The Best 2021 Whiskey Lovers Holiday Gift Guide
Whiskey lovers can be a difficult bunch to shop for. But whether you are looking for a bottle, a book, a cocktail kit subscription, or a funky pair of socks, there’s something on this list for everyone.
One caution though: unless a whiskey lover in your life specifically asks you to purchase whiskey stones, don’t do it. The ones actually made of stone can hold bad flavors (the stone itself is pretty porous), and while there is a metal alternative, it’s generally accepted as not a great idea to put something that can chip your teeth into a glass you are drinking out of.
Bottles
Lots of brands offer holiday packs with extra goodies for no additional cost, making them great for gift-giving! Visit your local watering hole to see what's available, and if you’re taking it to a holiday party, check out the eggnog options, too. Uncle Nearest is offering gift packs with cut crystal rocks glasses this year, and as short as the supply is right now if you see it, grab it!
Other ideas for bottles for the American whiskey lover in your life include store picks, which are a great way to try something that isn’t available to everyone everywhere. Outside of that, here are a few options that will delight the whiskey geek in your life.
● Lost Lantern - Lost Lantern has built a brand around being able to purchase barrels from little-known distilleries and sell them on the broader whiskey market, and in this case this release is the first whiskey ever distilled by this distillery!
● Uncle Nearest - This highly-awarded brand is experiencing some supply issues, but they have put together an amazing gift pack for this year’s holiday season! (1856 took home Gold at the 2021 NYISC!)
● Westward 2021 Benefit Barrel - Last year Westward raised $20k for charities like Black Mamas Matter, and this year they are raising money to address homelessness in their community with a portion of the sales from this bottle. It’s a great way to support a great cause, and the whiskey from last year’s batch was phenomenal!
● Good Deeds malt Whiskey - Available only through Seelbach’s online, this bottle represents a group effort from more than ten distilleries and brands to raise money to increase diversity in the distilled spirits industry through the STEPUP initiative.
● Company Distilling - Much like the Traveling Wilburys, this supergroup of a whiskey company has just released its first-ever sourced product, a maple-finished Bourbon. Jeff Arnett and Kevin Brent Smith, both formerly of Jack Daniels, are working together with Founder Corey Clayton to launch this new Tennessee distillery in Townsend, Tennessee.
● Knob Creek 15 Year Old Bourbon - Knob Creek is always a favorite among Bourbon geeks, but it’s not often the 15-year-old release comes around.
● Michter’s 20 Year Bourbon - The 10-year-old version of Michter’s is a very limited release and doesn’t even come out each year, so you know the supplies of this special 20-year release are going to be limited - and tasty!
● Angel’s Envy Cask Strength - Available this year on December 1st, this limited release finished in port wine barrels has a cult following - and it’s available on Drizly in all 50 states.
● Redemption Cognac Finish - Redemption is a brand that started openly as a non-distilling producer and has remained that way, giving the brand the flexibility to experiment on a small scale. This bottle is the latest release from this award-winning brand.
● Stellum Rye - This 2021 New York International Spirits Competition Double Gold Winner has taken the whiskey world by storm!
● Elijah Craig Small Batch - You really can’t go wrong with this one and it’s also likely to be available just about anywhere you shop! (2021 Double Gold, NYISC) (Kosher)
● Bourbon Rabbi Bourbon - This is a fantastic bottle of Bourbon whether you keep Kosher or not, though currently, it’s likely only to be found in Kentucky. (Kosher)
● Other Kosher Options: Laws Four Grain Straight Bourbon, Koval Bourbon, Jim Beam Black, Evan Williams (Gold, 2021 NYISC), or Maker’s Mark (standard or 46).
Mixers & Cocktail Stuff
If you have a cocktail enthusiast in your life, cocktail ingredients and even simple mixers make a great gift. Many companies, like Bourbon Barrel Foods and Make & Muddle, offer syrups to make more complicated cocktails easy to replicate at home. Home cocktail kits make enjoying a complicated cocktail at home easy. But even some really nice ginger beer can ignite a creative passion in the home mixologist.
● Perfectly Cordial Curated Box of the Month - If someone on your list has plenty of whiskeys but needs some new cocktail ideas, this curated monthly box is a great option!
● Freddie’s Soda - $1 from each case of Freddie’s soda goes toward preservation efforts at Greenhill Cemetery in Frankfort. These non-alcoholic sodas, available in root beer, ginger beer, and ginger ale, make great highballs!
● Mixicles - While the gift-giving logistics of Mixicles are a little more difficult, these frozen cubes make complicated cocktails extremely simple to do at home.
● Top Note Sparkling Mixers - It all started with a tonic designed to pair with whiskey, and now there are several flavors including grapefruit soda, Gentiana tonic, and more! Give a gift card or give a variety pack for optimal home cocktail experimentation.
● Make & Muddle Cocktail Kits - Make & Muddle offers cocktail mixers, cocktail kits, and even classes and whiskey education opportunities. The Smoked Old Fashioned kit is sure to be a hit!
