The Best Spirits for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s day is all about love and couples so I’ve put together pairs of spirits I love from each of the main spirits categories. These are not, one for him or her, as I don’t believe in imposing flavour on anyone. These are simply pairs of the best examples of spirits I’ve tasted recently, and if you needed to replace your other halves favourite spirit in time for Valentine’s Day, then I don’t think you’d go wrong with any of these.

The Best Tequila For Valentine’s Day

Mijenta Blanco 

There is tequila I used to drink in my youth, mainly with salt and lemon, late in a bar whilst in Edinburgh at university, and this is about as far removed from that style of Tequila as you can get. It is elegant and vibrant with fruity flavours and delicate agave notes running all the way through the palate. Made from 100% Blue Weber agave and bottled with no filtration, Mijenta supports whale conservation and partners with The Ocean Foundation. They also use local glass, and the labels are created using agave waste. There is a feel-good factor to this lovely tequila, just as it makes you feel good whilst drinking it.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: UK £54.95 // US $49.99

Volcan De Mi Tierra Blanco 

Created with a blend of Blue Agave from both the highlands and lowland of Jalisco, the agave is grown in the shadow of the volcano, hence the name. The volcano erupted over 200,000 years ago and created rich volcanic soils which are perfect for growing agave. This Tequila has lots of complexity and is great for sipping, using in a Paloma, and it makes a mean Margarita as well.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: £44.74 // US $48.99

The Best Gin For Valentine’s Day

Mermaid Pink Gin 

This pink gin is unlike many others. It is vibrant and not too sweet. It still has the Mermaid Gin at its heart, and the fruity extra flavour comes from an infusion of strawberries grown on the Isle of Wight, where this distillery is found. The strawberries mix well with the original botanicals, and it makes a brilliant G&T, especially if topped with strawberries! The pink hew is just enough to let you know this is a pink gin and therefore to expect lots of fruitiness.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find it Here: £37.99

Kyrö Pink Gin

Made in Finland, the team at Kyro has attempted to make a pink gin for everyone. Well, I’m not sure about that, all I do know is that this is my favourite pink gin ever! If it’s others as well, then that just goes to show they’ve been pretty successful. Made with foraged strawberries, rhubarb and lingonberries, there is a creaminess to the gin, and it tastes very fresh and not artificial at all. I’m sure this would be great in cocktails, but above all, it makes a very refreshing G&T. 

Size: 500ml
ABV: 38.2%
Find it Here: £29.95

The Best Vodka For Valentine’s Day

Dima’s Vodka Ukrainian Three Grain

This vodka not only tastes brilliant but is doing something to put right some of the wrong in the world. £5 from every sale gets donated to Ukraine to help the war effort. Back to the vodka, it’s made from three grains giving a lovely depth of fruity earthy flavours and is brilliant chilled a little with a little pickle - just how it’s drunk in its home country. It also makes excellent cocktails, not just in flavour, but the vodka has a creamy mouthfeel which helps everything slip down nicely. As they say in Ukraine: Budmo!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: £35

X Muse

Made in Scotland from a blend of two heritage varieties of barley, Maris Otter and Plumage Archer, this vodka has huge complexity of flavour and great texture. X Muse, pronounced Tenth Muse, reflects the sum of its parts, blended together as the tenth muse was a sum of all other nine in mythology. Not just an interesting story, it’s one of the best vodkas I’ve tasted in recent times.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: £55.74

The Best Whisky For Valentine’s Day

Glen Moray Port Finish

Glen Moray creates the best value single malt whisky by far, and this expression is no different. This port finish is part of the Glen Moray Classic range and has had an eight-month finish in a port cask. This not only gives delicate red fruit flavours alongside those classic orchard fruits and honey, but a slightly pink tinge. Well, it is Valentine’s day.
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: UK £26.90 // US $34.99

GlenAllachie 11

GlenAllachie is becoming known for its use of different oak finishes and maturations, and here we have a whisky first matured in American ex-bourbon casks for nine years, and then finished in ruby port casks. There are lots of caramel, honey, and vanilla notes, but also red berries and some hedgerow fruit as well. There is a rich hew of pink, and this whisky goes to show that as long as the casks are good, single malt doesn’t have to be old to be very good.  

