Get Into the Christmas Spirit With the Pogues' Whiskey and Other Christmas Drinks

Festive spirits, drinks, cocktail recipes and gift ideas, including BRAND NEW The Pogues' Irish whiskey and a new look bottle for Tequila Rose.

The Pogues' Irish whiskey

The spirit of the band, bottled and created with the sole intention of spreading that same raucous joy. The Pogues' Irish whiskey has as much character as the band itself. Produced by West Cork Distillers in Ireland's rugged coastal spot, Skibbereen, The Pogues rebels against the grain with its blend of 50% Irish grain whiskey aged in bourbon oak casks and 50% single malt Irish whiskey aged in sherry casks.

The Pogues is crafted in small batches in handmade copper stills and aged for three years and a day. The mutinous soul and passion of The Pogues has been captured in the blend and fashioned to the band's own taste and rebellion of the norm.

This mighty liquor has an aroma of malts and cracked nuts with a sweet taste and a smooth intense flavour. Not for the faint hearted. www.thepoguesirishwhiskey.com

The Pogues' Irish whiskey is available at DrinkSupermarket priced £29.99.

Cocktail recipe: The Pogues' Old Fashioned

Ingredients: 1 thick slice orange peel, 1 maraschino cherry with stem, 1 tsp sugar syrup, 2-3 drops whisky bitters, ice cubes, 50ml The Pogues Irish whiskey, a twist of lemon peel to garnish

Method: Take the orange peel and squeeze it with your fingers. Rub the peel around the insides of a whiskey tumbler then place into the glass. Add the cherry, sugar syrup and bitters, along with three ice cubes. Add half of The Pogues' whiskey and stir for about ten seconds. Add more ice and the remaining whiskey and stir again for 10-15 seconds. To serve, garnish with lemon peel.

Whitley Neill Gin - ideal for gin coinnoisseurs

Whitley Neill Gin is an award-winning, super premium London dry gin, inspired by South Africa and softer than more traditional gins. Whitley Neill is crafted using a blend of nine botanicals including baobab, which has six times more vitamin C than an orange and cape gooseberry. The scent of oranges is synonymous with Christmas and the Whitley Neill G&T takes full advantage of this as it's made with seasonal orange wedges, rather than lemon, complementing the African botanicals. The gin's taste is refreshingly citrusy and sweet. Whitley Neill Gin is available in Oddbins priced £28.00.

Whitley Neill Gin & Tonic

Ingredients for a single serve: 2 shots Whitley Neill Gin, dash Peychaud's bitters (optional), premium tonic water, three orange wedges

Method: Build over cubed ice in a rocks or highball glass and garnish with the orange wedges.

Tequila Rose - ideal alternative to traditional cream liqueurs

Tequila Rose is a luxurious blend of premium Mexican tequila and real strawberry flavoured cream liqueur. It's an ideal alternative to traditional cream liqueurs at Christmastime and makes a fabulous gift for female foodies and cocktail lovers. Tequila Rose is priced £14.99 for 70cl from drink supermarket.

Tequila Rose Christmas Angel (created by Jacob Hewlett-Case, mixologist at Manchester's Walrus Bar)

Ingredients for a single serve: 25ml brandy, 25ml Tequila Rose, dash of chocolate bitters, 25ml cream, grated nutmeg for garnish.

Method: Shake the ingredients together, double strain into a glass and garnish with grated nutmeg.

ENDS

For further information, please contact Agatha Chapman-Poole at agatha@chapmanpoole.co.uk, or telephone 07795383057