I make no apologies for admitting that when it comes to the spirits of Christmas, I quite often make a bee line for Master of Malt, who have been named On line Retailer of the Year at Icons of Gin for the second year in a row, just one of several awards.

Master of Malt have now carried out some research into some of our Christmas drinking habits and the results are surprising, or maybe they’re not.

Champagne and Christmas seem natural bedfellows and Master of Malt sell more than 5 times of this festive fizz than in any other month of the year.

Keeping with the Christmas theme it seems that Master of Malt Customers still love snowballs at Christmas, not those icy white spheres but rather the classic cocktail made with lemonade, lime juice and the Dutch egg -based liqueur, Advocaat. Sales of Advocaat are 10 times that of a typical month according to Master of Malt.

Along with the wide range of quality Whisky and Gin gifts I was delighted by the tasting set ‘Drinks by the Dram’ which is an interesting tasting set of your favourite tipple containing 3 x 3 cl bottles of the spirit of your choice together with tasting notes. This would make an ideal gift for someone who wishes to experiment, before committing to more expensive spirits or who simply likes to try a range of a particular spirit. Master of Malt have a wide range of Tasting Sets starting from £23.00 right up to £274.00 (the latter in case any of my family are reading this and are feeling particularly generous)

Finally for those of you (surely it can’t just be me?) who always leave at least one present until the very last minute Master of Malt may be able to come to the rescue with their gift vouchers which never expire and even accrue 5% interest per year (trackable in real time) and refunds are always available.

For more information: Master of Malt

At Christmas, well, any time really, the Frost Magazine team LOVE personalised gifts.

So Babyblooms personalised teddy bears seemed well worth a look. Let’s face it, what could be better than teddy bears bearing the name of a new baby? It’s such a  unique, special, and thoughtful gift, but also something to cuddle too, in due course. So put it down mum, and let the baby at it.

Babyblooms range includes their baby clothes bouquets containing 100% cotton baby clothes cleverly rolled to resemble roses, and importantly, interspersed with rather lovely silk keepsake flowers which can be kept in the newborn’s box, to show them later, and to remind mum too.

I received two beautiful personalised teddy bears for my two children. My first impression was how beautifully they were packed into their own charming box and each had a little bow around each teddy bear’s neck. The teddies were soft and cuddly but sturdy enough to be placed on a shelf until baby is old enough for cuddles.

I thought them adorable, and as new mothers are inundated with flowers, chocolates and things that don’t keep, this is an attractive and original alternative, something to remember.

But also, what a great present for a child of any age at Christmas, or for a birthday. The personalisation adds a unique touch and with the choice of pink blue white or red jumper, each bear is one of a kind.

Babyblooms  baby gifts range from books and bears to bathrobes and blankets, and many of these can be personalised.

www.babyblooms.co.uk

Personalised Bertie Bear £24

It is indisputable that many of us are fascinated by the past. Films, books and television programmes abound, as we learn more and more about our ancestors.

Celebrities seem to be queueing up, to find out if they have royal ancestry, or if they are descended from the village idiot.

We have a thirst for knowledge of our past, which goes beyond who our great grandparents were, we want to know what they did and how they lived. We want to know who has lived in the house before us and so it goes on.

I speak as someone who researched his family history in the days before computers and the internet, a time when leafing through hefty tomes was the only way to learn more and back then it had its limitations.

Science in this area has improved enormously and so much more research can be done from the comfort of your own home.

My wife and I have often watched television programmes, steeped in envy, that some celebrity was going to get a whistle stop tour of their own family history, guided by experts.

If you, or someone you know has similar interests, then AncestryDNA may well have the perfect Christmas gift suggestion.

A small kit with easy to follow instructions (even for someone like me, descended from the village idiot)

To begin with I had to log in to Ancestrty.Com to set up a password. This is free, as it is all part of the kit. Remembering not to eat, drink or smoke for 30 minutes was probably the hardest part.

Now for those of a nervous disposition, you may wish to skip these next few lines.

You are required to spit into a test tube, but don’t worry, this is contained in the kit and the test tube has a funnel attached. The test tube also has lines to measure the amount of saliva and we are advised and indeed instructed not to measure the bubbles, which is my favourite instruction, ever.

The funnel is replaced with a cap which also contains a stabiliser, so that when the saliva turns blue, we can be sure that it is working.

The test tube is popped into an envelope and posted to the pre- paid address.

Also included is a rather smart note book, with a black rubberised cover, useful for recording all those notes and I rather suspect that AncestryDNA know that once you start digging into your background, you will be hooked and wish to find out more.

Currently there is a special offer price is £59.00, normally £79.00, plus postage from https://www.ancestry.co.uk

‘Give the gift of family’ they say, and who knows, this time next year we could be sitting next to each other in the House of Lords.

I am a man who currently has 41 types of gin in his possession and whilst I call it a hobby, my wife calls it an obsession, either way there is no disputing the fact that I love gin.

You can find my summer review for this Strawberry Gin in our archives, but now Puerto Indias have made Christmas present buying for gin lovers like me even easier.

I have to confess I haven’t ever really understood the appeal of Mulled Wine, but I do understand that at Christmas there is an urge for something celebratory and different, which is where this Sevillian Strawberry Gin comes in, promising to take pink gin to the next level.

The story goes that the founders were brothers who spotted wild Huelva strawberries growing near the distillery and being about to make strawberry liqueur were curious to know how the mixing of distilled macerated strawberry with gin might taste.

I could have told them, and I can certainly tell you, that is it tastes delicious. Light and of course with more than a hint of Strawberries and on the nose a touch of Aniseed and Juniper.

For that ‘Christmassy’ drink with a difference try mixing the Strawberry Gin with Soda Water plenty of ice and a sprig of Mint and a Cinnamon Stick. I also enjoyed it when I substituted the Mint for Orange peel, twisted to release the oils and rubbed around the rim of the glass. There is something undeniably Christmassy about the scent and taste of Orange at this time of year.

This Strawberry Gin can be bought in a presentation box (not shown) with a beautifully large glass capable of containing enough ice to chill down the Gin quickly as well as holding the cinnamon stick, forming a perfect Christmas gift.

Puerto Indias Strawberry Gin is available from Amazon. Master of Malt and Whisky Exchange with a RRP of £27.00

The Presentation Box with Glass and Bottle of Strawberry Gin is also available from Amazon with a RRP of £40.00.

Happy Christmas.

Further details from www.ginpuertodeindias.com

When it comes to stocking fillers, Chocolate is a sure-fire hit in our household and I am not ashamed to admit that in such cases our mantra is, the bigger the better.

So, a huge bar of Toblerone with a personalised message limited only by the size of the packaging, makes this something demonstrating a little more thought than my usual efforts.

I chose to put my wife’s name on the packet with the unintended consequence that I cannot now claim ignorance as to whom the said chocolate belongs, when accidentally coming across the chocolate wherever she has hidden it.

I am also thinking that this is a neat and welcome Secret Santa gift guaranteed to please and easily wrapped.

So at home and in the office it’s a definite winner

You’re welcome.

Happy Christmas.

For more information: Prezzybox.com