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48%
Find it Here: £81.15

The Best Brandy/Cognac For Valentine’s Day

Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal

Back in 1738 it was illegal to plant new vines on your land, until Louis XV gave permission to Rémy Martin. This was the Accord Royal of 1738 of which this cognac gets its name. There are lots of complex citrus fruits, with orange being predominant, and caramel and a touch of spice. Smooth and very easy to sip on a winter’s evening, it also makes a good long cocktail too. Add a little ginger ale, a dash of lime and a sprig of rosemary, and all you’ll need is the sun to top it off.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: UK £52.50 // US $69.99

Hennessy XO 

This is the Cognac that started the XO movement. The name was given to the Cognac by Maurice Hennessy in the 1800s. First bottled for friends and family in 1870, it uses a blend of more than 100 eaux-de-vie from Petite and Grand Champagne regions of Cognac as well as Fins Bois and Borderies. It is a deep brooding cognac with lots of dark chocolate and orange flavours. Perfect with a cigar, but as I found out on my last visit to Hennessy, brilliant in the heat of the day in a fishbowl glass and plenty of ice. Magnificent.

 Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: £164.99 // US $199.99

The Best Rum For Valentine’s Day

Ron Abuelo XII Two Oaks 

Matured in two different types of oak cask, this rum from Panama is rich and smoky, but has a sweetness running through the whole palate making it smooth and deeply drinkable. Aged for over a decade in ex-bourbon casks, it was then transferred into heavily charred virgin American oak giving the rum its smoky deep character.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: £46.95

Duppy Share 40%

This rum is created from blends of Jamaican and Barbadian rums. The former gives lots of fruity flavours and the caramel, baked banana flavours are typical of Barbados. The rums are up to five years old and the resulting rum is smooth with lots of tropical sweetness working well by itself or in any rum cocktail, especially a daiquiri. The name is taken from the Jamaican spirits called Duppies which stole rum across the Caribbean.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find it Here: £26

Words by Colin Hampden-White

If you’re looking for more Valentine’s/Galantine’s Day inspiration then why not check out our Beautiful Pink Gins guide or perhaps Sparkling Wine is more up your street?

From Budget To Blowout: The Best Vodka To Gift This Christmas

Vodka is a spirit that spans generations and nations, and whilst it was born in Russia and the East of Europe, there are now quality producers absolutely everywhere. It’s still a drink that comes with misconceptions though, so if you’re looking to convert a doubter, or just get a vodka lover something they’re guaranteed to adore, allow us to be your tour guides through the best vodkas to gift this Christmas... starting with incredible value options!

The Best Vodka to Gift Under £20

Wyborowa Vodka

Translated to, ‘Selected’ in their language, this vodka is hugely popular in Poland where every part of it is made. It’s been winning international awards since 1930 and remains an ever-present bottle in the value categories. The Polish rye gives the Wyborowa vodka its distinct gentle pecan taste mixed with subtle sweetness, and it’s smooth and pure beyond its price. Any vodka enthusiast will appreciate this and its place in vodka heritage.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £18.59 

Luksusowa Vodka

Luksusowa is another 1920s Polish vodka overdelivering. Produced from potatoes along the Baltic Sea’s coastline, the soil is ‘loamy’ producing pure flavour. The result is a super clean aroma that’s subtly chalky, minerally, with grassy qualities, so this really has that, ‘vodka of the earth’ feel. There’s a loveable creamy taste, and a mildly peppery aftertaste too. A classic that’s more than earnt its place in the vodka hall of fame.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £19.74 // US $16.79

Zubrówka Bison Grass Vodka

 Completing the trio of excellent Polish value is Zubrówka which is infused with Hierochloe Odorata grass (there’s even a blade of it in the bottle)! It’s a unique variety grown in the Bialowieza Forest near the Ukrainian border – home to the eye-catching beast on the bottle, Polish Bison. Distilled from rye, the spirit is strained through this grass, creating the green hue you can see. As a result, there are plenty of herbal and aromatic notes at play, like cut grass, lavender, slight citrus and cracked pepper. This is a really unique sipping vodka and an incredible gift for a vodka lover. Have some fun working out the notes over ice, and then try it with apple juice or ginger ale!

