There are certain things we can all do to avoid the heinous post-holiday comedown. One is book a one-way trip to the Bahamas. The other is to adopt the little-known mantra ‘New Year, New Booze’, and stock up the drinks cupboard. Alright. We made it up ourselves.

Balblair 1983 Whiskey First Release £200

Balblair is the only Single Malt that releases its whiskies in vintages as opposed the age, which means they’re always at the peak of perfection. The Balblair Distillery, one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland, lies by the beautiful Dornoch Firth on the sweep of the Cambuscurrie Bay and close to the original source of its water, which is still used to this day.

Available from Royal Mile Whiskies, The Whisky Shop, The Whisky Exchange, Master of Malts, selected Oddbins & independent specialists.

Jägermeister Limited Edition Silver £18.50

Literally translated as ‘Master Hunter,’ Jägermeister creator Curt Mast wanted to produce a hearty shot to toast with friends before setting off on one of their regular hunts. Decades later, and Jägermeister has become cherished by those who drink it – synonymous with good times and deep friendships – making it a perfect Christmas gift.

Available from Tesco and Morrisons.

Excellia Tequila Reposado £44

Handmade from harvest to bottling, Excellia tequila is crafted in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, from 100% Tequilana Weber Blue agave. Following traditional artisan extraction and distilling, the tequila is aged for 9 months in vintage Grand Cru Sauternes casks and twenty-year-old Cognac barrels.

Available from Oddbins, Harrods and www.thedrinkshop.com.

La Fée Absinthe Parisienne £45

The first traditional absinthe distilled in france since the 1915 ban and based on a 19th century recipe, La Fée Absinthe is endorsed by the french Absinthe museum (Auvers-sur-oise), so each distillation is personally tested and approved by Marie-Claude Delahaye – the world-renowned Absinthe expert and historian and founder and curator of the museum. It even comes with it’s own stainless steel spoon so you can serve it in the traditional style (4-6 parts iced water to one part absinthe, over sugar on a La Fée Absinthe spoon, in case you’ve forgotten).

Available from Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges, Vinopolis, Amathus & Gerry’s as well as TheWhiskyExchange.com, TheChampagneCompany.com, MasterOfMalt.com and TheDrinkShop.com.

Whitley Neill Gin £33

A handcrafted dry gin derived from eight generations of brewing and distilling brought down through Johnny Neill’s family since 1762 and blended with seven traditional botanicals in an antique copper still, Whitley Neill gin comes with African spirit included, with fresh citrus baobab fruit and aromatic cape gooseberries in every bottle.

Available at Harrods, Harvey Nichols and other premium retailers.

Beluga Noble Russian Vodka £115

Limited edition Beluga Gold Line is rested for 90 days to give a smooth velvet-like liquid which is widely regarded as one of Russia’s finest vodkas. Finished by hand, each bottle is assigned an individual number and a special cork sealed with hot wax to preserve authenticity. Best consumed with caviar.

Available from Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. 

G’Vine Floraison Gin £38

G’Vine gins are made by marrying centuries old grape distillation knowledge and infusion practices with ground-breaking production of the rare grape flower. They’re crafted from grape, rather than grain spirit, a tradition that dates back to 13th Century France. Warm and spicy, bursting with vibrant floral notes.

Available from www.thedrinkshop.com, Harrods and www.harrods.com.