The Last Word with Matt Cooper The Best Spirits To Drink This Christmas
Dec 4, 2025
Judith Boyle, a Beverage lecturer at TU Dublin and a spirits expert, shares her top picks for festive drinking. She introduces Mad March Hare poitín, perfect for a unique cocktail. Judith also highlights a delicious apple brandy and an intriguing Irish-Panama rum, emphasizing their distinct flavors. For whiskey lovers, she presents Dingle single pot still and Yellow Spot aged 18 years. Wrapping up, Judith offers a sweet dessert option with Whistler Irish Honey liqueur, ideal for holiday gatherings. Cheers to a spirited Christmas!
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Make A Poitín-Based Christmas Cocktail
- Use Mad March Hare poitín as a vodka substitute in cocktails to add complexity and body.
- Mix 50ml poitín, 10ml apple cider vinegar, 20ml honey syrup and two dashes Irish orange bitters for a marmalade-style cocktail.
Apple Brandy Feels Like Baked Apple
- Irish apple brandy captures baked-apple flavour because it's distilled from local apple juice and aged in wood.
- The 80 Apple Brandy (80 apples per bottle) works hot or cold and feels low in alcoholic heat.
Serve Two Shores Neat Or With Ginger Ale
- Drink Two Shores rum neat to appreciate its raisin and wood notes or mix with ginger ale to highlight vanilla.
- Try Irish mixers like Mary Ellen's Wild Willow Herb as a grown-up non-alcoholic option.