Size: UK 700ml // US 1L
ABV: 37.5%
Find here: UK £19.94 // US $26.99

The Best Vodka to Gift Under £30

Black Cow Pure Milk Vodka

Vodka from cow’s milk? Yep. This is a rather unusual vodka that has been on everyone’s lips in more ways than one. It’s created on a West Dorset dairy farm using the whey left over from the farm’s cheddar (also great if you want to combine them as a gift!). You won’t be surprised to hear that this creates a decadent and creamy mouthfeel and as a result, it is amazing at the heart of an Espresso Martini or White Russian, but not before giving it a go neat!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £24.99

Debowa Polish Oak Vodka

We love this bottle with its retro 3D design style, and the sliver of oak wood included in every bottle. As you might imagine from looking at it, this Polish oak vodka is still produced in accordance with a traditional polish recipe and creates unparalleled buttery smoothness at this price point. There are delicate nuts and vanilla, but it’s the velvet feel that grabs the headlines.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £25.43

Brecon Five Black Vodka

Named because of the pure rock-filtered Brecon Beacons glacier water that goes into this 5 times distilled vodka, this is a masterpiece from the late Dr Jim Swan. A lovely Welsh vodka born from the same team behind Penderyn whisky, it has won gong after gong for ultra-smoothness in the mouth and a fruity barley spirit twist. Pure, natural, and crystal clear, not what you might guess from the sleek bottle!

Size: UK 700ml // US 1.75L
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £23.94 (usually more!) // US $26.99

Reyka Vodka

This Icelandic wheat and barley vodka is distilled in the most Icelandic way you can imagine. It uses icy glacial spring water and geothermal heat from underground volcanoes, establishing its reputation as one of the world’s greenest vodkas when it launched in 2005. Full and rounded, with a clean but creamy vanilla note that plays against peppery spice and fresh citrus, Reyka would sit pretty in a martini or simply with tonic and ice.

Size: UK 700ml // US 1.75L
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £26.94 // US $35.99

Sapling Vodka

... or to give it it’s full title, ‘Sapling Climate Positive Vodka’. For every bottle sold, a tree is planted. The unique code on the bottle tells you where and more about their planting project with the High Atlas Foundation. So it’s not just a pretty picture on the bottle, that’s what we like to hear! The vodka itself is distilled exclusively from British wheat, distilled four times over for a pure and naturally sweet taste. Detectable through this purity are gorgeous herbaceous and citrusy notes, so this would be amazing as a classic Vodka Lime soda. Climate positive and a tick from us on taste – cheers to that!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £26.94

Tito's Vodka

Tito’s Vodka is as handmade as it first sounds. Tito who lives in in Austin Texas, uses old-fashioned pot stills and each small batch is meticulously taste tested and distilled six times to give a clean and pure vodka perfect for a luxury cocktail. Corn distillation imparts a touch of sweetness to the batches, so something like an Espresso Martini that would be top notch. The corn also means it’s gluten free by the way!

Size: UK 700ml // US 1L
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £27.85 // US $27.99

Cîroc Pineapple

Distilled five times from a base of frozen French grapes, Cîroc is pretty much as smooth as it gets. Whereas with some vodkas, smoothness is achieved at the sacrifice of character, that isn’t the case here, and that’s before the pineapple flavour is even introduced! This vibrant tropical twist tastes natural and of crushed pineapple, rather than flavouring. It would liven up a vodka lemonade and make a stellar gift for anyone who is a fan of the original Cîroc.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 37.5%
Find here: £29.95

FAIR. Quinoa Vodka

This first vodka made from quinoa is organic and Fair Trade certified and created by French distillers and Bolivian farmers. FAIR has been around for over 13 years now, committed to true fairness because no drink is worth it if exploitation is involved anywhere in the long process from soil to bottle. On top of these values, this full but delicate vodka is minerally on the nose with a nice sweetness on the palate. The very subtle but pleasant oiliness creates an incredibly smooth mouthfeel, and we’ve heard this is going down brilliantly with vodka lovers so give it a try!

