THE art of giving gifts is a skill that becomes particularly handy at Christmas time. If you’re looking to gift a drinks lover something special, you may want to steer away from the obvious choices and delve into the world of craft spirit, vintage releases and smart drinkware.
The perfect present is not what’s inside the box, but the memory of receiving it! Read on to see our luxury gift guide for Christmas drinking.
The coupetini glass
NUDE Coupetini
If you’re know someone who is a fan of shaking up cocktails, it’s probably ok to assume that their cupboard is cluttered with an assortment of different shaped glassware. These coupetini glasses from NUDE are clean and stylish, and they offer up a simple glassware option for short cocktails.
As the name suggests, the coupetini merges the martini glass and coupe together to create this stylish piece with a subtle curve. Just picture a crisp gin gimlet in this!
Buy the coupetini set here for £21.38.
Saint Ogun rum
Saint Ogun
Saint Ogun encapsulates the history of its creators, telling the story of Nigerian Yoruba culture and its evolution to the Caribbean islands. It uses flavours from Caribbean rum distilleries to create a harmonious blend that will linger on your mind and palette.
On the nose, you’ll find aromas of tropical fruit such as pineapple and apricot. On the palate, the fruit will come alive before mellowing into a softer vanilla finish. Sip it neat or shake it up in a cocktail. Either way, it’s the ideal festival gift.
Buy the rum here for £38.00.
VIDA’s festive wine bundle
VIDA Wines
There are plenty of wine services offering festive bundles, but if you’re gifting a wine lover with a sense of curiosity, the wine hampers from VIDA are ideal as they are hand-selected from Central and Eastern European wine regions.
You’re guaranteed to discover some fantastic new wines in any of their mixed sets, and you can buy according to country, style and occasion.
Buy their festive case of 12 here for £120.
Yuzucello bottle
Yuzucello
You’ve all heard of limoncello, but if you want to purchase something a bit more unique, this Yuzucello it the perfect gift. It is made from whole yuzu fruits from Kōchi, Japan, and gives off a wonderfully citrus complexity that is slightly more tart than any Limoncello.
Notes of lemon, mandarin, grapefruit, and lime come bursting through with each sip. The Yuzucello also makes a versatile drink as it can be had as an aperitif when mixed with soda or even used in cocktails such as a mojito.
Buy it here for £26
WSET
WSET Level 1 Award
Sometimes knowledge is the best gift. The highly regarded Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) offers a selection of wine courses that teaches students how to identify the main types of wines along with learning about important grape varieties.
The level 1 is an ideal gift for the drinker who wants a better understanding of the basics of wine. Students will leave with a globally recognised certificate, and have the option to go onto level 2 if they so wish!
The Level 1 Award in Wines course is priced around £140, and you can find more information on it here
Spiral cellar
Spiral Cellars
If you know someone with an overflowing wine rack and a love for good design then Spiral Cellars might just be the gift of a lifetime. The spiral cellar underground wine storage system is both stylish and efficient as it creates plenty of storage room for wine bottles below surface level.
It is famed for making a grand design statement and doubles up as a sustainable wine cellaring option as it uses eco-friendly building solutions. The cellar is made by installing a concrete cylindrical structure into the ground, and it can hold up to 1,900 bottles of wine.
For more information, visit their website. Prices start from £7,500
The Roku gift bag
Roku Gin Gift Bag
House of Suntory’s Roku gin is a Glass Magazine favourite. Roku’s light, citrus notes dance along 6 key seasonal botanicals which give the gin its unique character.
This particular bottle comes in a stunning chiffon gift bag which is based on the design of a furoshiki bag – a traditional Japanese fabric gift wrap.
Buy it here for £30.
Assortment of crackers
Fever-Tree Christmas Crackers
Christmas crackers are usually quite underwhelming at the best of times but you’re guaranteed some pleasure with these adorable flavoured mixers from Fever Tree. They are available to buy as single crackers or a set of four.
Buy a gift set of 4 here for £32
Truffle gin
Cambridge Distillery Truffle Gin
Cambridge Distillery is famed for its dry gin, but their Truffle Gin is far more exciting if you’re looking to enjoy a gin with more savoury notes.
The gin is made from white truffles from Alba, and is distilled one litre at a time, hence its price. Expect flavours of black pepper, earthy notes and oily juniper. Shake this up in a martini for a quirky take on the dirty martini.
Buy the truffle gin here for £69.95
Jameson Black Barrel Proof
Jameson Black Barrel Proof Whisky
Jameson Black Barrel Proof is a brand new expression from the much loved Irish whisky distillery, Jameson. They are offering a special festive gift set that comes with a stunning matte black bottle of whisky, an engraved hip flask and a set of branded Jameson glasses. the ultimate Christmas gift for whiskey lovers. As for the actual whisky, it is double-charred in ex-bourbon whiskey barrels and offers a slightly higher ABV of 50% which allows stronger characteristics of its sweet and spicy notes to come through.
The whiskey is available as a gift set via the Jameson website for £96.00
The Vecchia Romagna Riserva bottle
Vecchia Romagna Riserva 18
This 18-year-old Vecchia Romagna is Italy’s leading choice of brandy. It is rich and aromatic due to maturation in oak barriques before being transferred into ex red wine barrels. Expect aromas of dried fruit, walnut and figs on the nose, complemented by notes of cinnamon, cloves, tobacco leaves, dried apricots, prunes and coffee following through on the palate. This 18-year-old expression is full of sophisticated flavours and will make a memorable toast to Christmas day.
Buy it here for £130
The Unwined experience kit
The Unwined Experience Kit
Cheese and wine go hand in hand with each other, so this alpine experience kit from wine is perfect if you want to enjoy a selection of fine wines with perfectly paired cheeses. The Unwines experience kit includes a selection of aperitif cocktails, seasonal wines and artisan cheeses which all relate to the box’s alpine theme.
Everything comes packed into a neat gift box and comes with tasting guides that outline how everything should be served.
Buy the Unwined kit here for £65
The gin with the Copa glasses
Silent Pool Rare Citrus Gift Box
Surrey gin makers Silent Pool have released a special citrus gin that comes with two of their classic Copa gin glasses which feature a beautiful orange design on the glass to match the bottle. The gin offers a citrusy twist on the much loved original recipe. It uses unripened green Seville oranges which give the gin a pleasant natural sweetness.
Buy it here for £68
The Glenmorangie Christmas bottle
Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
This vibrant limited-edition single malt Scotch whiskey will conjure cosiness thanks to flurries of fruit, honey and cocoa. Best enjoyed beside a roaring fire.
Priced at £89 and available from Selfridges
The Ballantine festive bottle
Ballantine’s Scotch Whiskey & Shawna X
The award-winning Ballantine’s Scotch whiskey has released an artistic collaboration with New York based creative, Shawna X. Celebrating joy and colour with its distinctive and colourful bottle, this whiskey is sure to bring good vibes for the festive season in addition to supporting local nightlife around the globe.
Priced at £22 and available from Drink Supermarket
Bottled cosmopolitan cocktail
World of Zing bottled cocktails
Crafted in small batches – and using the finest ingredients – World of Zing’s selection of bottled cocktails are an indulgent treat for any cocktail aficionado. Our favourite of them all is the Rhubarb Cosmopolitan – sweet, tart and oh so delicious.
Priced at £12.00 – 250ml & 500ml – £22.00 – 500ml and available from here.
by Katrina Mirpuri