● Bourbon Barrel Foods - From Old Fashioned syrup to bitters and cocktail cherries, Bourbon Barrel Foods makes cocktail mixers and accouterments for several major brands including Woodford Reserve and Old Forester. The Woodford Reserve Spiced Cherry Bitters are a favorite!
Ready-to-Drink Cocktails and Cocktail Kits
Over the last two years, the popularity of great cocktails at home has boomed. Now ready-to-drink options and cocktail kits are everywhere, and they are a far cry from the malt liquor versions of yesteryear! These make great gifts, stockin stuffers, host gifts, and also make for easy bartending at your holiday party.
● Courage + Stone - Founded by actor Aisha Tyler, who is also a Bourbon lover and avid home mixologist! The two options currently available are a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned, both of which have won numerous awards.
● Siponey - These canned cocktails with a cause support research into protecting bees, which is critical to our foodways. Creator Amanda Victoria wanted to use her love of whiskey to do good in the world, and Siponey was born. There’s rye whiskey right in the can!
● The Gold Fashioned - Lauded as the first luxury ready-to-drink cocktail, creator Robert Haynes drew from his years of mixology experience to put together a beautifully-presented, top-notch Old Fashioned. Makes a great hostess gift!
● Sailor Guevara Cocktails - What could be better than giving someone a year-long cocktail of the monthly subscription? Each box contains two different cocktails with enough ingredients to make six of each for a total of 12 cocktails!
● Westward Marionberry Old Fashioned Kit - Marionberries are native to the Pacific Northwest, and the combination of American Single Malt and Marionberry syrup is sure to add an interesting twist to your standard Old Fashioned experience.
● On The Rocks - There’s a whole line of cocktails and the interesting thing is they are made with Spirits brands you’ve heard of - Knob Creek, Aviation Gin, Cruzan Rum, and more!
● Tip Top Proper - These simple, noncarbonated cocktails come in single-serving cans, making them a great stocking stuffer or other small gift ideas. (Kosher)
● High West Barrel Finished Cocktails - Barrel-finished cocktails are usually a treat reserved for a visit to a high-end whiskey bar, but now you can have them at home with all the ease of pouring a dram over ice.
● Watershed Distillery Old Fashioned - Sadly, distribution is limited to seven states, but this Old Fashioned is the best-selling ready-to-drink Old Fashioned in its home state of Ohio!
● Cutwater Spirits - Instead of bringing beer to a casual holiday gathering, Cutwater offers 4-packs of Whiskey Mules, Vodka Mules, and more, a great way to change up the holiday routines!
● Woodford Reserve x Williams Sonoma Spiced Apple Cocktail Mixer - Easy mixers are great for beginning cocktail enthusiasts and fit nicely into a stocking!
● Old Dominick Memphis Toddy - Serve it to your guests warm or chilled or give it as a host/hostess gift, even those who don’t love straight whiskey will enjoy it.
Books
● The Oxford Companion To Cocktails & Spirits - David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum spent the better part of a decade compiling every piece of cocktail history they could find, and nearly 1000 pages later this weighty research piece answers just about any cocktail question you could think to ask.
● Texas Whiskey - The history of Texas Whiskey is barely a decade long, but this comprehensive yearbook of the current state of the Lone Star State’s whiskey history by Dr. Nico Martini offers a historic snapshot of the early years.
● Girly Drinks - Mallory O’Meara was frustrated that there was no comprehensive history written about women and alcohol, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. The narrative starts in the ancient world and carries through modern times, outlining all the advances women made in the creation of beverage alcohol as well as all the times society felt compelled to police womens’ drinking habits.
● Which Fork Do I Use With My Bourbon - This ultimate guide to entertaining with whiskey was written by Icon of Whisky and Kentucky Bourbon Hall-of-Famer Peggy Noe Stevens and Bourbon author Susan Reigler.
● Wildsam Kentucky - This travel guide covers all the great things that Kentucky has to offer, especially when it comes to Bourbon! And as an added bonus, your humble author wrote the Bourbon section!
Gifts
● American Whiskey Aroma Kit - Perfect for the whiskey geek in your life who can’t get enough sensory training!
● Art Eatables Bourbon Truffles - These make a great gift because you can often find the truffle that matches your gift recipient’s favorite whiskey, or you can go for a Taste of the Trail and let them experience the different combinations of whiskeys and chocolates!
● A whiskey-themed photo print, such as this Rickhouse photo by Kentucky Photographer Michele Korfhage makes a great gift for a whiskey enthusiast’s home bar, office, and more!
● Drunkwood is a one-stop-shop for all things Bourbon barrel art, from barrel head trays to state outlines and more!
● Eaves Blind is a great option for the whiskey geek who wants to take their sensory training to the next level.
● Frey Ranch Whiskey Truffles showcase an up-and-coming whiskey brand
● An I Heart Bitters lapel pin is a great gift for the whiskey cocktail enthusiast in your life!
● I Just Want To Pet My Dog And Drink Bourbon t-shirt, because who can’t relate to that!
● Pot Still Socks - For the pot still enthusiast in your life.