The one thing I do every year to help combat the Christmas chaos

When so much of everyday life is geared towards other people and their needs, I like to take some time for myself around Christmas – with my favourite tipple, of course, writes Rosamund Hall

Amid the Christmas chaos, I like to take myself off to a quiet corner and have a brief moment of solitude – a few minutes (or thirty) alone, away from my partner, son and assorted family members.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy the festivities – in fact, quite the opposite. But when so much of the day, and, indeed, month, is dedicated to bringing others joy, picking and wrapping presents, attending events and cooking extravagant five-course meals, even the most social of us need a bit of R&R.

Some people watch Die Hard at Christmas to relax, others take solace in baking. I, however, take a moment with Tanqueray Ten, a whisper of dry vermouth, and a twist of lemon – also known as the martini.

There is something so unapologetically indulgent about a martini. It is a cocktail that stirs the imagination with images of sultry bars filled with spies, writers and film stars. A scene that is in stark contrast to my life – which is mostly filled with monotonous daily routines, family responsibilities, financial pressures, anxieties around work, and trying to stay healthy and balanced.

The alchemy of a martini is incomparable. I am yet to understand how the simple combination of gin, vermouth and the oils released from the rind of a lemon can reset me – I am just grateful that it does.

In an ideal world, I would be enjoying it in either The American Bar at The Savoy or tucked into a nook at Duke’s, as the rosewood martini trolley is wheeled over for me to be served table-side. But I’d equally take Sunny’s, a perfect dive bar in Red Hook, Brooklyn, where I drank one of the best martinis of my life, mixed by (the now deceased) Sunny himself – enjoying blissful solitary equilibrium.

Of course drinking is a social activity and, generally speaking, wines, cocktails, beers – or whatever your tipple of choice is – taste better when shared with others. And I am not talking about getting drunk or going on a binge here. Rather, it is about the satisfaction gained from time spent by myself, doing something luxurious that is only about my pleasure.

In that moment, I have made a conscious and considered decision to prioritise myself – and when I take that first sip, time slows and the intense noise of my mind falls silent for a brief moment. A martini is a drink that demands attention; you can’t mindlessly neck it or take big gulps. In fact, the reward comes in the very act of drinking it slowly and thoughtfully.

Every day, we are bombarded with the constant need to be connected, and the world sometimes feels so unrelentingly busy. But, when I’m drinking a martini by myself, it serves not only as refreshment, but a reminder that the most meaningful relationship is the one I have with myself. And that if I take care of that, the foundations for all other relationships will be solid.

I feel a renewed confidence and zeal for life once I’ve enjoyed the zesty kick of a citrus-forward gin, gently kissed by vermouth served in an ice-cold glass. Enjoying one perfect martini alone leaves me feeling confident in my ease at which I can be with myself and enjoy my own company, relishing my own presence without distraction. I get so little time by myself, it can be easy to forget this.

Perhaps I’ve been reading too much F Scott Fitzgerald, but it’s nice, on occasion, to forget that I am usually covered in craft glue or bodily secretion while listening to The Wiggles on repeat.

So, yes, in between building space rockets and train tracks, I hope to honour this ritual, to remember that sometimes, the most meaningful company you can keep is your own.

Rosamund Hall (DipWSET) is a freelance writer, presenter and columnist specialising in wine and spirits as well as travel, lifestyle, and parenting