Every year, we publish our guide of the best alcohol gifts for the coming holiday season.
This year’s list of 27 items includes limited-edition offerings, value-added packs, seasonal treats, stocking stuffers and all-around specialty items that should delight anyone when unwrapped.
If you are a retailer looking to stock these giftable SKUs, contact your local distribution partner for more information about availability, which will likely vary by state.
Heaven Hill 2021 Parker’s Heritage Collection
The 2021 iteration, a wheat whiskey, is comprised of 75 barrels charred for one minute and 30 seconds (Level 5), as opposed to the traditional 40 second char (Level 3) for Heaven Hill. The whiskey reached peak maturation after 11 years on the sixth floor of Rickhouse Y. $139.99
Freddie Noe’s Little Book Chapter 5: “The Invitation”
This year’s release contains four straight whiskies of varying ages, distillation styles and resulting flavor profiles. Altogether this creates a palate with flavors of caramel and toasted bread, with brown sugar undertones and a touch of sweetness, the company reports. $124.99
The Casamigos Holiday Gift Set
This includes a bottle of Casamigos Tequila or Mezcal and four wooden coasters. The gift box starts at $47.99 and is available at select online and in-store retailers.
Brockmans Gin 2021 VAP
Includes a 750-ml. of Brockmans Gin, QR code directing consumers to cocktail recipes and a Martini glass — perfect for gifting and enjoying Brockmans Gin cocktails. $34.99
St. Clair Port/Kiva Gift Pack
Contains two bottles. Production includes French oak maturation under the New Mexico sun. The ceramic bottles pay tribute to the people who lived in the Mimbres region 1,000 years ago, and can be reused for oil and vinegar, olive oil, candle holders, flower vase, centerpieces, etc. $42.99
St. George Gin Collection
Features St. George Botanivore, Terroir and Dry Rye Gin co-packed in 200-ml. bottles. This combo-pack has been on the market since 2011. The giftable format is an affordable and approachable way to sample three new spirits, the company says. $30
Caorunn & Bittermens Bitters VAP
Includes a 750-ml. bottle of Caorunn Gin, 146-ml. bottle of Bittermens New England Spiced Cranberry Bitters and two cocktail recipes. Caorunn infuses five foraged, Scottish botanicals with six traditional botanicals. Bittermens is all-natural, GMO-Free bitters. $34.99
Caorunn Apple Ice Mold VAP
Apple is core to Caorunn, both as a main infusion botanical and a compliment within its signature serve: Caorunn topped with Indian tonic water and garnished with red apple slices. This VAP includes a bottle of Caorunn Gin and an apple-shaped ice mold. $34.99
Laphroaig 10 Year Old Decanter & Tumbler Set
Markham barware offers classic design on sleek shapes for the modern entertainer, the company says. Featuring a classic wedge cut for the new stacking decanter. Includes a small-sized decanter that stacks with a set of two tumblers. Packaged in a signature Marquis by Waterford box. $200
Pastis Henri Bardouin Gift Pack
Pastis combines thrice-distilled vodka, gin, and cognac. This 90-proof aperitive, traditionally diluted six times with water, is now also used in cocktails, providing herbal tones. Crafted from 65 plants. Comes with two glasses. $29.99
Código 1530 13-Year Añejo Tequila
Comes in a custom wood box, handcrafted in Amatitán by artisans using sustainably sourced local wood. The box features laser etching that tells the story behind this añejo, and a clear front sliding door with wood side panels. Only 350 bottles available. $3,300
Liquor Lab Cocktail Experience Kits
Each kit contains ingredients and a QR code that gives you at-home access to a virtual masterclass. Just grab your favorite bottle of hooch. These on-demand mini-classes are led by some of the world’s top bartenders, with step-by-step instruction. liquorlab.com/store
NIPYATA! Booze-Filled Piñatas
For the holidays, NIPYATA! offers the following festive piñatas: Drunken Santa ($99.99), The Merry Classy Burrito ($109.99) and Poppin’ Bottles In The Ice ($119.99). NIPYATA! piñatas come pre-filled with an assortment of alcohol, nostalgic candies, twine, blindfold and a smashing stick.
