A North Staffordshire distillery has announced a collaboration with Wizzard frontman Roy Wood to mark a special anniversary of the hit I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday.
Nelson’s Distillery and School, in Uttoxeter, has worked with Roy to create a gin named after the much-loved festive tune to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
The tipple, which has an alcohol ABV of 45 per cent, is a limited batch and has been distilled in-house.
It is described as tasting “like Christmas cake” in a bottle and uses only the finest botanical ingredients, including cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, mulled spices, orange, pink peppercorns and juniper.
Nelson’s founder Neil Harrison said: “I think this is the most Christmassy gin we’ve ever made.
“It truly is something very special and we think it is the taste of Christmas.”
Nelson’s has previously collaborated with renowned personalities such as Michelin Star chef Michel Roux Jr and Saturday Kitchen host and chef Matt Tebbutt.
Roy himself is also no stranger to creating his own drinks, having come up with music-themed spirits – a Christmas Cheer brew and another called Blackberry Way, based on a hit song from his days with The Move – for Nelson’s in the past two years.
With a massive following in the UK, Germany, and the USA, Roy’s creations often top the company’s sales charts.
Roy said: “Neil got in touch a couple of years ago to see if I would be interested in creating my own gin. Nelson’s is a great gin school and so I came along to help design something very special.
“Because the first one we did was so nice, we thought we’d have a go at another Christmas one. The special anniversary gin is fruity and I want you to close your eyes to enjoy it as it tastes like Christmas cake.
“It is what you want at Christmas. It’s a reasonable alcohol percentage as well.”
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday famously features Roy singing accompanied by the vocals of a children’s school choir and, despite the passing of the years, has graced many a yuletide celebration over the past five decades.
Despite its long-lasting popularity, it only reached number four in the UK Singles Chart.
Roy said: “It’s strange to think it’s the 50th anniversary of I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. It was a shock when people were coming to me at the beginning of the year to say this, it’s amazing.
“Time has just flown by. Because it’s a Christmas song, it doesn’t date which is why I think it is so well-loved still. It’s great as an artist when young people are singing along to my song after all this time.”
- The I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday gin, which costs £38 for a 50cl bottle goes on general sale at 11am on Friday, 6 October. A presale, with the first 20 bottles being hand signed by Roy, sold out quickly today, 29 September.
