Dublin Evening Herald columnist Katie Byrne described the show as Clarke and Dennis divining that the true spirit of Christmas is "getting hammered".

He has served as the wine correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and was previously featured on the BBC Two programme Food and Drink.

[3] In the premise of those shows, Clarke was the beverage expert with James May serving as the "wingman" who was not as knowledgeable about the subject.

In December 2009, Clarke was paired with comedian Hugh Dennis, a self-described "half a bottle drinker", to produce a similar odd couple dynamic.

[2] The change of front man was a direct result of May's unavailability, owing to the filming of his own factual series James May's Toy Stories.