Expert Guides
What Drinks should you serve for a Burns Night celebration?
January 21, 2026
Drinks for a traditional Burns Night
Burns Night is made for good food, good company and a well-chosen drink. While tradition plays its part, the best Burns Night drinks are the ones that suit the food, the moment and the people around the table.
If you’re hosting at home, the focus doesn’t need to be complicated. A small number of thoughtful choices will always feel more fitting than an overworked drinks list.
What makes a good Burns Night drink?
Burns Night food is rich, savoury and comforting. Haggis, whether traditional or vegetarian, is deeply flavoured and often peppery, usually served with buttery mash and seasonal vegetables.
Drinks that work well alongside this style of food tend to share a few qualities:
- Enough body to stand up to richness
- Freshness or balance to avoid feeling heavy
- A sense of occasion that suits a winter evening
With that in mind, certain styles naturally lend themselves to Burns Night.
Sparkling drinks to open the evening
A sparkling drink is a simple way to mark the start of the evening. It feels celebratory without dominating the meal and works well as guests arrive or gather around the table.
A sparkling wine such as our Brut Reserve works particularly well here, offering crisp acidity and fine bubbles that refresh the palate and prepare it for richer flavours to come. Served well chilled and in proper glassware, it sets the tone without asking for too much attention.
For something a little different, lightly sparkling drinks made in a traditional style, including sparkling mead, offer a softer, more rounded alternative while keeping the mood relaxed and festive.
Still wines with the main course
Despite common assumptions, Burns Night food pairs comfortably with wine.
Red wine
Medium-bodied reds tend to work best, particularly those with ripe fruit and gentle spice rather than firm tannins. These styles complement the savoury notes of haggis and sit naturally alongside mash and seasonal vegetables.
Our English Pinot Noir is a good example of a red wine that brings warmth and character without overpowering the dish.
White wine
An English white wine can work just as well, especially with vegetarian haggis or lighter interpretations of the supper. Fuller-bodied whites with texture hold their own against rich sides, while natural acidity keeps the pairing fresh.
Fruit wines as an alternative worth considering
Fruit wines are often overlooked, but they suit Burns Night particularly well.
Berry-led fruit wines share many of the same qualities as red wine, including depth, warmth and gentle sweetness. These characteristics allow them to sit comfortably alongside savoury food while offering something slightly unexpected.
Served at cellar temperature or lightly chilled, fruit wine often becomes a point of interest at the table without feeling out of place.
Drinks for after dinner
As the evening settles into conversation and readings, drinks tend to slow down.
Mead works naturally at this stage. Its honeyed richness suits dessert or a simple cheese course and feels warming without being heavy. A small glass enjoyed slowly is often all that’s needed.
Keeping it simple
You don’t need an extensive drinks list to host a memorable Burns Night. A small selection, chosen with the food and your guests in mind, will always feel more appropriate than trying to cover every option.
Burns Night is about shared moments, warmth and time around the table. Get that right, and the drinks will take care of themselves.
If you’re planning a Burns Night at home, a few thoughtfully chosen bottles can help set the tone. From a crisp Brut Reserve Sparkling NV to start the evening, to a warming Pinot Noir 2024 with the main course, a characterful Blackberry Wine as an alternative pairing, or a glass of Chilli mead to finish, our cellar offers a considered selection to suit a traditional Burns Night