Grand Marnier Cuveé Louis-Alexandre
Blend of V.S.O.P. cognac and Liqueur D ’Orange. Contains 82% VSOP cognac from the five best crus in the Cognac region, the company says, and is best served on the rocks or in Grand Marnier’s signature cocktail, the Grand Louis. $69.99
Blood Oath Trilogy — Second Edition
Contains 750-ml. bottles of Pacts 4, 5 and 6 — reserved since 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Packaged in a black wooden display box. Each Pact is a one-off blend by Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe. $799
The Balvenie Single Barrel 21 Year Old
This release includes no more than 300 hand-numbered bottles drawn from each cask, forming a limited edition, never to be repeated. While no two casks produce an identical single malt, each bottle is characterized by flavors and honeyed sweetness from lengthy maturation in American oak. $349.99
Glenfiddich Grande Couronne
The latest entry in the Glenfiddich’s Grand Series is 26 years old. Matured in American and European oak casks before an extended finish of up to two years in French Cognac casks. The liquid comes in a glass bottle wrapped in a filigree gold print, within an artistically embossed box. $600
Lustau 125th Anniversary Legacy Collection
The packaging includes the 125th Anniversary Logo, which reflects the Lustau brand values and highlights the Lustau bottle shape, the company says. It includes three sherries, selected by Cellar Master Sergio Mart’nez, from three different towns, each with distinct aging. $130
Champagne Pommery Holiday Boxes
Make a statement with the ornate patterns of the limited-edition Holiday 2021 Tempête Céleste, or heavenly storm collection featuring Brut Royal ($45.99), Brut Rosé ($65.99), Grand Cru 2008 ($94.99) and Blanc de Blancs ($58.99).
La Grande Dame 2012 x Yayoi Kusama
Veuve Clicquot’s collaboration with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama returns for 2021. La Grande Dame (meaning “The Great Lady”) honors Madame Clicquot, who trailblazed the industry as a female entrepreneur in the early 1800s. $195
Krug Rosé 25th Edition
A stay of around seven years in Krug’s cellars gives the Rosé 25th Edition its unique expression and elegance, the company says. $300
Yarden Syrah Allone Habashan Vineyard 2017
Great for special occasions, this Kosher, Israeli-made syrah was produced in a limited edition of 21 barrels. It pairs well with slow-cooked smoked lamb spareribs, rich beef stew or hearty eggplant parmesan. $79.99
Yarden Chardonnay 2019
Pear, lemon, green apple and tropical fruit notes mingle with mineral and floral characters, all with a background of French oak. Winemaker Victor Schoenfeld recommends pairing with pan-seared halibut with lemon butter, crispy-skinned roast chicken or butternut squash ravioli. $22.99
Absente Van Gogh Gift Set
Absente Absinthe, 110 proof, is made with Provence from 9 herbs, including Wormwood. Set includes a glass, and the spoon used for the absinthe ritual. $44.99
Grand Marnier Quintessence Grande Cuvée
Made of hors d’âge cognacs selected from the Paradis, the personal reserves of the Marnier Lapostolle family cellar. The signature bigaradia, the only bitter orange variant ever used in their cuvées, is macerated in cognac and double distilled. $2500
Coravin Sparkling System
Newly launched this year, this portable system pairs a universal-fit stopper with a hand-held charging unit to maintain sparkling wine’s carbonation level between pours, providing two weeks of preservation. For on- and off-premise. $399
Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 2021
This year’s lineup features partnerships with distilleries such as Heaven Hill, Old Forester and Buffalo Trace. Eight variants comprise the 2021 lineup, including Bourbon County Cherry Wood Stout, Bourbon County Classic Cola Stout and Proprietor’s Bourbon County Stout. Price varies.
Kyle Swartz is editor of Beverage Dynamics magazine. Reach him at kswartz@epgmediallc.com or on Twitter @kswartzz.
