Christmas gifts for spirit lovers: Unique ideas to delight friends and family
Looking for the perfect gift? The festive season is here and Decanter has plenty of ideas to help you choose a Christmas present for spirits lovers – from special seasonal releases to glassware gift sets and cocktail prints.
Choosing an original gift for friends and family isn’t always easy. Too often we resort to the same old favourites. But whether your dad loves his whisky or grandma enjoys putting her feet up with a cheeky G&T, a drink is always a welcome sight at Christmas.
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, vodka, rum or tequila. So if you’re looking for something a bit different, one of the gifts below might fit the bill.
We’ve rounded up our favourite spirituous gifts across a range of prices, from botanical cocktail garnishes to a Martini print to hang on the wall. So whether you’re searching for a budget stocking filler or a blow-out gift for someone special, you’ll find inspiration below.
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Gifts under £20
Fever-Tree Christmas Crackers
These cute little crackers make a perfect stocking filler for spirits lovers. Each contains a 5cl spirit and 15cl mixer. Choose from a range of 12, including: The Ultimate Whisky & Ginger Ale Cracker with Benriach 10 Year Old, The Ultimate Classic Mojito Cracker with Duppy Share Spiced Rum and The Ultimate Blood Orange Gin Spritz Cracker with Papa Salt Gin.
BUY: £9 John Lewis
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 (lemon, lime and orange) for £32.
BUY: £12.60 Linden Leaf
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Sticky Toffee Pudding Rum Liqueur
Presented in a stylish reusable decanter, this rum liqueur from the Sainsbury’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
Gifts under £40
Black Lines Oatnog
Think eggnog, but better. Produced by bottled cocktail experts Black Lines, this dairy-free festive special edition is made from Two Drifters Signature Rum and Oatly Barista, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Enjoy it cold over ice or heat gently in a pan and garnish with freshly ground nutmeg. Each 750ml bottle contains five 150ml serves. In addition £1 for every bottle sold will be donated to support aid for children and families in Gaza. (Alc 6.3%)
BUY: £20 Black Lines
MOTH Party Pack
Makers of bar-quality cocktails in cans, MOTH (Mix Of Total Happiness) has created a festive party pack featuring eight of its bestsellers: Mojito, Negroni, Spicy Margarita, Margarita, Espresso Martini, Passionfruit Martini, Cosmopolitan and Paloma. All ready to drink at any Christmas party. Look out for a golden ticket inside winning packs for the chance to win a dinner party of dreams worth £500. Available exclusively at Waitrose.
BUY: £22 Waitrose
Limited-edition St-Rémy XO x Tomalater
Distilled in the Loire Valley, St-Rémy is world’s number one French brandy. Its XO is made from grapes grown in various regions of France including Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. This limited-edition bottle designed by Thomas Lateur features a colourful mosaic to represent the diversity of those vineyards and villages. Inside the bottle is a rich brandy with notes of woody vanilla, dates, figs, nuts and gingerbread. Enjoy it neat, in an indulgent brandy coffee or use it to set your Christmas pudding aflame! (Alc 40%)
BUY: £24.50 Sainsbury’s
Ooshky Whisky Water Jug
The ideal gift for whisky lovers who like to add a splash of water to their dram to open out the flavours. Way more stylish than a pipette or water dropper, this elegant little ceramic water jug lets users add however much water they prefer to their whisky glass. Cover the larger hole with your thumb and control the flow by partially releasing your thumb for a splash, or keep it covered and shake for a drop. Also available in a clear glass finish.
