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We tried 18 liqueurs and these are the best for Christmas 2025
Including one that tastes like butterscotch Angel Delight
Tested by Callum BlackFood and Drink Testing Manager
Proving there's more to indulgent liqueurs than Baileys, the Good Housekeeping Institute has been hard at work testing all the latest releases, including delicious dessert-inspired drinks featuring the flavours of black forest gateau, banoffee pie and more.
Best liqueurs for Christmas 2025
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Hotel Chocolat Black Forest Gateau Velvetised Cream
Read review
The best Christmas food and drink for 2025, revealed
What is a liqueur?
Sweet and oh-so-indulgent, liqueurs typically have a lower ABV of around 15-20% (as opposed to a straight spirit such as gin, which will be upwards of 40%), making them ideal for drinking neat or over ice.
These days, there’s so much more than Irish cream to choose from too — new, innovative flavours are inspired by comforting desserts, seasonal spices and plenty of chocolate.
To make it onto our list, our experts were looking for easy-drinking concoctions that worked well as a post-dinner treat, either served alongside dessert or mixed into creative cocktails.
And with prices starting from just £7.29 a bottle, they can also make a thoughtful yet inexpensive gift for your host.
How we test liqueurs
To find the best liqueurs, the Good Housekeeping Institute panel of WSET-trained experts and consumers tried 18 tasty flavours from the leading supermarkets and brands. They were looking for a well-balanced, easy-drinking liqueur they’d be proud to serve at the end of a meal. All products were served chilled and blind to prevent brand bias.
Score: 91/100
Inspired by yum yums, the delicious, twisty doughnut pastries, Lidl’s well-priced cream liqueur is the perfect festive treat to hunker down with.
It reminded our testers of butterscotch-flavour Angel Delight; however, the sweetness is beautifully balanced. Pour over ice or add a splash to an espresso martini.
Available in-store from 15 October 2025
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 12% |
Score: 89/100
With pronounced notes of caramelised blonde chocolate and a light nutty finish, our panel found this liqueur pleasingly complex. The alcohol holds its own, and the intensely creamy texture would be a delight poured over chocolate ice cream.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 15% |
Score: 89/100
A fun twist on the classic Mozart Chocolate Cream, this new launch tastes like you’re drinking a Bounty bar. Our testers loved the natural coconut milk flavour and bold white chocolate notes – and thought it would be excellent in a white Russian cocktail.
Key specifications
| Volume | 50cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 15% |
Score: 88/100
Aldi’s viral Infusionist Globe Liqueurs have returned just in time for Christmas, and our favourite is this toffee vodka version, which tastes just like Werther's Original. Give the light-up bottle a good shake to awaken the shimmering gold flakes inside.
A great gift, it’s guaranteed to bring instant wow-factor to festive toasts.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 15% |
Score: 87/100
Hotel Chocolat's much-loved Velvetised Cream line-up is pure indulgence, and this Black Forest gateau version wowed our panel. The flavour of the nostalgic dessert is very distinctive here, with chocolate and sweet, black cherry notes on top of a vodka base.
It's the perfect creamy tipple for those with a sweet tooth and would be just as delicious in a hot chocolate as it is over ice.
Key specifications
| Volume | 50cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 12% |
Score: 86/100
Reminding testers of vanilla ice cream, Coole Swan is made with single malt Irish whiskey, Belgium white chocolate and cream. The smooth spirit has notes of marzipan and almonds too and would make an excellent mudslide cocktail.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 16% |
Score: 81/100
Made with organic cold brew coffee and vanilla, Daylesford’s small batch liqueur has beautiful hints of chocolate and warming spice. A handy pre-mixed espresso martini, ready for entertaining, simply shake over ice for a frothy top.
Key specifications
| Volume | 35cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 25% |
Score: 81/100
Brighter on the palate than the nose suggests, you can expect notes of toffee, butterscotch and sweet whiskey from this liqueur – minus the cream. Equally delicious as a stand-alone after-dinner sipper as it would be in hot drinks.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 29% |
Score: 80/100
Your favourite dessert in a glass, Sainsbury’s has taken an Irish whiskey base and blended it with fresh cream and all the best bits of banoffee pie. The flavour is exactly as promised, reminding our testers of the nostalgic banana foam sweets from our youth, wrapped up in an indulgent, creamy finish.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 15% |
Score: 80/100
Can’t get enough of the Dubai chocolate trend that took the world by storm this year? Well good news because ASDA has the answer in liquid form. Described as being like “a smooth sip of authentic pistachio gelato”, we don’t see this one sticking around for long!
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 15% |
Score: 76/100
Every bit as buttery as a freshly baked brioche, Selfridges’ panettone-inspired liqueur is a must for fans of the Italian delicacy. Thick and delightfully creamy, the oat-based tipple is infused with oranges, vine fruit and caramel, and is suitable for vegans. It truly is Christmas in a glass!
Key specifications
| Volume | 50cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 20% |
Score: 72/100
This distinctive South African spirit is made from the native marula fruit, which is hand harvested by local women. Not as thick as Baileys but just as creamy, it has a butterscotch note and a fresh fruity finish that’s just as delicious over ice at the end of a meal as it is in cocktails.
What’s more, Amarula finds multiple ways to give back to the local community, such as sharing a percentage of profits with elephant orphanage HERD, and including a locally made tassel on every bottle.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 17% |
Score: 72/100
Disaronno Velvet has all the spicy, marzipan notes we love from the original Italian amaretto liqueur, but on a velvety, creamy base. What’s not to love? Serve over plenty of ice or add a splash to coffee.
Key specifications
| Volume | 50cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 17% |
Score: 71/100
The ultimate collaboration for Christmas, this limited-edition liqueur combines smooth, creamy Baileys with zesty Terry’s Chocolate Orange. A grown-up treat that’s pure festive magic.
Key specifications
| Volume | 50cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 17% |
More Tried & Tested drinks
The Good Housekeeping Institute has tested everything you need for your festive drinks trolley:
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
Callum is our Food and Drink Testing Manager and has been part of the world of professional catering for 10 years, from cheffing to food manufacturing. While working in manufacturing he specialised in bespoke product and menu development for several start-ups and well-known brands such as Wrap It Up! and HOP Vietnamese. He holds the WSET Level 2 in wine, a Level 3 in spirits and has a particular interest in agave spirits.
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