Sorry Snowballs, but your days are numbered. The latest festive drink to make waves is a rather unexpected number that we tasted at the Sainsbury's Christmas show last week – and we're already calling it the drink of Christmas 2026.
Meet Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Clemencello, a bright, citrusy twist on the classic Italian limoncello that swaps lemons for sweet, juicy clementines. It's one of those bottles that immediately catches your eye thanks to its beautiful amber-orange colour, making it just as lovely to gift as it is to sip on after dinner.
We were lucky enough to try it ahead of its launch, and it tasted absolutely incredible. Fresh, bright and zingy, tasting just like freshly squeezed clementines with a lovely natural sweetness that keeps it from becoming too sharp. It's vibrant, refreshing and somehow manages to feel both festive and light at the same time.
Sainsbury's recommends serving it straight from the freezer as an after-dinner digestif, but we'd also happily pour it into a glass of chilled prosecco with a splash of soda for an easy Christmas spritz. It would also make a delicious clementine martini shaken with vodka and plenty of ice, or simply poured over tonic with a slice of orange for a lighter festive serve.
The 500ml bottle costs £16 and lands in Sainsbury's stores and online from 27 September. If you're looking to move beyond the usual snowballs and mulled wine this Christmas, we'd definitely recommend adding this to your drinks trolley.
Mel is the Senior Food & Drink Writer for Good Housekeeping UK, covering all the delicious new product launches that come her way, writing about food and drink topics, and curating gift guides for the best foodie products to buy. Alongside that, she can be found developing and creating cocktails for GH and holds her WSET Level 2 in Wine and Spirits. She was part of the Good Housekeeping Institute food testing team for over four years before moving over to the digital side, so knows a thing or two about great food products. You'll find her scouring the supermarket shelves in her spare time for new and exciting ingredients to experiment with in her kitchen.
