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, vodka, whisky, rum or Cognac. So if you’re looking for something a bit different, one of the gifts below might fit the bill.
From delicious rum truffles to Negroni gift sets and luxury whisky decanters, 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.
You’ll find ideas across the different spirits categories, including whisky and gin, as well as choices for cocktail fans…
Gifts under £20
Churchill’s Cocktails book
Imperial War Museums has joined forces with award-winning bar, The Churchill Bar & Terrace, to create a cocktail recipe book. Perfect for fans of cocktail history and home mixologists alike, this hardback book features 30 recipes inspired by the people, places and passions of the famous wartime Prime Minister. Historical insights and anecdotes sit alongside bespoke recipes categorised for Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced and Experienced, including the Churchill War Rooms Martini, The Charleston Punch and the V for Victory (shown above).
Buy: £9.85, Amazon
Buy: £9.85, Amazon
Blackwell Rum x Charbonnel Fine Jamaican Rum Truffles
Blackwell Rum has teamed up with chocolatier Charbonnel et Walker to produce these limited-edition truffles laced with Jamaican rum. They’re a treat for your tastebuds and your ears: tucked under the truffle box lid is an exclusive QR code playlist, curated by Blackwell Rum owner Chris Blackwell, who also founded Island Records, home to artists such as U2, Jamie Cullen and Ariana Grande.
Mini Negroni Gift Set for Two
Bolney Wine Estate in Sussex also produces Bolney Gin, distilled with local botanicals including hawthorn leaves sourced from the hedgerows surrounding the vineyards. Meanwhile a Rosso Vermouth is made with the estate’s own sloes and blackcurrants. You can sample them both in this gift set, which makes two Negroni cocktails and is delivered nationwide.
JJ Whitley Vodka Christmas Crackers
Forget paper hats and bad jokes, these Christmas crackers contain miniatures of JJ Whitley’s flavoured vodkas. The set includes Vanilla, Passionfruit, Artisanal, Watermelon & Lime, Blue Raspberry and Blood Orange flavours.
Buy: £19, The Drop Store
Buy: £19, The Drop Store
Gifts £20-£100
Bombay Sapphire Create & Capture Kit
Snap special festive moments and make a photo album to treasure with Bombay Sapphire’s Create & Capture Kit. Each gift set includes a 70cl bottle of either Bombay Sapphire, Bombay Sapphire Sunset or Bombay Bramble, alongside a Kodak Instant Printomatic camera in a matching colour and a A6 designer photo album.
Buy: £60, Bombay Sapphire
Buy: £60, Bombay Sapphire
Hepple Spirits Martini Glass Gift Set
Hepple Gin is unusually made with British juniper, growing wild on the Northumbrian Moors. Created by cook Valentine Warner, bartender Nick Strangeway, distiller Chris Garden and keeper of the land, Walter Riddell, the Hepple Spirits range now also includes single botanical Douglas Fir Vodka, Sloe & Hawthorn Gin and bottled cocktails: the Ultrasonic Martini and the Ultrasonic Negroni. The distillery’s Christmas gift set features a 50cl bottle of your choice, plus two crystal Martini glasses etched with the Hepple juniper sprig motif – perfect additions to anyone’s home bar.
Buy: £60, Hepple Spirits
Buy: £60, Hepple Spirits
Bacardí Reserva Ocho Rum Domino Set
Warm up your winter with a splash of Caribbean sunshine courtesy of Bacardí. The rum producer has partnered with bespoke joiners NDRJ and Caribbean artist Pop Caribe to create limited-edition Caribbean-inspired domino sets. Luxury gift packs contain a full dominoes set (28 tiles) made from upcycled Bacardí barrels that lend an authentic smoky rum aroma to each tile, plus a dominoes box engraved with a bespoke Pop Caribe design, a bottle of Bacardí Reserva Ocho, premium 8-year-old rum and an engraved recipe card for a Bacardí Ocho Old Fashioned.
Buy: £75, Minima
Buy: £75, Minima
Gifts over £100
Hennessy X.O limited-edition by Julien Colombier
Hennessy’s Extra Old luxury Cognac is an iconic blend: rich, dark and intense with aromas of spice and candied fruit leading to a smooth palate with notes of dark chocolate, dried fruit and ripe plums. This special-edition bottle is stylishly presented in a gift pack with a gold serving tray, designed by French artist Julien Colombier. The design draws on his eclectic influences from Japanese art, graffiti and Henri Matisse.
Buy: £177, Clos 19
Buy: £177, Clos 19
Lunar Eclipse Grey Goose X Alessi Design Cocktail Kit
The world’s first premium vodka brand Grey Goose has joined forces with Italian designer Alessi to create a festive limited-edition of their Lunar Eclipse cocktail kit. Each kit includes the classic Boston shaker (designed by Ettore Sottsass), a cocktail measure, bar strainer and stirrer, plus a 70cl bottle of Grey Goose. A great choice for design enthusiasts and cocktail connoisseurs alike.
Whisky Cut Connoisseur Set by LSA
Whisky drinkers will love this luxury glass set that includes a decanter, water jug and two heavy-based tumblers on a serving tray made from FSC-certified walnut and inlaid with dark cork veneer. Featuring hand-engraved, mouth-blown glass it’s a perfect present for whisky connoisseurs.
Buy: £280, Dot Maison
Buy: £280, Dot Maison
