As another year draws to a close here are my highlights from December 2025.

Booze News

I’m not gonna lie, I have no idea what booze news there was this month (or at least not that I’m allowed to tell you!) so let’s keep on crashing on!

New Gin Alerts

Two new releases have caught my eye and tickled my tastebuds this month. Portsmouth Distillery has recently added a delicious Vintage Honey Sloe Gin to their range. Aged in an ex-Bourbon cask, sweetened with honey and bottled at a hearty 35% ABV it’s well worth checking out this winter. Meanwhile Welsh gin brand Cygnet has released a non-alcoholic offering called Infinity which is, like Cygnet 22, made with Manuka honey alongside lion’s mane, Siberian ginseng, and schisandra.

My Month in Gin

In addition to a lovely day judging the Low and No Masters in London, I had the great pleasure of returning to Portsmouth Distillery with some good friends to see what has and hasn’t changed since I first visited in 2022, and also to try some tasty tipples and have a good old catch up. The site has expanded a lot and they host lots of great events so it’s well worth checking out if you’re local or visiting the area.

I also had the enormous pleasure of attending the opening night of Silent Pool‘s festive Winter Townhouse. Designed to bring the countryside to the city, it featured a gift shop, two small but perfectly formed bars and even a cinema showing Jude Law’s Christmas classic The Holiday (which was filmed just moments from Silent Pool’s distillery in the stunning Surrey Hills). I was really impressed by the intimate atmosphere, delicious cocktails, marvellous Martini class and cosy cinema and could easily have stayed all night. If it returns next year I definitely recommend booking in early!

Welcome to My Collection

There was no shortage of lovely goodies this month. Thanks to Free AF for a selection of their non-alcoholic RTDs, to The Store Oxford for a sample of their award-winning London Dry Gin created by Hawkridge Distillers, to Domaine de la Flaguerie for a very generous selection of their spirits including their aged Calvados and Pommeau de Normandie, and to Silent Pool who fulfilled the wish I made at their Townhouse for even more gin this Christmas (alongside health and happiness for all my loved ones)!

Last but certainly not least, my very silly and very generous husband decided to give me ten bottles of gin selected from my top ten gins over the years to celebrate ten years of my blog in 2026! If you’re interested in knowing what he selected, it was Makar Original Dry Gin, Cotswold Dry Gin and Trevethan Cornish Gin from 2016, Conniption Navy Strength Gin, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin and Ki No Bi Gin from 2017, Campfire London Dry from 2018, Aatta Gin and Crosskirk Bay Gin from 2021 and Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin from 2023. Oh, and Garden Swift Gin from 2018 because it’s my favourite and I actually asked for it! Yes, that does make 11 gins but I don’t see anyone complaining!

Catching Up and Looking Forward

So that’s 2025 all wrapped up. Wishing you a very Happy New Year and all the best for 2026. See you on the other side! 🍸🛎🛎