BUY: £32, Ooshky
Gifts under £60
Negroni al Natale
Get your Christmas party started with a festive Negroni. Allora Aperitivo al Limone has joined forces with Italian restaurant Lardo to create this seasonal special edition. It combines East London Gin with Lardo’s homemade chinotto and Allora Aperitivo al Limone, a fresh lemon aperitivo from the Italian island of Procida in the Bay of Naples – known locally as the ‘island of lemons’. This ready-to drink 70cl bottle contains nine serves. (Alc 19%)
BUY: £40 Delli Market
The Lost Explorer Agave Cocktail Gift Set
Ideal for fans of agave spirits, this gift set from award-winning mezcal and tequila brand The Lost Explorer contains a trio of premium ready-to-drink cocktails created in partnership with Lockdown Liquor & Co. Choose from a tropical Passionfruit Margarita, a zippy Mezcal Picante and a smoky Mezcal Negroni, each served in a 200ml glass bottle, easy to serve and enjoy.
Isobel Lynam Martini Prints
Illustrator Isobel Lynam creates original food and drink prints in her St Leonards studio on the Sussex coast. Latest additions to the range include these graphic designs of a Martini and Espresso Martini – two of her favourite drinks. Prices start at £22 for an unframed A4 print, going up to £80 for a framed A1 print.
BUY: £50 Isobel Lynam
Gifts under £100
Mermaid Winter Gin Gift Set
Produced on the Isle of Wight, Mermaid Winter Gin is a rich and warming seasonal expression, distilled with botanicals including figs, grapes, cassia, orange peel and Isle of Wight honey. This stylish gift set is comes with two gold-patterned tumblers – perfect for serving a Gin & Tonic garnished with a slice of orange. (Alc 38%)
BUY: £68 John Lewis
A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas Whisky 2025 Edition
The Whisky Exchange’s annual festive whisky release is guaranteed to keep Scotch-lovers happy. The 2025 edition is a 16 Year Old Highland single malt, matured in first-fill oloroso Sherry casks. As you’d expect it’s big on festive flavour: think Christmas pudding, brandy butter, orange, chocolate and candied almonds. Perfect with a mince pie or two. (Alc 55%)
BUY: £79.95 The Whisky Exchange
DRAM5
The DRAM5 discovery box challenges whisky lovers with a blind tasting of five premium, rare, single-cask Scotch whiskies, carefully selected from celebrated distilleries across Scotland and bottled in 25cl serves – but not labelled. It also includes a digital programme that lets recipients record tasting notes and connect with other whisky lovers. With only 6,000 boxes available, it’s an exclusive statement gift.
BUY: £95 Hedonism
Gifts over £100
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Membership
For a gift that keeps giving beyond Christmas Day, choose a year’s membership to The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Members can purchase exclusive bottles from the Society’s extensive range and enjoy access to private members’ bars and events across the UK, as well as online tastings and a monthly online magazine. Membership cards are presented in a handsome gift box with a full-size bottle of a limited-edition whisky that’s worth around £75. There’s even a downloadable PDF gift certificate for last-minute shoppers too.
BUY: £100 The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Aureus Vita Gin
The three wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the manger, but Aureus Vita – meaning ‘golden way of life’ – may be the next best thing. This luxe new gin has been created according to the principles of the Fibonacci sequence, a series of increasing numbers that can be divided to produce the Golden Ratio of approximately 1.618. This harmonious ratio is found throughout the natural world and has been applied to everything from music to architecture. Chemist-turned-Master Distiller John Hall has used the Golden Ratio at every stage of production for his new gin: from botanical proportions to still design to dilution. The result is a smooth, elegant and harmonious gin that’s perfect in your Christmas Day Martini.
BUY: £169 Fortnum & Mason
Laphroaig 18-Year-Old & Dry Bag Gift Set
For adventurous spirits who are partial to a dram, this gift set pairs a bottle of Laphroaig 18-Year-Old Islay single malt with a sturdy branded dry bag to keep valuable items safe and dry on outdoor excursions, whether it’s a coastal hike, camping under winter skies, or simply braving a Boxing Day walk. Just remember to take a nip of Laphroaig’s bold, peaty and earthy 18-Year-Old in your hip-flask.
BUY: £189.95 Hard to Find Whisky
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