Choosing an original gift for your nearest and dearest isn’t always easy. Too often we resort to the same old favourites. But whether your dad loves his whisky or grandma enjoys putting her feet up with a G&T, a bottle of spirits is always a welcome sight under the Christmas tree.
From special seasonal editions to curated collaborations, this year spirits brands have created a broad selection of gifts designed to appeal to lovers of gin, whisky, rum or tequila. So if you’re looking for something a bit different, one of the gifts below might fit the bill.
From botanical cocktail garnishes to Espresso Martini gift sets, we’ve rounded up our favourite spirituous gifts across a range of prices. So whether you’re looking for a budget stocking filler or a blow-out gift for someone special, you’ll find inspiration below.
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Gifts under £20
Fever-Tree Christmas Crackers
These classy crackers make a perfect stocking filler for spirits lovers. Choose from a range of 16, including: Duppy Share Aged Rum & Fever-Tree Ginger Ale, Silent Pool Rare Citrus Gin & Fever-Tree Spanish Clementine Tonic and Vivir Tequila Mexican Lime Spritz.
BUY: £9 John Lewis
BUY: £9 John Lewis
Cocktail Elements Lemon Garnish Spray
I use these fruity garnish sprays from Cocktail Elements all year round, as a finishing touch for drinks I mix at home. Flavours include yuzu, lime and citrus pepper. Buy a single bottle as a stocking filler or get a set of three for £32.
BUY: £12 Linden Leaf
BUY: £12 Linden Leaf
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Sticky Toffee Pudding Rum Liqueur
Presented in a pretty reusable decanter, this new winter addition to the Sainbury’s spirits range is a decadent treat – and great value too. Sweet and luscious, with flavours of caramel and dates, it’s sticky toffee pudding in a glass! Sip it neat, with or without ice, or pour it over ice cream for a boozy adult dessert.
BUY: £15 Sainsbury’s
BUY: £15 Sainsbury’s
Rum: A Tasting Course
Written by global rum ambassador Ian Burrell, this book explores the history and culture of rum, covering everything from how and where it’s made, to different styles and understanding flavours and aromas. There’s practical advice on how to taste, with reviews of over 100 rums by region to offer inspiration. The final part of the book is dedicated to rum cocktails, with easy-to-follow, illustrated recipes and recommendations on the best bottles to choose for each mix. An engaging read for novices and rum fans alike.
BUY: £16.38 Amazon
BUY: £16.38 Amazon
Gifts under £50
MOTH Canned Cocktail Crackers
Makers of bar-quality cocktails in cans, MOTH (Mix Of Total Happiness) has created a new range of canned cocktail Christmas crackers. Each pack of crackers contains four festive ready-to-serve mixes – Margarita, Piña Colada, Espresso Martini and Negroni – plus a joke, of course.
BUY: £29 MOTH Drinks
BUY: £29 MOTH Drinks
Woodford Reserve Festive Edition
One for bourbon fans, Woodford Reserve’s limited-edition festive bottle is decorated with golden bows. Inside the bottle you’ll find the classic Distiller’s Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, with its rich, sweet notes of Christmas spice, butterscotch, vanilla, espresso, nuts and toasty oak. Available to purchase in-store at Waitrose, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons.
BUY: £37, Asda
BUY: £37, Asda
Have a Dram Good Christmas
This festive tasting pack from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society contains three different 50ml drams of selected single malt whiskies. With 12 to choose from, each pack is slightly different – tasting cards provide full details of what’s in each bottle. A great choice for flavour explorers.
Lind & Lime Organic Gin in Furoshiki Gift Wrap
The UK uses 227,000 miles of wrapping paper every year – that’s the equivalent of going around the world nine times – most of which ends up in landfill. As an eco-friendly alternative, Scottish gin brand Lind & Lime wraps its bottles in reusable Japanese furoshiki cloths. Made from organic cotton, the furoshiki can be reused after the bottle is unwrapped; tied into a scarf, hair accessory or used as a colourful pocket square. The gin itself is B-Corp and organic-certified, made with locally sourced botanicals, housed in a recycled glass bottle and distilled using 100% renewable energy. A perfect gift for eco-conscious drinkers.
Gifts under £100
Mermaid Salt Vodka Gift Set
Produced on the Isle of Wight, Mermaid Salt Vodka is grain distilled, using Isle of Wight spring water and a small pinch of Wight Salt rock sea salt. Smooth and elegant, it’s great in a Dirty Martini or try it neat with oysters. This stylish gift set comes with two gold-patterned tumblers – perfect for serving a Vodka & Tonic on the rocks, with a squeeze of fresh lime.
Bombay Sapphire x Thomas Heatherwick Gift Set
Perfect for Gin & Tonic lovers, Bombay Sapphire has joined forces with British designer Thomas Heatherwick for this gift set containing a limited-edition bottle and bespoke glass. The collaboration marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Bombay Sapphire distillery at Laverstoke Mill, with its striking botanical glasshouse designed by Heatherwick Studio.
A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas Whisky 2024 Edition
The Whisky Exchange’s annual festive whisky release is guaranteed to keep Scotch-lovers happy. The 2024 edition is a rich and fruity 15 Year Old Speyside single malt, matured in ex-oloroso Sherry casks. Limited to 1,400 bottles, it’s full of festive flavour: think fruit cake, orange zest and roasted nuts. Perfect with a mince pie or two.
The Espresso Martini Lover’s Cocktail Kit
Invented by the late, great bartender Dick Bradsell, the Espresso Martini is a modern classic of the cocktail world. Drinks Distilled has joined forces with Dick’s daughter Bea Bradsell to produce this Espresso Lover’s Kit, which includes a bottle of Belvedere Vodka, Mr Black Coffee Liqueur, Illy coffee, a jigger, barspoon and Martini glass. A Beginner’s Kit (£90) including a cocktail shaker is also available.
BUY: £85 Drinks Distilled
BUY: £85 Drinks Distilled
Gifts over £100
Black Lines Negroni Jeroboam
Get the Christmas party started with this jeroboam of Negronis – enough for 30 drinks. Produced by bottled cocktail experts Black Lines Drinks, each jeroboam contains an equal mix of Campari, East London Liquor Dry Gin and Spanish vermouth. The eye-catching label was designed by illustrator Jamie McDougall.
Whisky Tour of the World
Containing 24 different 50ml bottles of whisky from iconic distilleries across Scotland, Japan, Taiwan, India, Ireland, Australia, Finland and more, whisky fans can drink their way around the world with this gift set. The handsome box also contains two whisky glasses and an illustrated book with tasting notes and information on each distillery. That should keep the whisky lover in your life entertained well into the new year…
BUY: £195 Harvey Nichols
BUY: £195 Harvey Nichols
