Ahhh Australian Christmas - the proverbial hot, balmy, sticky summer’s day. Unlike our friends in the Northern Hemisphere whose Christmas may involve watching the snow fall and rugging up with a hot chocolate, the typical Aussie Christmas looks more like barbecues, seafood, swimming and sipping before eventually posting up somewhere shady - satisfied, full and worn out from the day’s festivities.
Our Christmases are usually pretty damn hot. Combined with the fact that by and large we love to crack a cold beverage or two, this means that along with all of the beautiful Christmas food being served, drinks are also a top priority. But that doesn’t mean we have to settle for just any ol’ standard can of beer or cheap bottle of wine. That’s why you’ve got us. To help you find, create and curate the perfect drinks list to accompany the Chrissy festivities.
These are some of our top tier drinks for Christmas day. Pick and choose, take inspiration or if you're in it for the long haul, feel free to try them all! Let the celebrations begin.
Mimosas
A delicious combination of sparkling wine and orange juice, mimosas are the perfect drink to kick off the day and get the fun times rolling. Simultaneously fizzy and zingy, this classic brunch commodity is a simple affair, but a delicious one, nonetheless. Choosing a quality sparkling for this drink and squeezing your own fresh juice will take this one to a whole ’nother level. Serve in a chilled tall champagne flute.
Sangria: Katnook Estate 2017 Founder's Block Cabernet Sauvignon
A great go-to cocktail of sorts for Christmas Day is a pitcher or two of sangria. It’s fun, light and can be made with a variety of different ingredients. Put simply, it’s a refreshing winner for any hot day and can be easily made in large quantities, meaning you won’t have to be standing in the kitchen selflessly making everyone’s drinks. And you get to snack on the fruit as you sip. Win-win! If you’re looking for a perfect recipe, we’ve got you sorted right here.
Riesling: Brave Souls 2018 Lighthouse Keeper Riesling
A crisp white wine like a Riesling is the perfect wine to accompany a Christmas lunch. Typically, the Australian Christmas lunch these days isn’t packed full of hot foods like roast turkey and vegetables but instead consists of a variety of different dishes. Think fresh seafood, an assortment of salads, some meat on the barbie and Christmas ham. This wine we’ve picked out has notes of lemon and melon and will pair perfectly with the lighter style of dishes listed.
Rosé: Mr Riggs 2019 Mr Brightside Grenache Rosé
Some people just aren’t that into white wine. Perhaps you’re scarred from the days of drinking Fruity Lexia (it does not make you sexier - trust us) or it’s simply not your thing, that’s ok. We recommend a fresh and fruity rosé like Mr Brightside. It will cleanse the palate nicely and pair equally as well as white wine with a light lunch. It’s also the ideal drink to have with a Christmas dessert such as pavlova, with dry notes of pomegranate and raspberry offsetting the sweetness of the meringue and complementing the fresh fruit on top.
These are just some of the quintessential wines and wine-based cocktails to complement a warm Aussie Christmas and give your day an extra little sparkle. If you’re anything like us you’ll be trying out a variety of these drinks throughout the day, so enjoy and get ready to embrace the inevitable food coma. Merry Christmas!
