is in offering them as clear-cut alternatives to conventional options, and making the customer journey as smooth as possible. “Generally across drinks retailing I think there is an opportunity to move towards presenting non alcoholic drinks shoulder to shoulder with alcohol to optimise both the browsing experience for the customer and also the purchasing opportunity for the retailer,” she advises. “In the same way we see dairy alternatives sitting alongside cow’s milk and vegan sausages alongside the traditional kind, customers should be presented with both options at point of purchase. The Christmas period is a particularly hectic time and I think the more that can be done to make purchasing decisions seamless the better.”

Many shoppers have traditionally felt uncomfortable paying seemingly high prices for non-alcoholic drinks, but with smart promotion and education – making sure that the full retail team is genned up – it doesn’t need to be a sticking point. “Pricing has always been sensitive thing in the category – historically prices have been driven, and justified, by the cost of innovation and small batch size – but increasingly we are seeing customers expecting quality as the key justifier of the price and this is something retailers will need to recalibrate and adjust to over time,” says Mariam.

“There is also an opportunity here to mirror purchasing expectations around alcohol across low/no offerings. For instance, like their alcoholic counterparts, non alcoholic spirits should be available at a range of price points – as an example, our whiskies range between £24 for a blended whisky alternative to £40 for an Islay whisky alternative.”

The appetite for aperitifs

Brits have been inspired by the drinking habits of our European cousins – you only need to look at the recent boom in Aperol spritz culture to see there’s an appetite for these bittersweet beverages – and while the iconic orange drink is an oft-seen sight around the UK in the summertime, there’s undoubtedly a thirst for more when the weather cools down thanks to their relatively low alcohol content and affinity with great food.

“Aperitifs have really taken off in the UK because people are drinking more thoughtfully, and the spritz craze has played a big part. People want flavour and a bit of occasion without always reaching for heavy high proof spirits,” says Richard Tring, co-founder, The Aperitivo! Co. “The spritz opened the door and now people are going beyond Aperol and Campari to discover these classic European style drinks are versatile, food friendly and perfect as a first drink of the evening.”

The aperitivo fan is a considered consumer. “Our customers are curious drinkers,” he says. “They want something that feels continental and sophisticated but is still easy to serve. Many are cocktail fans who enjoy mixing Negronis or Manhattans at home but we also see casual shoppers looking for a lower alcohol alternative to their usual gin or whisky. They are drawn to authenticity, quality and products with a story.”

Bringing new shoppers into the fold is a simple case of education, says Richard. “Simple recipe cards showing how to make a spritz, Negroni, festive punch, or highball help customers get how to use the product which matters because not everyone is familiar with the category yet,” he says.
“The aperitif/aperitivo category is still young in the UK so it is an exciting opportunity for retailers. A small well chosen range with clear serving suggestions can turn casual browsers into repeat customers. Keep it simple, if someone can make a great spritz or Negroni with just a couple of bottles they will come back for more.”

Retailer’s view

We catch up with Mark Kacary, owner of The Norfolk Deli, to find out how his drinks range evolves over the festive period

Consumers at Christmas tend to be prepare to spend a little more than they usually would. They are looking for something different, something indulgent. It’s that one time of year when they feel that they can or should be able to spoil themselves or spoil a loved one with something really special. That is why customers visit and look for products like these from a specialist fine food shop.

They are not looking for something they can buy in the local supermarket but at a higher price because the local shop doesn’t have the buying power of a supermarket. They are looking for something that says this is going to be better than the product you normally buy. Make sure that as a retailer you provide sufficient information to help them understand and appreciate that their expectations will be met.

Talk provenance, talk ingredients, talk quality. At the end of the day most people can’t afford to buy a hand-built bespoke car or designer fashion, but in the world of food and drink, speciality food and drink shops are the boutiques where something really special is actually affordable (to most) and we should promote ourselves as that.

Christmas is a time when various producers bring out specific products more targeted and focused on Christmas which is a time where the early nights and open fires create a vibe associated with rich, indulgent liqueurs. We tend to have a wider variety of items like Norfolk Nog, or Bramble and from The English Whisky Company also darker beers, like stout and darker ales.

We try and organise tasting sessions where producers will offer their products for tastings and customer can sample the products. As a business with an online presence we will create hampers based around various product sets and this might include wines, beers, spirits and liqueurs.

I feel that every business will be different. Farm shops are generally far luckier than high street delis in that they have more space. They have the space for people to come and park; they have the space for people to set up tasting stations. Have somebody available who can talk about the drink and offer suggestions on how it can be used. If the drinks are better served with ice then have ice available; if you would normally add a tonic with a gin then have the tonic available – don’t offer something to a customer in a way that is alien to how they would consume it. Make the experience as close as it would be if they were to drink it at home.

Who’s drinking what?

Age plays a part in shaping shoppers’ preferences says Lauren Denyer, WSET School London educator

Younger consumers, such as Generation Z, and many Millennials are showing a growing concern over their health and tend to drink less and consume drinks with less sugar. The premium no and low-alcohol beers are popular among these generations. Older drinking generations are more likely to continue consuming more than the younger generations and tend to stick to the classics, such as classic wine regions and grape varieties and more red wine (which is in global decline) around Christmas. There’s growing curiosity among younger drinks consumers, especially in cities, with many seeking out more esoteric styles of wines. Fresh, organic options like natural wines, Pet Nats and orange are proving particularly popular.