Scrooge may have suffered at the hands of spirits past, present and future, but putting spirit drinking into those categories is a neat idea. Spirits have become fashionable and knowing your Moskovskaya from your Zubrowka is now as vital as knowing your Gucci from your Prada.
Export-strength gins, barrel-aged rums, worm-infested sipping mescals and single malt whiskies are proliferating as aspirational drinkers embrace the authenticity of a rare or unpronounceable label. Let's take a look at the way our tastes have changed and glance into the crystal ball to see what the future holds.
Bombay Sapphire (around £13.50)
anqueray export strength (around £14.50)
Famous Grouse (around £12.70)
Drinks of Christmas present
Ch?teau du Tariquet Vieil Armagnac XO (Waitrose, £20.75)
Drinks of Christmas future
Grappa di Sperss, Gaia and Rey