The Alcohol Professor American Whiskey Lover’s Holiday Gift Guide 2022
Whiskey lovers can be hard to shop for, especially the ones who win bottles in drawings or camp out to score the latest and the greatest. Choosing a gift for someone who knows more about mash bills than you do about actual bills can be intimidating. Not to worry — Alcohol Professor has you covered. There’s something on this list for everyone, from home decor to event tickets. Happy holiday season from the Alcohol Professor team!
Special Bottles
These American whiskeys won Double Gold at the New York International Spirits Competition in 2022 and there’s something here for everyone! Double Gold indicates that buyers would carry these whiskeys, in part because they deliver in their price category.
Barrell Whiskey Private Release DSX2
For cocktail enthusiasts, Sailor Guevara Cocktails offers cocktail kits and cocktail ingredients, shipped right to your gift recipient.
Food and Candy
You can pretty much add whiskey to anything, but it has to be done right. Here are some options from brands that have it all figured out!
Bourbon Barrel Foods started off as a soy sauce microbrewery and now makes cocktail provisions, spices, sugars, and more, all with a Bourbon twist.
Art Eatables not only makes Bourbon truffles with your favorite Bourbon, but everything they make is also nut free.
Muth’s Candy is the local favorite for Modjeskas, a marshmallow wrapped in caramel, but they also make incredible Bourbon balls.
Stave & Bean Barrel Aged Coffee is sure to delight the Bourbon and coffee fanatic in your life.
Bourbon Bonbons are made by a family-owned business in Lexington, Kentucky, and other flavors of Bonbons are available.
Books
It’s perfectly reasonable to want to learn more about your favorite beverage. Whether you like cocktails or neat whiskey, there’s something here for everyone.
The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails contains more information about the esoteric history of your favorite beverage than any other tome in its weight class.
Bourbon Is My Comfort Food is full of cocktail recipes and entertaining ideas for the discerning Bourbon enthusiast (review here).
Bourbon: The Story of Kentucky Whiskey is a great illustrated guide to the history of Kentucky’s finest spirit.
Make it a Double: From Wretched to Wondrous: Tales of One Woman's Lifelong Discovery of Whisky is an endearing tale of one woman’s journey from blech to Bourbon enthusiasm.
Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage is a great place to start for the new Bourbon enthusiast.
American Whiskey is Richard Thomas’ journey to more than 110 distilleries covering more than 300 whiskeys (review here).
Whiskey and Cigar Accessories
Learn all about pairing whiskey and cigars here, then get started on your own at home!
Scrim by HutcH specializes in Wolly Mammoth ivory scrimshaw cutters but also offers Xikar cutters with handles made from Bourbon barrels and other materials.
Home Decor
Decorating with Bourbon barrels is all the rage in Kentucky, so why not bring a bit of Kentucky home?
Drunkwood specializes in home decor made from reclaimed Bourbon barrels, but order early for shipping in time for the holiday season.
Michele Korfhage is a Kentucky photographer known for stunning landscapes, including rickhouses and distilleries.
Whiskey-Themed Clothing & Accessories
Delight your favorite whiskey nerd with clothing and accessories designed to showcase their love of Bourbon and other whiskeys!
Bourbon Cousins offers whiskey-themed ties, pocket squares, and socks in a variety of colors and prints.
Original Grain makes watches from reclaimed whiskey barrels.
Heritage Handcrafted offers a variety of Bourbon barrel cufflinks.
Bar2Go offers uniquely designed clutches and purses with refillable bottles tucked inside.
ODU OAK is a new line of fragrance based on whiskey aromas made by Jackie Zykan, Old Forester's former Master Taster and current co-owner of Hidden Barn Whiskey.
Apparel & More
Kentucky and Bourbon are nothing if not synonymous. These shops feature a Kentuck flair you just can’t get anywhere else.
Pappy & Company was started by the great granddaughters of Papy Van Winkle and features everything from cigars to belt buckles.
A Taste of Kentucky can ship everything from Bourbon barrel aged cakes to Kentucky Derby-themed decor and apparel, much of which is crafted by Kentucky artisans.
Kentucky for Kentucky is the home of the famous Y’ALL t-shirt as well as the “George Clooney is a Beautiful Man” and is your ONLY source for official Cocaine Bear merch. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of Bourbon gear, too, including “Drinking Bourbon, Speaking Banjo” and Bourbon playing cards.
Bourbon Outfitter sells cocktail kits, special bottles, apparel, and more — everything for the Bourbon lover in your life.
Events
Sometimes your gift recipient already has everything. In that case, experience gifts are a great option!
The Bourbon Classic is scheduled for February 22-25, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky and will include a cocktail and small plates competition among other things.
Whisky Live! takes place in 27 countries, so no matter where you are reading this from there’s one near you.
The New Orleans Bourbon Festival is a great weekend getaway to indulge in The Big Easy’s Bourbon heritage - they know how to throw a party!
Mint Julep Experiences offers whiskey and food tours starting in Louisville, Kentucky and Nashville, Tennessee, including some exclusive experiences such as the Brown-Forman Cooperage.
Bourbon & Beyond is a fantastic music festival with a side of Bourbon held in Louisville, Kentucky every year.
Whiskey Experiences
There are plenty of whiskey-themed subscriptions out there — here are some of the best.
Cocktail Courier offers a wide variety of cocktail kits shipped right to your door.
Flaviar offers whiskey subscriptions, a whiskey advent calendar, and more.
Cocktail & Sons is releasing a 12 Days of Cocktails kit that will delight any cocktail nerd.