Sparea thought for Santa this Christmas Eve. As if it wasn’t tough enough flying around the world from rooftop to rooftop delivering about a zillion presents, what does he find at the bottom of the average chimney? A carrot for Rudolph, a solitary mince pie and a small glass of dubious Sherry. Terrific.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little imagination, it’s not too hard to put a smile on the poor old chap’s face. Over the past few years, he’s found an array of warming spirits waiting for him in our family fireplace, from Taiwanese single malt to vintage Armagnac, from an English take on Irish pot still whiskey to añejo tequila.
Not that you have to go crazy. The traditional options of whisky or Cognac may be predictable, but today’s creations are arguably better – and certainly more diverse – than ever before. The new wave of craft-oriented distillers is introducing exciting new flavours and textures, in turn prompting established producers to up their game.
FUNKY, FUN
