Christmas Alcohol Gifts

It’s Christmas time, and giving gifts takes on a whole new urgency and frenzy.  One gift idea that frequently brings relief is the “Christmas alcohol gift”.  In fact, because of the celebratory nature of alcohol, this gift category extends in New Year’s Eve and New Years Day.

Think of all the benefits that alcohol brings as a Christmas gift:

      • Festive – Packaging often reflects this when there are seasonal options.  You can always dress up a bottle of wine with a higher-quality wine bag (canvas, felt, etc.).
      • Smiles - Remember how people’s faces light up, and how they look around at the other people gathered around, when they receive a gift of booze.
      • Lubrication – The alcohol itself can help brighten up a party.
      • Bang For The Buck – Can be relatively inexpensive, but still make a big impact (think about spending $30 on a Christmas gift for someone and buying a $30 bottle of wine.  Most people don’t spend that much on wine for themselves, so receiving a better-quality bottle of wine than they typically buy for themselves is indeed a great treat!)
      • Last Minute Savior! – Giving a bottle of alcohol as a gift becomes that much more common because you can either procrastinate or forget to buy a present, and you can still look like a hero.  You’ll probably convince yourself to spend more on a good bottle of quality booze because it is a last-minute thing, but that’s OK – it’s Christmas!

However, alcohol, and alcohol-related items, can make superior gifts with advance planning and knowledge.  You can avoid running around to various stores by combining your research for the perfect gift with buying that gift online.  Remember, as with all gift giving, knowing your recipient’s tastes (and maybe some background about their life experiences) is key to finding the perfect holiday alcohol gift.

To give you a little push in the right direction, here are some alcohol gift ideas, broken down by alcohol category:

Category General Gift Ideas Specific Gift Ideas
Wine Wine is perhaps one of the easiest categories to find gifts in:

  • Monthly wine clubs (see clubs at wine.com)
  • Specific bottle of wine (have they traveled anywhere special?)
  • Wine collection
  • Personalize a bottle of wine for them!!! (see PersonalWine.com)
  • Wine guides (be careful they don’t already have the one you are considering!)
  • Wine racks
  • Gadgets (openers, preservers, chillers, etc.)
  • Magazine subscriptions
Winerd – The Wine Tasting Game, $35
This tasty game from connoisseur Tamara Murphy gets your favorite wine involved in the fun. Using three bottles of similar wine, you’ll prove your knowledge of fermented grapes by answering the most wine trivia questions and passing the most blind taste tests. Includes game board, 300 questions, 12 challenge cards, four game “corks” and a taste test notepad. Wine not included. 2 to 8 players. Made in the USA.
Beer Lots of people drink beer.  Not everyone wants a beer-related gift.  For those that do:
Beer Tasting and Hop Appreciation Kit, $39.95 @ Keg Works
Become a beer connoisseur! Learn how to savor beer taste, aroma and flavor with this complete hops kit, one of the greatest and most enlightening beer gifts – ever. With everything you need to taste the hop flavors you’ve been missing, it’s easy to train your nose and your palate to recognize the complexities of your favorite brews and bring your beer tasting to the next level.Just follow the included Beer Appreciation guide to gain an in-depth understanding of how beer is made and how its flavors are crafted.
Whiskey (aka “Whisky”)/ Scotch The whiskey or Scotch lover is a tough breed.  One key is to remember that the older the whisky the better, and don’t give any crap!  Here are some thoughts:

  • Scotch of the month clubs
  • An excellent bottle of single malt Scotch
  • Gift set that has a variety of types (there are some great bourbon samplers out there)
  • Book/guide
  • Magazine subscription (check out Imbibe Magazine!)

The Macallan Scotch Gift Basket, $105


Imbibe Magazine
Imbibe magazine is your ultimate guide to liquid culture, from wine, spirits cocktails, and beer to coffee, tea and everything in between.
Tequila and/or Vodka Let’s face it, not many people proclaim themselves as a gin lover/connoisseur, or a rum fanatic.  But, while the population is small, there are those that take their tequila or vodka seriously.  In both cases, you’ll probably find that giving an actual bottle of tequila or vodka is the best gift idea.  If that ends up being the case, look for products that are unique, rare, unusual, and are as pure as can be.  Keep away from standard brands, unless they have a special edition that truly rises above other products.  Here are some gift idea thoughts:

  • Location – if your recipient has traveled to Mexico or Russia, try to find out what region they have been to
  • Distillery – Places that make small, craft batches are the best bet
  • Claim to Fame – Can you find a bottle of Tequila or Vodka that stakes its ground in something specific, such as strength, taste, history, etc.?
  • Pretty Bottle – When all else fails, find a crazy bottle and go with that

Tequila Gift Basket, $75

Home Bar Buying a gift for anyone that has a home bar is pretty easy!  There are so many cool bar items that would make an excellent gift.  And you can find gifts all along the price spectrum.  Here are some ideas:

  • Bar Signs – Personalized or a cool, non-personalized sign
  • Bar Utensils – Serving/cocktail mixing sets (be careful that they don’t have too many already, you don’t want to add to the clutter)
  • Shot Glasses – Personalized, sports theme, fine art, from a distant land, etc.
  • Games – Drinking games for the bar make a pretty cool (and affordable) gift.
  • Tap Handles – Either for their favorite beer, or a funky/cool handle like a bar chick, devil head, golf bag, baseball bat, football, leprechaun, wizard, U.S. Marines, etc.
  • Bar Stool – Sports fans might like a stool (or two) from their favorite team
  • Liquor!!!!! - Stock their bar.
16th Century Italian Replica Globe Bar – $ 179.00
From: HomeWetBar.com

Paris Hammered Glass Beverage Dispenser – $ 119.99
From: HomeWetBar.com
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