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Whiskey stones are dumb, and if you disagree, I can promise that you’re one chipped tooth away from regret. Buying gifts for whiskey lovers is difficult, and I should know: My family is always complaining that I’m hard to shop for.
The thing is, we get drowned in bar tools, accessories, and (eye roll) whiskey stones. After a decade of writing about whiskey for a living, you could say my home bar is like a workshop. Coasters, barrel-aged maple syrups, and the odd decanter tend to pile up; American whiskey, Japanese whisky and bottles from Scotland fill the bar cart. Around Christmas, Father’s Day and other occasions, I get asked for gift ideas, to have my brain picked about my favorite whiskey, and what I, as a whiskey enthusiast, would love to receive.
Everyone has different tastes: I’m probably not drinking the same things as your mom or dad, and my perfect gift would probably be some company for drinking through the volumes of my “favorite spirit.” Chances are, that’s exactly what your whiskey-drinking loved one wants too.
Chances are also good that if you think of them as a whiskey lover, everyone else does as well. So on behalf of all of us, skip the gimmicks. We don’t need a new whiskey decanter, and we probably have enough nosing glasses to host a whiskey tasting for the whole family. We’ll eventually find a use for that whiskey barrel-aged salt you got us last Christmas, but if you’re trying to improve our bar, grow our collection, or just get the genuine smile out of us that comes from a really great gift, these are the things we really want.
Three terroir-focused bourbons from one distillery
The current generation of Jim Beam whiskey masters is more than happy to show you how much variety they get out of their whiskey just by aging it in different warehouse locations. Hardin’s Creek is an experimental line of whiskeys developed by Freddie Noe, and this trio of 17-year-old bourbons explore what happens when the same whiskey recipe ages in three different Kentucky towns: Boston, Clermont, and Frankfurt. Spring for the gift set and let the bourbon lover in your life get to try all three and decide for themselves. It’s the adult equivalent of getting to play with the new toys after unwrapping gifts.
An underrated 18-year scotch
Most scotch lovers will agree that 18 years tends to be an incredible sweet spot. Unfortunately, that info isn’t much of a secret, and many of the best bottles have seen their prices skyrocket. But deals are still to be had, especially in brands like Glenrothes. Its 18-year is aged exclusively in the first-fill sherry casks that made brands like Macallan and GlenDronach into rock stars, but without the brand fame, this dark and delicious single malt has maintained a price half of the others—or less. Want to drop something tasty under the tree without dropping a lot of cash? Start with Glenrothes.
A road map to their signature cocktail
Plenty of whiskey connoisseurs will only drink their signature whiskey cocktail—if they order cocktails at all. Expand their horizons with Every Cocktail Has a Twist, which guides readers through multiple variations on the same drinks. Think a handful of new old-fashioned recipes and a tour of the potential of the manhattan. Authors Carey Jones and John McCarthy are a cocktail world power couple: he’s got a lengthy resume behind the bar, and she has an equally impressive list of accolades for her work at the keyboard. Together they’ve created a hand-holding guide to figuring out exactly what you like in your favorite drink.
The everything guide to picture perfect ice
Except perhaps for a few traumatized parents who will never stop hearing “Let it Go” in their heads, Camper English is probably the world’s foremost expert on all things frozen. His bluntly named Ice Book, can hardly be challenged as the essential work on freezing things to put in beverages. For any culinary science nerd, “on the rocks” aficionado, or frozen drink fanatic, English’s blockhead-proof guides can help them make cool, clear, cold ice at home without expensive equipment. Reading this book is probably the best way to ensure that their home ice game will really…uh…heat up.
A timeless soda siphon
The whiskey highball is an icon because it’s easy to make, to tweak, to fix when you made it wrong five minutes ago, and to refresh when your glass is half empty. You can even skip the booze—rehydrate with soda and bitters. The only problem: half-empty cans and bottles of soda that go flat, get warm, and end up wasted. To solve this problem, we’re fans of this classic soda siphon, which looks gorgeous, doesn’t claim much counter space, and refills easily with air cartridges. But if the whiskey lover in your life enjoys a good Three Stooges site gag, add a couple of bar towels to the gift bag.
