The festive season is all about spending time with those you love, so gather friends and family together for a Christmas drinks party this December. With the lure of delicious canapés and seasonal cocktails, who could say no? We’ve come up with a few tips and tricks to help you plan the perfect celebration, so all you need to do is follow our easy guide.

Serve delicious Christmas cocktails

[Waiting on imagery from Grey recipes]

The most important part of any Christmas drinks party? The cocktails, of course! Impress your guests with a few well-chosen festive tipples – a carefully crafted selection will ensure that you're not too busy to enjoy them yourself. Greet guests with a celebratory glass of cinnamon-eggnog, or a warming red wine Christmas punch. You could also whip up a batch of classic eggnog with sweet nutmeg for those seeking something sweet throughout the night.

After a more fuss-free solution? Get guests in on the action by creating your very own gin station, setting out different flavoured gins such as sloe, rhubarb, elderflower and strawberry, alongside a range of tonics. Add a festive touch with bowls of whole fragrant star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, juniper berries and nutmegs for guests to choose from – our spices beautifully enhance the botanicals in the gin.

Prepare festive canapés

[Waiting on imagery from Grey recipes]

To soak up those drinks, set a table full of delicious canapés. Place bowls of roasted nuts with exotic Garam Masala and golden cheddar cheese twists on the table for guests to nibble on when they arrive. Alternatively, give your Christmas party food a modern twist, with recipes such as our chorizo chilli peppers or smoked salmon canapé rolls – while a bowl of traditional sausage rolls is sure to go down a treat, too.

For those with a sweet tooth, try preparing our warming cinnamon-spiced Christmas macaroons or pecan crumble mince pies with warming mixed spice. Alternatively, pop a cheese board with our spiced apple and cranberry chutney onto the table and see how quickly guests flock to it.

Choose stunning decorations

A few festive decorations will really help set the scene. Save space by choosing small, minimalist twig trees rather than a sizeable traditional conifer – not only do they look elegant, but you can hang all sorts of delights on them with red ribbon. Striped candy canes, cinnamon-spiced Christmas cookies and homemade pomanders – with whole nutmegs and fragrant cloves – all look beautiful.

Dim the lights and create a cosy atmosphere using homemade candles with your favourite festive spices, then drape some fairy lights from the ceiling for a subtle glow. For a final flourish of festive fun, pin mistletoe to the doorframes – it is tradition, after all!

Set the party mood

Get guests in the party mood from the moment they walk in the door with a pre-prepared playlist. Fill it up with festive classics – no Christmas party is complete without a touch of Mariah Carey, after all. However, make sure to add some contemporary hits to the mix too to keep things fresh.

If you’re planning on any activities for your drinks party, keep them subtle so that guests can choose whether to get involved. Place boxes of Christmas props around the room full of Santa hats, beards and reindeer antlers alongside disposable cameras. That way, guests can enjoy taking fun photos throughout the night, leaving you with an album full of fond memories to look back on. After a game for the night? ‘Pin the Nose on Rudolph’ is a twist on a classic that could prove tricky after a couple of cocktails!