Meet, drink, shop: Your guide to surviving the next two weeks

'Tis the season ... BarChick checks out the best ways to drink your way through the festivities and Marie Winckler goes shopping

Speakeasy après-ski lodge, Alpine street food and fireside story-telling, yes please.

Dec 7-17, £7 entry, Magdalen House, 136-148 Tooley Street, SE1, (theskyroom.co.uk)

Winter Wonderland
Don't miss the Spiegel Saloon here: a small hut on the outside, a huge circus tent on the inside with DJs, cabaret, and bands to keep you moving.
Hyde Park, (hydeparkwinterwonderland.com)

Beach Blanket Babylon
Set in an old Georgian house with a mix of baroque, French country style and decadence. Booze by the bottle and a killer fireplace (the mouth of a giant bearded head).
45 Ledbury Road, W11, (beachblanket.co.uk)

Powder Keg Diplomacy
A fire, midget Christmas trees, mulled cider and many cocktails (£7.50). Three-bird roasts on offer if you're hungry.
147 St John's Hill, SW11, (powderkegdiplomacy.co.uk)

Flute
Brand new champagne bar offering drinkers 100 varieties by the bottle and 25 by the glass. Its speakeasy-style setting features regular jazz acts and a great selection of flights.
4 Great Portland Street, W1, flutebar.com

French Bubbles
Sip on Grower champagne at this Covent Garden pop-up bar and shop. Family-made fizz and snacks of tartines, cheese and charcuterie, too.
22 Wellington Street, WC2, (frenchbubbles.co.uk)

Claridges Bar
The bar here is as luxe as it gets. There are almost as many labels on their menu as there are twinkling lights on the Lanvin Christmas tree.
Claridges Hotel, Brook Street, W1 (claridges.co.uk)

Tea
This is popping up in cocktails everywhere. Try it in the Rooibos White Rum Sour at Caravan, Exmouth Market, EC1 (£8, caravanonexmouth.co.uk), or in Cut where tea infused spirits sit in clear kettles (£16, 45parklane.com).

Small spirits
New artisan products taste better than those churned out by the big guns. Sacred Gin (sacredspiritscompany.com) is made in a north London kitchen, Compass Box Whiskey (compassboxwhisky.com) comes from Chiswick and Chase Vodka (chasedistillery.co.uk) is a by-product of Kettle Chips. Support the little people and ask for any cocktail using these instead.

Angostura
Originally used for medicinal purposes, there's more to bitters than Angostura. Now the pros are using it everywhere. Try the gingerbready spice of the limited edition Christmas Bitters (£10, bokersbitters.co.uk).

Roka
For a spicy Japanese spin, Roka in Canary Wharf mixes in plum sake, apple, cinnamon and plump cherries. We think it's best drunk on its patio overlooking the ice rink.
40 Canada Square, E14 (£8, rokarestaurant.com)

Artesian bar at the Langham
Never the shy types, the Artesian Bar at the Langham Hotel sets Johnny Walker Black on fire and serves it over hot lava stones with a crystallised sugar stick.
1c Portland Place, W1 (£14.50, artesian-bar.co.uk)

Bunga Bunga
Bored with the way the English do mulled wine? Try Italy's version and grab an Inverno a Napoli at Bunga Bunga.
37 Battersea Bridge Road, SW11 (£6.50, bungabunga-london.com)

A decent Bloody Mary
Portobello Star does a great one, Hawksmoor has a decent range, but the Connaught's wins.
(£7.50, portobellostarbar.co.uk; £7.50, thehawksmoor.co.uk; £12, the-connaught.co.uk).

Spa and a bar
The Porchester Spa has a steam room, a sauna and opens late. Follow up with a hair of the dog at the Vestal pop-up cocktail bar and the pop-up cinema in Whiteleys shopping centre.
(Porchester Spa, The Porchester Centre, W2; Nomad Cinema, whereisthenomad.com; Whiteleys Shopping Centre, 144-151 Queensway, W2, whiteleys.com)

For the sexy drinker in your life
New brand Vestal has branched out from its Polish vodkas to bring us Vestal Amber (aka sexy juice), a vodka and elderberry flower based liqueur in a gorgeous bottle. £30/500ml, (vestalvodka.com/shop)

For the mad scientist/ creative type
Get all gin lovers to the Portobello Star's Ginstitute. £100 sounds steep but they'll go home a Gin Master Distiller equipped with a full bottle of their own creation.
(portobellostarbar.co.uk)

For the wine lover
Take your guest to Vinopolis not only to sample all sorts of wines, but to also try whiskeys, beers, and even absinthes from all around the world. Tours £27-£40, (vinopolis.co.uk)