The wreath is perfectly positioned, the presents have been purchased, and the festive drinks cabinet is fit to burst – the Christmas countdown is well and truly underway. And with only a few weeks to go until the big day is upon us, it’s time to add the final bit of sparkle to your party planning. Make your festive season extra-special this year with our seasonal hosting guide.
Perfect the Art of Bottle Wrapping
We all know that bottles can be awkward to wrap, but we’ve got just the solution. This year, why not go the extra mile? With an extra flourish – and our Sipsmith wrapping technique – you can transform your already beautiful bottle of gin into a hand-crafted masterpiece.
Here’s how:
- Simply place the bottle about a third of the way across your chosen paper, at an angle.
- Lift the paper to cover the base of the bottle and begin to roll the paper around it from the bottom left-hand corner.
- Whilst rolling, tuck the edge of the paper in to keep things perfectly straight across the bottom of the bottle.
- Seal with tape (or a wax seal in our case).
- Tie the excess paper around the neck of the bottle, creating a fan effect above, before attaching a hand-written gift tag and smartly snipping the ribbon ends. Et voilà.
Throw an Outrageously Good Christmas Cocktail Party
Pull out all the stops this year with a truly remarkable Christmas cocktail party.Firstly, providing the dress code is the start of setting the tone for your evening. Next it’s time to deck the halls, and the tree of course, with as much seasonal gusto and glitter as you can muster, before sitting back to admire your handiwork for a moment before considering what to serve.
Fortunately, we’ve got this one covered. turn to our new book SIP: 100 Gin Cocktails with Only Three Ingredients (hot off the press just in time for Christmas) for the answer. Kick things off with a delightfully sparkly Millionaire’s Mimosa, before offering guests a choice of a sloe-infused Winter G&T or a fragrant Orange Blossom Special.
Go ‘All-In’ on the Christmas Garnish
Go the extra mile and make your G&Ts “best in snow” by topping each one with a decidedly herbaceous festive Christmas Tree garnish. And it’s seriously easy to make, pluck a few sprigs of rosemary and lay them on a baking tray. Lightly dust with icing sugar to create the desired layer of ‘snow’, before arranging a sprig on top of your ice-filled G&T glass with two or three seasonal cranberries for a sensationally seasonal sip.
Or, if the Christmas Tree garnish is a little too staid, how about pegging a party-game clue or an ice breaker to one of your festive cocktails – after all, the ultimate host always likes to help the chatter along, for a truly memorable evening of sipping.
Go Above and Beyond with an Unforgettable Christmas Table
The big day has arrived, and everyone is about to be called for Christmas lunch. The tablecloth has been pressed, the plates are coordinated, napkins are on standby, and the hand-crafted holly centrepiece is pride of place, but what’s the final touch that’s going to take your Christmas table to the next level? Why not pull out all the stops and place a little miniature Sipsmith Sloe Gins at each setting to get your guests talking (and sipping).
Whether you’re catering for the few or the five thousand this Christmas, make sure to have a bottle of Sipsmith London Dry Gin to hand to help make every hosting moment that bit more special.
