The Christmas Capsule Cocktail Bar
Christmas Cocktails – Will you be going ‘out-out’ this festive season?
Christmas is usually the time of year when we forget the troubles of the last year and celebrate with parties, food and drinks with our families and friends. That said, with purse strings pulled a bit tighter this year, our Christmas festivities might be looking a little different.
At this time of year, pubs, restaurants, and bars will be expecting an influx of bookings for big parties, and to reap deposits, booking fees and bar tabs worth thousands of pounds, especially with people drinking more and more extravagantly around Christmas time.
Overall, although traditional, going out and partying at Christmas can be a very expensive affair. So will we be staying ‘in-in’ this Christmas?
Freemans surveyed 2,000 over-18s in the UK to reveal how our feelings and habits surrounding going out at Christmas are planning to change – including how much we initially spend on going at Christmas, how much we may save having drinks at home, and how to effectively build an at-home Christmas bar which will allow you to celebrate whilst spending less.
Whether you’re drinking at home or out and about, always remember to drink responsibly.
How much does the average Brit spend on going out at Christmas?
Our study found that the average person goes on a big night out 3 times over the festive period. For Gen Z, this average bumps up to 5 times, but only 2 for those over 55. With us going out more over Christmas, it tots up additional bills alongside the food, the presents, and the traveling.
With the average Brit spending £31.49 on each Christmas night out, they’re spending nearly £95 on night outs alone over the festive period. This goes up to a whooping £262 for those aged between 18 and 34.
How much does the average Brit spend on partying at home at Christmas?
With no one in the UK needing that kind of additional bill, especially at Christmas, how does it compare if we make staying in the new Christmas tradition?
34% of Brits agreed that they tend to spend more when they are out compared to celebrating the festivities at home.
When asked how much they spend on a night in over the Christmas period, 30% Brits stated they spend an average of £10-£15, nearly half as much as they would going out. This makes it the much cheaper and preferred option this Christmas.
In fact, 27% of Brits stated that they will be making a conscious effort to go out less across the holidays, and a quarter of Brits said that they won’t be going out at all this Christmas to save money.
That said, we investigated how much we will be saving across Britain by making staying in-in the new going out-out.
According to our findings, if the average Brit were to stay in the nights they were going out, they would save an average of £39.29 per festive period. That’s enough for a couple of extra presents, Christmas choccies, or a cocktail-making kit and accessories to keep at home and save every year!
Your Capsule Christmas Cocktail Bar
Whilst tis’ the season to have a festive tipple, we’re also accustomed to gift a lot of alcohol too. This means we should have everything we need to whip something up mixologist style, to give the feeling of a big, celebratory night out in the comfort of your home. But what are we drinking at Christmas?
The most popular tipple at Christmas is wine, but the top three most popular spirits are Gin, Vodka and Whiskey – great staples to any at-home cocktail bar.
And with more people staying at home this Christmas and 32% saying they’re hosting a party this year, they’ll be wanting to bring the glitz and glam of a festive cocktail bar to their front rooms for a cheap alternative. That said, our stats found that nearly a third of millennials have bought bar/cocktail equipment in the run-up to Christmas.
So once you’ve got your stocked bar, cart or cupboard, you’ll need to know what people will want to create. That said, we asked the nation what their favourite cocktails are, many of which can be made with the tipples that can usually be found the Christmas tree!
According to our study, the nation craves a little tropical getaway in the winter months with the Pina Colada coming out top as the number one cocktail. That said, gen z’s favourite cocktail came out as the infamous Pornstar Martini, with 1 in 10 choosing that as their go to.
So if you’re thinking of sticking the Christmas songs on and turning your living room into the most festive bar in town, we have your back! Here’s everything you need to whip up the nation’s favourite cocktails at home.
Summary
Despite things feeling a little bit tighter this year, Christmas is still all about celebrating, having fun, and being with the people you love. Christmas parties don’t have to be a big affair with additional costs of booking, taxis, and bar tabs, they can instead be in the comfort of your own home with Christmas songs, your very own selection of Christmas tipples and your cocktail-making skills.
If you need to freshen up your at home cocktail bar ready for Christmas, be sure to check out our range of glasses, equipment and accessories! And remember, always drink responsibly.
Methodology
We surveyed 2,001 over 18s to find alcohol/drinking habits during the festive season and how these will shift in light of the cost of living crisis. Cocktail recipes were scraped from BBC GoodFood, and prices of alcohol were based on Aldi’s prices as it was voted the most popular UK supermarket.
About Victoria Copley
Victoria Copley has written 6 posts in this blog.