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £29.99 // US $34.79

The Best Vodka to Gift Under £40

Edwards 1902 Vodka

The finest King Edward potatoes going into this premium English vodka lend themselves to a gorgeous minerally vodka with earthy depth. On the nose, on the other hand, there’s a fruity, chocolate aroma. For a spirit that only launched in 2020, it’s been heavily praised at all of the major international competitions and is 100% smooth and crisp enough to sip the night away. It would also luxuriate any cocktail though, so it’s up to you! So good!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £34.94

Broken Clock Vodka

Hidgate’s Broken Clock is produced at one of England’s oldest distilleries in Cheshire, and the flavour suits this down to the ground as it’s infused with russet apples and garden botanicals from old Georgian recipes. This perfumed nose is met by a richly rounded palate in a vodka that oozes character and heritage. Try it in a martini with an olive for a very memorable drink.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £34.99

88 Vodka

If you like 88 Gin then this award-winning vodka by the same folks is definitely worth a try. For those of you who are drawn to fruitier vodka, this is also for you. It showcases the citrus notes that can sometimes go missing in other expressions with a refreshing tartness, all whilst retaining a gentle creamy feel. Serve with your favourite citrus fruit of course!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40 %
Find here: £35.95 

The Muff Liquor Company Irish Potato Vodka

A follow up to the success of Irish Potato Craft Gin, it’s The Muff Liquor Company’s Potato Vodka! Made with famous Irish potatoes, it’s distilled six times to create a delicately tuned vodka with a creamy taste and vanilla on the nose. There’s real character with it being based on the old recipes of Granda McClenaghan, but with pure and crisp modern distillation. Gorgeous vintage label too – sláinte!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find here: £35.96

Tom of Finland Organic Vodka

Let us introduce you to Tom of Finland, aka Touko Laaksonen, a gay icon who’s pioneering visual art had a momentous impact on gay culture in the latter half of the last century. His creations focusing on masculinity and homoeroticism influenced the world, with his work represented by the leather-clad moustached man on the standout bottle. The vodka itself is organically produced in small batches by Master Distiller Mika Mönkkönen at the second oldest family run company in all of Finland; Lignell & Piispanen. Distilled five times through traditional sheet filters, there is no burn whatsoever, just subtle rye spice from aroma to finish and silky smoothness all the way! This really is an absolutely delicious industry-acclaimed vodka with an amazing story, and the final cherry on top is that proceeds from every purchase go to the Tom of Finland Foundation!

Size: UK 500ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £35.99 // US $34.79

Chase Aged Marmalade Vodka

Here’s a really interesting vodka from England produced from 100 per cent estate-grown potatoes. It’s a beautifully bittersweet orange-flavoured vodka made with zesty thick-cut Seville marmalade that carries over into a long tangy finish. Definitely one to try for anyone who loves experimenting with fruity vodkas!

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £36.99 // US $29.99

G.H.Q. Vodka

Handcrafted at a secret location somewhere in the Scottish Highlands by unknown distillers using confidential recipes and Cairngorm water, G.H.Q present this glorious creamy vodka. Whoever’s handy work it is they’re clearly smashing it because this has been picked out for praise after praise. There’s a lovely balance of minerality and herbal elements, and noticeable hazelnut and honey in the mouth. Super relaxing to sip on, and it’d go well with Mediterranean tonic or ginger ale! This one won’t stay secret for long!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 41%
Find here: £37.95

The Best Luxury Vodka to Gift

X Muse

This is a vodka with really amazing flavour, named after a sculpture at the Bonnington Estate which the co-creator Robert Wilson owns. We should clarify, this isn’t a flavoured vodka, it’s a vodka with flavour! X Muse is a barley vodka blending two different heritage varieties together with notes of both fresh and cooked fruits giving great complexity. There’s a standout silky texture with intoxicating viscosity, and delicate touches of ginger and nutmeg surface on the palate too for a sublime experience. An absolute treat for any vodka lover.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 41%
Find here: £55.74

Crystal Head Aurora Vodka

Crystal Head has built itself a reputation as the world’s purest vodka, sourcing water from a natural aquifer that’s hidden on the extremely remote St John’s Newfoundland (the most Easter point in North America). The iconic skull design is created in celebration of the Aurora Borealis aka the Northern Lights and uses high-quality English wheat instead of the usual corn for a slightly spicier expression, with floral aromas and subtle anise. Filtered seven times before a final triple-filter through a cone of Herkimer diamonds, this is absolutely stunning as always and feels as special from the moment you lay your eyes on it to the moment you take your last sip.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £59.94 // US $57.99

If you want to kit out your home for the ultimate boozy Christmas, then check out our favourite luxury crackers this year, each filled with a variety of different delicious drinks!

Words by Calum Ecroyd