OK, straight up
HR is there to protect the company. Simple.
Sometimes they protect the company from the bosses who do stupid things. Sometimes they protect the company from an employee with a genuine gripe. Ultimately, they are not on your side.
So, with that in mind, a gripe about communication style to HR is going to yield very little result. Unless your manager is harrassing, bullying or commiting some other unprofessional act towards you, going to HR is not the option. It may even count against you.
The best approach to this would have been to call your boss a choice word or two at the Christmas do (England specific) and let it go. As it stands, you've already jumped in with 2 feet, so now the advice is to watch/cover your arse. You might have just kicked a hornet's nest.
That said, you might get lucky and find your complaint is one of many against this boss. If this is the case, you'll be fine.
EDIT: Following recommendations from the balcony, I have removed a section from my answer. If you work in a non-male dominated industry in a country other than the UK (and maybe the Antipodes), this is terrible advice. However, OP is IT and in the UK. With many years' experience in this sector and country, I belive that the following actions may have helped...
At the next social, drop a couple of insults in your boss' direction, share a laugh then let the grievance go.