The Best Gifts for the Drink Aficionado

Thankfully, this kit does not involve distillation, fermentation, barreling or any of the other intensive (and license-required) activities that go into making whiskey. Instead, you’re simply using a bottle you already own and transforming it with the help of toasted oak chips, botanicals and a “few days of patience.” Who needs seven to 10 years of rickhouse maturation when you can create something new and tasty over the course of a holiday weekend?

An American rye with a sherry maturation is a remix that works. Hailing from pop superstar Beyoncé and Dr. Bill Lumsden, the acclaimed master distiller known for his work on Scotch brands Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, this unusual take on homegrown whiskey features a rich mouthfeel and notes of caramel, malt, dark red fruits and cloves. And, obviously, the packaging is exquisite. (And yes, they spell whisky without the “e.”)

Take your favorite pours on the road with these sturdy and attractive kits. The bundles here are actually two products — a Neat Glass with a 3-ounce flight bottle, housed together in a custom EVA travel case; and a set of 4 custom silicone-wrapped glass bottles in a custom travel case. 

If you need to get someone an early present, give them something that’ll keep on giving (for 24 days, at least). This advent calendar features two dozen 50ml whisk(e)y samples sourced from around the United States, Japan, Scotland, Ireland, Finland, China and France, along with a digital tasting booklet, two Glencairn glasses and a free Flaviar Black annual membership, which gets you savings and access to rare releases from the drinks commerce site. 

Is this the ultimate tailgating flask? Jameson created a limited-edition, regulation-sized football flask that has the capacity to hold a 750mL bottle of Jameson Whiskey, which is included in this set, along with a solid walnut display stand.

A perennial Double Gold winner, this annual limited-edition release from Texas’s first legal bourbon distillery is a four-year-old bourbon finished for two years in tawny port casks. It’s developed from a sweet mash of number one food-grade corn, soft red winter wheat and barley, all sourced from Texas, and later proofed with rainwater harvested from the distillery’s 68-acre ranch. It’s a treat, as always, like a fine dessert. Notes of raspberry, chocolate and caramel dominate with a rich mouthfeel. 

I don’t even like marshmallows, but here they’re an integral part of a chewy combo (marshmallows and caramel) that’s combined with dark chocolate, bourbon-smoked sea salt and a bit of Old Forester 86 Proof. You can order them from Louisville’s Art Eatables — a non-chocolate one is also available, closer to the original idea of a Modjeska — while Old Forester offers a bourbon dark chocolate truffle on its own site. Note that the Modjeskas are a 21+ treat.

As our writer Matt Allyn noted in a recent feature, Seelbach founder Blake Riber now makes the types of bourbon bottles fans used to find on shelves: bold, fruit-forward wheated bourbons that require luck, painful secondary prices and/or connections to purchase. And he’s doing it for $50. So if you’re a fan of Weller, Pappy, etc., these Private Reserve bottles are a (semi-secret) treat.

The perfect amount of extra, insert these into your collar to keep it stiff, and to crack one open.

What happens when a snowboard brand, a French artist and an iconic American lager team up? You get this versatile and playful winter jacket (an update to a 2017 design) that features a built-in six-pack cooler and bottle opener. There’s actually a full capsule with nine items, including branded mittens, goggles, balaclavas, beanies and more.

If the beer enthusiast in your life loves to get adventurous, they’ll be super into a Beer Drop subscription. They choose the types of beers they like, which will be curated into a special delivery of award-winning craft brews every month.

Having a kegerator in your house is a boss move, and this will ensure they never run out of their favorite cold beer.

Sipping a warm beer is the absolute worst, but what’s a person to do if they want to savor and sip slowly? The Brümate Hopsulator Trio will keep that can ice cold, and it even comes with a BevLock lid that converts it into a leak-proof tumbler.

One of our favorite non-alc, THC-infused beverages, Cann, recently launched an Aperol-style mocktail in a fancy bottle. Their suggested serve is one part Spritz, three parts bubbly. Sounds festive to us.

I love my Klaris clear ice machine, but it takes up way too much space in a tiny apartment kitchen. Thankfully, there’s now a much smaller version, allowing for two clear cubes at a time.

No ice needed! This 88 oz. drink machine — which has dishwasher-safe parts — allows you to customize the thickness and texture of your drink. It’s 7+ servings per batch and maintains fresh slush for 12+ hours. Gift and hint that it’d be a great time to host a party.

Sometimes the best car carts are not the ones that immediately identify as your drinkware/liquor storage. The Sorrento Bar (30% off for Cyber Monday) features slightly trippy painted glass panes trimmed with polished brass. The unit itself is fitted with adjustable tempered glass shelves, six wire-bound drinking glass shelves inside the doors and two drawers at the base. It’s as much a conversation piece as a place for shaker tins.

This colorful wine tumbler, available in more than a dozen styles, holds just over a half bottle of your favorite vino and keeps your drink at the perfect temperature (no leaks, either). If you’re worried about slippage, Uncork’d utilizes a trifecta of protection, including silicone grips on the lid, a condensation-free body and a no-slip base. 

Throw out that freebie wine opener that always gives you trouble. Instead, use this sommelier-designed, heavy-duty stainless steel bottle key. Available in three colors, it has a corkscrew, foil cutter and crown cap bottle opener.

Why does Pappy Van Winkle taste different today? Was single malt Scotch just a marketing ploy? And who really invented whisk(e)y? All of these questions and more are answered (or at least heavily debated) in Noah Rothbaum’s latest book, which is equal parts history book, geographical/regional analysis, explainer and cocktail guide (but it’s the whiskey myths he explains, and often heavily reassesses, that stand out.)

Speed Rack is an exhilarating global bartending competition that highlights women and non-binary bartenders in a quick-paced environment. The history and purpose of the competition are certainly a focus in A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood, written by Speed Rack co-founders Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix (along with Megan Krigbaum). But you’re also here for the recipes, to be sure.

The unique shape of this lead-free crystalline glass will help you pick up aromas and remove the ethanol burn — and it’s not just for whiskey! NEAT, which stands for Naturally Engineered Aroma Technology (sure, why not), is the official spirits glass of several major drinks competitions, and it certainly looks cooler than the standard tulip glass.