Best spirits gifts to buy for Christmas 2023

Choosing an original gift isn’t always easy. Too often we resort to the same old favourites. But whether your grandpa loves his whisky or mum 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 scented candles to Espresso Martini gift sets and classy cocktail glasses, 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…

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

Irish Kitchen Cocktails

Perfect for budding home mixologists, this book from Irish drinks expert Oisín Davis offers 60 recipes that you can make in your own kitchen with everyday equipment. Kit such as Kilner jars, blenders and vegetable peelers is put to use in a range of cocktails from a Frozen Jameson, Ginger Ale & Lime to a classic Bee’s Knees and even Mrs Doyle’s Iced Tea.

BUY: £13.35 Amazon

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: £14 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

Gin A Tasting Course

Written by Decanter contributor Anthony Gladman, this book is a comprehensive guide to the world of gin, which will teach gin fans how to assess flavour and write their own tasting notes. With chapters on history and production, plus tips on serving, cocktail recipes and over 100 gins to try at home, it will delight any serious gin fan.

BUY: £19.99 Waterstone’s

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: £20 MOTH Drinks

Harvey Nichols Christmas Pudding Gin

The limited-edition gin is made for Harvey Nichols by The Secret Garden Distillery in Edinburgh. The store’s own-label Dry Foraged Gin is infused with Harvey Nics’ Christmas puddings to produce a classy crisp gin, with plenty of juniper character for a decent G&T, but gently laced with mellow spices – nutmeg, cinnamon – and aromatic dried fruit.

BUY: £22 Harvey Nichols

Silent Pool Botanical Candles

Have a candlelit Christmas with one of these pretty fragranced candles. Made with natural essential oils and housed in upcycled Silent Pool bottles, botanical fragrances include Juniper & Cassia Bark and Bergamot & Lavender – a scented treat for gin lovers.

BUY: £24 Silent Pool

Nick & Nora Large Cocktail Glasses by Riedel

Part of Riedel’s bar collection, developed in collaboration with spirits specialist Zane Harris, these crystal glasses are bigger and more durable than Riedel’s Classic Nick & Noras. Use them for any Martini-style cocktails. The dishwasher-safe cocktail-specific range also includes Neat, Rocks, Double Rocks, Fizz, Highball and Sour glasses. Price is for two glasses.

BUY: £37.50 Riedel

Personalised Jura 14 Year Old American Rye Cask

Jura Distillery celebrates its 60th anniversary this year and for single-malt Scotch fans a bottle of its smooth and rich Jura 14 Year Old American Rye Cask will be a winning Christmas gift. Even better, you can head to the Jura website to create a free personalised label to adorn the bottle (label posted out separately).

BUY: £41.94 Master of Malt

Nikka Silhouette

Top Japanese whisky Nikka has released a new, limited-edition gift pack this Christmas. Nikka Silhouette is a sleek, black box decorated with a modern, graphic pattern inspired by traditional Japanese tatami mats. Made from sugar cane and wood by-products, the box is 100% recyclable. Inside is a bottle of flagship Nikka from the Barrel, a blended grain and malt whisky aged for 10 years.

BUY: £46.70 Master of Malt

Gifts under £100

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

Ron Abuelo Finish Collection Gift Box

Ideal for rum connoisseurs, Ron Abuelo’s Finish Collection Gift Box contains three 20ml bottles of aged rums from Panama, finished in different regional casks: the Oloroso in Sherry casks, Napoleon in Cognac casks and Tawny in Port casks.

BUY: £73 Master of Malt

A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas Whisky 2023 Edition

The Whisky Exchange’s special Christmas whisky release for 2023 is guaranteed to keep Scotch-lovers happy. This rich and fruity 15 Year Old Speyside single malt was matured in ex-Sherry casks, creating a nostalgic dram layered with festive notes of fruit cake, plum pudding, nuts and clementines.

BUY: £89.95 The Whisky Exchange

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.

BUY: £160 Black Lines Drinks

The Fife Arms Single Cask Selection No1, A Winter’s Dram

Luxury Scottish hotel The Fife Arms in Braemar has partnered with whisky expert Dave Broom and the local Dailuaine Distillery to create this rare single-cask bottling of Dailuaine 14 year old. With rich layers of spiced fruit, sweet liquorice and clove, A Winter’s Dram been designed to sip as the snow falls. Only 353 bottles have been produced, each individually numbered and presented in a reusable bespoke felt and leather holder created by top designer Bill Amberg.