8 ingredients you need to make great cocktails this Christmas

Impress friends and family this Christmas by stocking your liquor cabinet with these versatile spirits.

Citrus and sugar are the must-have bar perishables, to make sugar syrup stir equal parts sugar and water until dissolved and refrigerate.

When it comes to a cocktail shaker, a jar with a secure screw lid is more usable than most at-home cocktail equipment.

Gin is an evergreen crowd pleaser from martinis to G&Ts.

Australian gin-makers have enjoyed a decade full of experimentation using native flora (and fauna) to establish an international reputation for thought-provoking distilling.

These gins are fun, but if you are stocking one gin make it London dry style.

Reach for gin on a hot summer's evening to make a refresher for yourself or a punch bowl for the party.

Bartenders use a simple recipe of 1 part sugar: 2 parts citrus: 3 parts spirit to form the basis for the 'sour' family of cocktails, which includes southsides and Tom Collins.

Try a handful of frozen berries in a glass with gin, ice, lemon, sugar syrup and a splash of soda to make an easy Bramble cocktail or replace the berries with other fruits or aromatics to experiment.

If you love a 'Sbagliato you already know about Campari. This bitter Italian aperitif is a mainstay in bars around the world from Venice's Harry's Bar to New York's Attaboy.

The Negroni cocktail helped popularise this aperitif in a simple recipe including gin, sweet vermouth and Campari.

But consider a pineapple and dark rum refresher, jungle bird, next time you want to impress friends with your Campari cocktail skills.

The intense sweetness and bitterness of Campari can frighten away novice drinkers but paired with a slug of orange or grapefruit juice can cure any dusty Christmas hangover.

This fortified red wine is the third ingredient in a Negroni cocktail and is a refreshing alternative to mulled wine when served simply over ice with a slice of orange.

A little extra expense goes a long way with sweet vermouth, go for something dark-coloured and rich-flavoured from Spain or Italy.

A splash of sweet vermouth can be added to bourbon or scotch to make a delicious 'Manhattan' style cocktail.

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Dry vermouth is a quiet achiever but essential in many classic drinks including the martini and 'perfect' Manhattan.

This aromatised white wine is delicious over ice with a slice of orange and has a silky texture and subtle sweetness.

Inexpensive dry vermouth is acceptable in many drinks but avoid using anything too sweet or bitter.

Bourbon is a great at-home cocktail whisky for drinkers avoiding the smokiness and minerality of Scotch or Irish whiskies.

Bourbon is widely applicable in classic drinks including old fashioned cocktails, Manhattans and whisky sours.

There is no need to fork-out for expensive corn spirits, mid-range bourbons offer great value for money.

Drink bourbon neat to evoke an air of 1950's advertising executive or with Malteasers for a Christmas afternoon food pairing.

Dark rum is underestimated, the rich molasses spirit is remarkably versatile.

Drink the darkest rum you can find neat with Christmas pudding or as a replacement for white rum in a refreshing tropical mojito.

To win friends at Christmas lunch with a show-stopping pina colada, shake 3 parts rum, 2 parts pineapple juice and 1 part sugar syrup, light coconut cream, lime juice and pour over ice to serve.

Or try inky black-strap rum in the national drink of Bermuda, dark 'n stormy, by topping dark rum with ginger beer and a wedge of lime.

A curve ball, I know.

Yuzushu is made from the Japanese citrus fruit Yuzu, which has the acidity of lemon and the warmth of mandarin.

Tasting a little like limoncello, yuzushu can be served as a palate cleanser after a rich lunch or pour equal parts yuzushu and soda water over ice for the refreshing drink of the summer.

The bottle of expensive yuzushu will be noticeably more delicious, consider buying a more premium option.

Yuzushu can also be useful in cooking, deglaze fresh summer dishes with a splash of yuzushu for bright acidity and sweetness.

The importance of bitters cannot be overstated, a drop of this liquid can transform an average cocktail into an exceptional one.

Angostura bitters are a mainstay behind bars around the world for use in classic drinks like old fashioned cocktails, Trinidad sours and lemon, lime and bitters.

Don't be afraid to use a heavy-hand, the days of rolling a single drop around the inside of a glass are long behind us.