Rock Legend Roy Wood Marks 50th Anniversary of Wizzard’s Hit Holiday Song With ‘Christmas Cake’ Gin
Wizzard’s legend Roy Wood bottles up Christmas in a collaborative gin celebrating a cherished holiday song’s milestone anniversary. (Photo: Nelson’s Distillery)
Celebrating 50 years of the beloved Christmas anthem “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday,” iconic glam rock figure Roy Wood of Wizzard has partnered with Nelson’s Distillery & School in the United Kingdom to craft a special gin bearing the song’s name.
Guided by the expertise of Nelson’s founder, Neil Harrison, Wood played a lead role in the gin’s design, ensuring it embodied the essence of the holiday season. Having previously collaborated on distinct gin creations like “Christmas Cheer” and “Blackberry Way,” Wood recognized the opportune moment to mark this significant music milestone.
“Neil got in touch a couple of years ago to see if I would be interested in creating my own gin,” Wood shared. “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.”
(Photo: Nelson’s Distillery)
The commemorative tipple, described as “Christmas cake in a bottle,” boasts a holiday-spiced blend of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, mulled spices, pink peppercorns and juniper.
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday Gin will be available for pre-sale on September 29 — with the first 20 bottles bearing Wood’s autograph.
Reflecting on the enduring appeal of “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday,” Wood expressed amazement at the song’s 50th anniversary.
“It’s strange to think it’s the 50th anniversary of I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday,” the Wizzard and Electric Light Orchestra co-founder said. “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.”
Clocking in at 45% ABV, Wood’s gin will be available exclusively through Nelson’s Distillery & School (nelsonsdistillery.co.uk), priced at £38 ($46.20) per 50cl bottle.
“I think this is the most Christmassy gin we’ve ever made,” Harrison added. “It’s the strongest Christmas gin we’ve made as Roy likes it strong, it has more botanicals in than the other gins.
“It truly is something very special and we think it is the taste of Christmas.”
Read next:
8 Christmas-Inspired Gins Sure to Get You Into the Holiday Spirit
The Perfect Holiday Spirit? Gin Distilled With Christmas Pudding to Return This Year
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