Nothing says ‘party’ quite like a cocktail, but when you’re hosting at home it’s not always feasible to spend most of the night measuring, pouring, shaking and serving drinks to your various guests. That’s where premixed cocktails come in – a product which has only become ‘acceptable’ in the past few years. What was once regarded as nothing more as a glorified alcopop is now given the proper artisan treatment, with many bars even stocking them on their shelves.
Whether you’re after something sweet and crowdpleasing, a specifically festive tipple or just a really great example of a classic cocktail, these bottles are perfect for stocking up on over Christmas. We tasted our way through dozens to get to this shortlist (poor us), and while there were plenty that really didn’t live up to expectations, the five below are definitely worth seeking out. There’s no overall winner as people’s tastes are particularly subjective when it comes to cocktails, but there’s something for everyone below.