THE carol invites us to deck the hall with boughs of holly - but there are other things we can do with it. In the Vosges Mountains, in Alsace, for example, they have a tradition of distilling holly berries; I have tasted a broad range of the local products, but Eau de Vie de Baie de Houx is one that I have managed to avoid. For those who want to add a seasonal touch to their drinking this Christmas, however, it is available in this country - although at a price.

The intrepid should go to the website www.amathusdrinks.com, where a half-bottle of the product, from the artisanal distiller Metté, can be purchased for £40.70. An alternative is Zirbenz, a liqueur made from pine-needles. I have no idea where that might be obtained, but one enthusiast has described it as "A taste of alpine luxury."

I imagine that the latter product is made by infusing pine needles in alcohol rather than by distillation, and it is by infusion that most liqueurs are now made. Their origin is due largely to the medieval monastic orders, which used to gather medicinal herbs and preserve them in alcohol. Most of these infusions must have tasted unpleasant, and to make them more palatable sugar was added, originally in the form of honey, but later as cane sugar.

Perhaps the two best-known survivors of these monastically named liqueurs are Chartreuse and Benedictine. Chartreuse has been produced in the Carthusian monastery at Voiron, in the French Alps, since 1737, and is an infusion of 130 different herbs. It comes in two different forms: the green, which is 55 per cent alcohol, and the yellow, which is 40 per cent.

Until 1900, they also produced a white version, and bottles of this are much sought after. In fact, these are the most sophisticated examples of génépis, an alcoholic cordial largely based on the herb arquebuse, or mugwort. Pliny claimed that a sprig of this placed under the pillow helped to prevent the problems that cause impotence.

On the other hand, Benedictine is a pseudo-monastic liqueur. Its creator, in the 19th century, claimed that it was based on a secret recipe from the Benedictine Monastery in Fécamp, in Normandy, based on local herbs. There is much evidence to show that this is untrue. Nevertheless, it has grown into a worldwide brand, with, surprisingly, the highest per capita consumption being in Burnley, in Lancashire. Apparently, soldiers from the East Lancashire Regiment sought comfort in it when they were billeted in Normandy during the First World War.

Liqueurs have had a renaissance in recent years, and they now come in ever more bizarre flavours. Gabriel Boudier, in Dijon, has created a range for the Bernard Loiseau restaurant in Burgundy, and this includes such esoterica as "Blackcurrant and gingerbread", and "morello cherry and chocolate". These are now available in England through www.emporiabrands. com.

For those who prefer to round off their Christmas with a sweet wine, here are two suggestions: from Waitrose, Seriously Plummy Grande Reserve Maury (£10.99). This comes from the foothills of the Pyrenees, and is made from the Grenache grape. Alternatively, the luscious Barbeito Malvasia Reserva (£12.99), from www.hawksheadwines.co.uk.

Best wishes for Christmas.