How does a Boozy Rudolph or a Merry Mary sound to get you in the spirit of Christmas?

Dec 22 , 2018

A TST East Skylight, served at J’s Bar Bistro and inspired by a Canto-pop hit, amps up an Old Fashioned by adding cherry liqueur, dried orange, gold foil and burnt cloves. Photo: Chen Xiaomei

Whether it’s beer, wine or bubbly, eggnog, a Flying Hong Kong or a Vet’s Antidote, bars are concocting exotic drinks old and new to go down a seasonal treat

When Alexander Nellist thinks of Christmas, he thinks of his family’s English trifle, “which always involves a healthy amount of sherry in the sponge cake.”

Naturally, the only thing better than a sherry-soaked sponge cake is a bit more sherry, so Nellist, digital marketing manager for Sai Kung drinks hub The Bottle Shop, recommends Gonzalez Byass.

“It’s great to wrap up a big meal,” he says, praising its “velvety sweet taste of aged raisins and dates.”

The holiday season is coming and with it, a world of winter drinks. It’s a great time to stick to perennial favourites and help yourself to another mug of eggnog, but with an ever-growing number of drinks importers and creative bars, it’s an equally good opportunity to try something new. All of them are heart-warming, even if many are served on ice.

The Boozy Rudolph, invented at the Terrible Baby bar, is a mixture of clove-infused Hine cognac, Rebel Yell Kentucky bourbon, lemon, chai masala, blackberry and cinnamon syrup.

You could go for novelty, like the recently released Ink Gin, which changes colour when you add tonic water. You could also try the new Fragrant Harbour Gin, a Hong Kong-inspired tipple made with ginger, pu’er tea, kumquat, lemon, chun pei, coriander, Sichuan peppercorn, goji berries and jasmine, in addition to the usual juniper berries.

There’s also beer, which certainly does not deserve to be overlooked in favour of wine and spirits.

“The most exciting beers for Christmas will be the larger bottles intended for sharing at a table,” says Nellist.

Cloudwater Spirit Animal Loquat Elderflower Sour Ale is tart and vibrant, making it a good aperitif or a way to balance a rich meal.

For dessert, Nellist recommends Even More Jesus and Imperial Biscotti Break, both rich, dark imperial stouts from Evil Twin Brewing, which pair well with chocolate desserts.