The most affordable clear ice system
Fridge dispensers and tray molds produce chunks with ugly, cloudy centers—a mixture of air and mineral impurities that concentrate in the middle of the cube. When that melts, you get a concentrated blast of chlorine, iron, fluoride, and whatever else is in your drinking water—not the most popular whiskey flavors. You could spend thousands on pro ice, or you could just make it yourself with directional freezing. All you need to get started is a small six-can cooler (this is the one I use) and the Google search results for “directional freezing” (which is covered well in that ice book from earlier in case you want to pair some gifts).
An heirloom-quality flask
Stainless-steel flasks will take a beating but they’re not very pretty. A higher-quality glass flask won’t maintain a slim profile in a jacket pocket, but for occasions when flask passing isn’t a faux pas, it’s eye (and complement) catching. Also, while stainless flasks sometimes discolor or alter the whiskey over time, glass can be forgotten safely for days or weeks. If they’re drinking good stuff, they’ll love looking good and cutting down on waste. We love Clayton and Crume’s Glass Flask —a thick, heavy glass bottle wrapped in stylish, high-quality leather, but this Viski alternative allows for more leather engraving at a better price
A stylish bar knife for ice gems and garnishes
A bar knife is essential these days, and though any paring or utility knife will do, remember that it’s going to be on display all evening. For the mixologist learning to shave his own julep and cone ice, this is an opportunity to find a fun and interesting blade that functions well, maintains an edge, and doubles as decor. One option is this four-inch Shun paring knife. Its hammered steel blade looks great and the slight recess of the handle will give them a little protection from busting their knuckles on the cutting board while they figure out how to cut shapes into slippery substances.
A whiskey lover’s sweet treat
Your average big peat-drinking macho man might say otherwise, but I’ve always been of the opinion that whiskey lovers have a not-so-secret sweet tooth. Great whiskey balances the flavors of smoke with vanilla, spice with caramel, and wood with fruit. McCrea’s caramels do just the opposite, balancing really tasty caramels with smoke, black lava salt, herbs, and even whiskey. Will a tube of these delicious candies get a coveted spot on the top shelf? Maybe not, but I never let the candy dish next to the bar deplete, because my drinking buddies and I love to grab one between drams.
This high-end whiskey advent calendar
As much as I love my go-tos, my favorite thing to drink is always something I’ve never had before. Will I fall in love? Will I be repulsed? The only way to find out is to pour and sip. You can give a holiday season’s worth of this experience with an advent calendar just for whiskey drinkers. Flaviar is one of the OG names in whiskey by the dram, and over the years their advent calendar has developed a bit of a cult following. The whiskeys inside aren’t golden Wonka tickets, so to speak, but all 25 nights (or happy hours) will keep the warm holiday feels rolling.
A stylish whiskey glass
Maybe it’s different in their bar, but my shelves are overflowing with a restaurant-size supply of Glencairn glasses and cheap branded rocks glasses. If I’m getting new glassware, I want a real upgrade—even if it’s one glass at a time. For cocktails, ice spheres and guests who don’t like the strange shape of tasting glasses, my favorite is the Tiara tumbler from Baccarat. It’s a beautifully designed rocks glass with all the weight in the base and just the right amount of flare for any cocktail or neat pour. If nothing else, it’ll be an appreciated gift among the more casual whiskey drinkers in the room.
An Australian single malt
I absolutely love unexpected bottles of whiskey, because while most people will have opinions about popular brands like Lagavulin and Maker’s Mark, their opinions on lesser-known drams are totally unformed. Starward Nova is a quirky, unexpected crowd-pleaser every time I pour it. I love it in a highball with a length of orange peel, but it makes for some fun cocktail variants in the manhattan and old fashioned realms as well. And at 82 proof, it’s not going to singe any newcomer’s digestive tract in an impromptu toast. So if you gift it and they want to drink it with you, you’re welcome.
A flask you can take on an adventure
You’re going to have an uphill battle convincing me to go hiking, but rest assured that I know how to celebrate at the summit with a great dram. The best way to protect your special someone’s booze from their own clumsiness is a flask that can take a beating like High Camp’s Torch flask. Would I ever intentionally drop one over a cliffside? No, but I like knowing that when the accident happens anyway it’s only going to put a dent in the flask—not our toast. Make sure your adventure loving whiskey nerd can enjoy a pour at the end of the journey, too, no matter how bad their sober balance is.
