Best Spirits for Winter: Outstanding Gin, Rum and Vodka Made Exclusively for Us

Back in 2020, our very talented buyer, Dave Roberts, began to collaborate with a number of small distilleries across the UK to create a range of spirits exclusive to Virgin Wines, and therefore only available to our wonderful customers. That means you really cannot get your hands on these anywhere else. We’ve picked out a few of our favourites which we believe are perfect for these colder months.

Best Vodkas

Whether you’re a person who enjoys sipping on a flavoured vodka neat over ice, or perhaps prefer shaking yours into a lively cocktail, we have an incredible range of exclusive vodkas which have your name written all over them.

We begin with two flavoured vodkas from our very own Distil:31 range, which are utterly delicious at this time of year. Our Distil:31 Flywheel Vanilla Vodka has a wonderfully smooth, mouth coating texture, with a gentle vanilla sweetness, and a subtle kick to finish – as to be expected from any exceptional vodka. Try over ice with a splash of soda and a few fresh strawberries, or perhaps shaken into a martini for an added sweetness. Crack this open on a wintery evening, and you are in for a real treat.

If you are looking for something with a little added warmth then look no further than our Distil:31 Cylinder Head Toffee Vodka. Lusciously smooth and silky, this vodka has an intense toffee sweetness which is expertly balanced by the alcohol. We have kept this vodka at 40% ABV, making it a ‘proper’ vodka, and meaning you get to really taste the purity of this spirit (which can sometimes be lost in flavoured vodkas). This one is best served neat over ice, whilst cosied up in front of the fire for the ultimate delight.

For something a little fresher, our Melody Botanical Vodka could be just the ticket. If you are perhaps a gin fan usually, this vodka is a rather new style which fuses the fresh purity of vodka with lifted botanicals, just like in gin – minus the juniper, of course. The botanicals used in this include dried yuzu slices, lime, lemon, orange and grapefruit zest, creating a wonderfully citrussy and light spirit which dances on the palate. Whether you want to keep things simple and serve over ice with tonic, or perhaps add to a cocktail as a gin replacement, this vodka is delightfully diverse.

Best Gins

With the gin craze in full swing and showing no signs of stopping, of course we had to produce some of our very own exclusive gins especially for our brilliant customers.

Our range began back in 2020 with the introduction of our L&C London Dry Gin, hand-crafted and produced locally on our behalf by Master Distiller Jake Wilson. Jake certainly knows a thing or two about producing exceptional, small batch, quality gin. And that is exactly what we have here. Using his 7 years of experience, Jake created a gin which has beautiful balance with classic pine notes from the juniper coming through, followed by layers of lime and cardamom. The gin really does all the talking here, so grab yourself a bottle and serve over ice with a splash of tonic for a truly sublime G&T.

After falling in love with the L&C gin, we decided we had no option but to work with Jake on more beautifully crafted gins. So we did just that! Our Festival Spiced Orange Gin is an absolute winner over the festive season. Zesty orange flavours are tangled with sweet, spicy cinnamon notes for a heart-warming tipple which will bring smiles all round to all those lucky enough to try it. For an extra indulgent winter treat, perfect for Christmas, try mixing a shot of this gin with a couple of teaspoons of honey, and a squeeze of lemon, before topping up with boiling water and garnishing with a cinnamon stick. Oh it doesn’t get more festive than this.

We didn’t stop there, our Festival Zesty Lemon Gin is another showstopper. Produced in batches no bigger than 300 bottles, this gin is packed full of bright lemony flavours. This one is a great palate cleanser at the end of a meal, just add a little tonic and a slice of lemon. Pure bliss.

Best Pink and Sloe Gins

Another welcome addition to the spirits cabinet over the festive season is sloe gin. Wonderful neat or added to some wintery cocktails, such as a Hot Toddy, our Distil:31 Spindle Sloe Gin is a must. We have taken our popular Distil:31 Gooseneck London Dry Gin and cranked it up a few notches by steeping it with perfectly ripe sloe berries, creating a deliciously plummy flavour that’s sweet, spicy and warming all at the same time. What more could you wish for at this time of year?

If sloe gin doesn’t take your fancy, perhaps rhubarb is more up your street. This Distil:31 Roller Rhubarb Gin is crisp and tangy with notes of citrus and fragrant star anise. Produced at a family-run distillery in North Yorkshire, this pink gin is made with heaps of love and care. Mix this with some ginger ale for an irresistible boozy treat.

Over to another pink gin now, our L&C Raspberry Pink Gin is hand-crafted in small batches, again by Jake Wilson. Some people assume pink gin is one for summer, and although there is no denying this is refreshing on a sunny day, it can be equally as satisfying all year round. This expertly crafted spirit has layers of flavour with bright, fresh, raspberry notes, followed by slightly earthier, bitter tones. Peppercorns are also used in the distillation adding a delicate spice.

Best Rums

Finally, we need to talk rum. Of course, we couldn’t forget to include a range of bespoke, hand-crafted, beautifully flavoured Caribbean rums in our exclusive range of spirits. And its fair to say our range of Carina rums tick all of those boxes.

One which is a firm favourite of ours is the Carina Pineapple Spiced Rum. Three year old Jamaican rum is aged in ex-bourbon barrels creating a complex and unique flavour profile. We then marry it up with natural pineapple and citrus flavours for an utterly delicious experience. Perfect for winter cocktails to add a warming touch.

If you want something to sip on neat instead, our Carina 5 Year Old Sipping Rum is ideal. A beautifully dark amber rum with heaps of freshness on the nose and layers of rich raisin and soft caramel on the palate. Crafted from two distinct rums, and blended to create a fusion of flavours which work harmoniously together, this will satisfy even the most discerning of rum drinkers.

Our Carina 3 Year Old Golden Rum is another classic. A blend of 25% pot still rum and 75% column still rum is used to craft a spirit full of intrigue. Also aged in ex-bourbon barrels to add soft spicy notes, this golden rum has hints of toffee. This one makes an ideal base in all sorts festive concoctions you may be knocking together over the coming months.