Brilliantly Boozy Bits and Bobs

'Tis almost the season for officially making merry - as if you really need an excuse. Whether you are hosting a seasonal soiree, looking for a present for your favourite booze hound, or simply fancy treating yourself, here are some of my favourite tips for those who like their tipples.

The practicality of a coaster and a cocktail recipe, all presented in gorgeous retro style? It's really no surprise I love Carly Dodsley's range from the Southbank Centre. There are four designs of these gorgeous ceramic coasters to pick from, each given their own colour scheme. There's the Gin Sour pictured, or you could go for an Applejack Sour, a Deauville or a tasty Pick-Me-Up. They're oh-so-easy to pick up at £6 each.

More coasters, and this time for people who might fancy some beer as much as some whisky or gin. These letterpress beer mats have been designed especially for the V&A Shop by A Two Pipe Problem. For only a couple of quid each, in my head they are A Two Pound Party.

The Fishs Eddy range at Liberty also plays on the vintage cocktail thing brilliantly. They've got a range of four different recipe glasses, including the seductive charms of the Merry Widow shown above. Or mix yourself up a Blue Devil, a Brandy Sour or a Moulin Rouge for a very merry little Christmas. The glasses are each £6.95.

Anthropologie may be calling these Cocktail chatter napkins but really it's all about the fizz. "It's never to cold for champagne," according to this little set of four napkins. Well, if you insist. They're yours for £20. The champagne's on ice, obviously.

Though we're now so many drinks in, your power of recall might not be what it should but you might remember Crispin Finn's cocktail prints? A select few of the designs are now available as tea towels, including the Negroni. They're priced at £12 and a suitable treat for finally doing the washing up, perhaps?

Finally, actual booze! You'd be very lucky if one of these Cocktail lover gift kits turned up in your Christmas stocking. It's proper fancy - as you'd expect with a £115 price tag -  with matching rose gold cocktail strainer, jigger and shaker, as well as swizzle sticks and martini glasses. Oh, and that actual booze - a nice bottle of Sipsmith Barley vodka in this case. Cheers!