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The best bottled cocktails for Christmas and New Year’s Eve
So you can enjoy negronis, espresso martinis and piña colada in minutes
Tested by Georgia TurnellGHI Food & Drink Tester
Sure, shaking and stirring martinis to order may sound like fun, but when you’re playing host or looking for a quick getting-ready tipple, the last thing you want to be doing is measuring out liqueurs and muddling your mint.
As well as sheer convenience when it comes to entertaining, a bottled cocktail also makes the perfect gift. So, we got busy trying a selection of ready-made cocktails at the Good Housekeeping Institute, from classic gin-based serves to popular espresso martinis, to find the perfect pour.
All that’s left for you to do is grab the glasses and garnish — we’ll drink to that!
Best bottled cocktails 2025
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Best supermarket bottled cocktail and joint best espresso martini
ASDA Extra Special Salted Caramel Espresso Martini
Read review - 4
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The best Christmas food and drink for 2025, revealed
How we test bottled cocktails
Our panel — made up of WSET-trained experts and consumers – tested 36 bottled cocktails to find those worthy of a space on your drinks trolley. Each was tasted “blind” to avoid brand bias and served according to the brand's recommendation.
Testers were looking for ready-made serves that matched the quality you’d expect of a freshly mixed drink. These are the ones they recommend for stress-free hosting.
Score: 86/100
Is it even Christmas without a glass of eggnog? Granted, it’s probably the only time of the year you’ll indulge in the traditional beverage, so you’ll want to ensure it’s a good one.
That’s where this ready-to-serve cocktail comes in. It uses the delicious Duppy Share Aged Rum as a base, layering on Christmassy notes of nutmeg and vanilla. And at just 7% ABV, it’s not too heavy.
Key specifications
| ABV | 7% |
|---|---|
| Volume | 50cl |
Score: 86/100
As cocktails go, the negroni is an easy one to create. Containing equal measures of gin, Campari and vermouth, the key to a perfect serve is the quality of the spirits – and that’s where Moore House comes in.
The vermouth is the star of the show here, adding a pleasingly bitter, herbaceous note, followed by bright orange, a touch of salt and botanical gin. Pour over ice, stir and garnish with an orange twist, and you're good to go.
Key specifications
| ABV | 28% |
|---|---|
| Volume | 50cl |
ASDA Extra Special Salted Caramel Espresso Martini
Score: 81/100
This fun pre-mixed cocktail from ASDA is ideal for your next drinks party. The amped up espresso martini has been elevated with salted caramel, which adds a rich, velvety bitter chocolate and vanilla note that complements the powerful coffee. Our panel loved it, and we think it’s the ultimate easy drinking cocktail.
Key specifications
| ABV | 10% |
|---|---|
| Volume | 70cl |
Score: 81/100
Using quality ingredients, this is a classic espresso martini done right. Not too sweet or too bitter, our panel found Kocktail's version incredibly smooth and easy to drink, with a caramelised, smoky aroma.
Key specifications
| ABV | 20% |
|---|---|
| Volume | 50cl |
Score: 79/100
Tails has created a top-notch espresso martini – just add to a shaker for the obligatory frothy top. Sweet, creamy and oh-so-smooth – there’s no better way to round off your evening.
Key specifications
| ABV | 14.9% |
|---|---|
| Volume | 50cl |
Score: 79/100
Like liquid sunshine, if you could bottle the feeling of being on holiday, this would be it! The notes of pineapple and coconut are natural-tasting and refreshing, refraining from being too sweet. Just add ice and turn up the heating for instant summer vibes.
Key specifications
| ABV | 10% |
|---|---|
| Volume | 70cl |
Score: 75/100
Move over bucks fizz – there’s a new festive spritz in town. This ready-to-drink sparkler, flavoured with blackcurrant, clocks in at just 5% ABV, making it a light and refreshing aperitif for entertaining.
Key specifications
| ABV | 5% |
|---|---|
| Volume | 75cl |
Score: 72/100
For a fiery finish to the Christmas feast, look no further. Inspired by the classic Tommy's Margarita, this spicy serve layers quality tequila with lashings of lime and chilli – just pour over ice!
Key specifications
| ABV | 16% |
|---|---|
| Volume | 50cl |
Score: 71/100
Morrisons’ limited-edition amaretto sour “smells like Christmas”, according to our testers. They adored the nutty marzipan note, which is balanced by lemon citrus. Team with salty snacks, or decadent desserts.
Key specifications
| ABV | 8% |
|---|---|
| Volume | 75cl |
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
Georgia has been part of the hospitality industry for the last nine years. Her starting point was the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu culinary school where she gained a Diplôme de Pâtisserie. She has worked at a number of well-known restaurants and bakeries including The Club at the Ivy and Ottolenghi, Notting Hill where she was the head pastry chef. Most recently, Georgia worked at The Clink Bakery inside HMP Brixton, which aims to reduce reoffending through teaching. She is an expert in all things baked goods and holds a WSET level 2 in wine.
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