26 Best Gifts for Any Whiskey Lover You Know
Cheers to these unique bottles, glasses and more.
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What to buy someone who likes whiskey? Yes, you could get them a bottle of the best whiskey, but if you're looking for a more unique idea, something a bit personalized or perhaps, a present that's budget-friendly, look to these the best whiskey gifts. We’re talking whiskey glasses, tools to make the most delicious whiskey cocktails, books, socks (everyone loves getting a pair!) and more. Plus, have gifts for whiskey drinkers at every price point, from the casual acquaintances level to the most luxury tier.
CHECK OUT OUR ULTIMATE LIST OF THE BEST GIFT IDEAS FOR 2023
Of course, we did include some of our favorite liquors, from Japanese whiskey to brands that are ideal for mixing up drinks like an Old Fashioned. There are also whiskey subscriptions and samplers for those who are just dipping their toes into the world of whiskey.
All you need to do now is come up with a toast to cheers to your special relationship.
Looking for even more great gift ideas? Check out more of our top gift guides:
Gifts for Him | Great Ideas for Her | Most Popular Gifts of the Year
This set of tasting glasses is a must for any connoisseur. Used at whiskey competitions and “serious” whiskey bars, The Glencairn was specifically designed to better appreciate all types of brown spirits. The clear crystal allows the drinker to assess the whiskey’s color and the tulip-shaped bowl concentrates the aromas to bring out the nuances of every dram.
What’s better than a great whiskey cocktail? A ready-made version that you can pour over ice, that’s what. This gift-worthy set of lowball glasses with a 375-milliliter bottle each of Manhattan and Old Fashioned is from the New York City Italian restaurant Via Carota, where tables are notoriously hard to get. The cocktails taste impeccable, like they were freshly made with the highest quality ingredients. And the best part? No waiting for a table.
Sure, there are advent calendars for chocolate, cheese...even instant noodles, but this whiskey advent calendar is THE must-buy gift for lovers of brown spirits. It's from the whiskey subscription service Flaviar and includes the following: 24 x 50-ml vials of top-shelf whiskeys (from eight different countries, including bourbon, rye and single malt and new 2023 releases), 1 Glencairn tasting glass, 1 leather coaster, a tasting journal with info on each whiskey, as well as a 1-year subscription to the Flaviar Black Membership.
The price tag is a bit steep but consider it a premium gift that the recipient can enjoy for 365 days — especially the first 24!
Even if you don’t make any of the 200 drinks in this beautiful compendium, the images provide enough eye candy to make the browsing worthwhile. The collection includes recipes for dozens of iconic whiskey cocktails, including the Gold Rush, a honeyed twist on a whiskey sour, from the legendary Milk & Honey bar in New York City and the Black Manhattan, a riff on a classic Manhattan that replaces the vermouth with amaro, invented at Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco.
Excellent whiskey deserves to be poured in fine crystal glasses and this tumbler set from Waterford is one of the best for serving the spirit neat. Beautifully etched with enough weight to feel substantial in the hand, the glass makes a definitive statement.
Buying premium Japanese whisky can be something of a wild goose chase: A great bottle will almost immediately sell out after its release. That’s why buying one as a gift now for your intended recipient will go over like gangbusters. This 10-year-old single malt expression is from Yoichi, one of the two famous Nikka distilleries. The nose opens with a bit of smoke and hints of crème brûlée. The peat and salinity on the palate are reminiscent of Scotch, especially Highland. There are also notes of melon, nuts and minerality, ending in a long, silky finish.
It’s a literal buzzkill when stellar cocktails are finished with garnishes that don’t measure up. The black amarena cocktail cherries from Filthy are *chef’s kiss*. They’re brighter and less sweet than others while still rich in flavor. Your recipient will thank you every time they fix themselves a Manhattan or Old-Fashioned.
Size matters when it comes to ice, and so does the shape. Compared to a large cube, a big sphere of ice has less surface area in contact with the whiskey, which means efficient chilling but with less dilution. A win-win for serious aficionados.
Ever wonder why the cocktails at fancy bars look so good? The answer lies in the clear ice cubes. The process has typically been complicated and laborious, but now you can easily make clear ice cubes at home with this directional freezing ice tray.
Bib & Tucker Double Char: 6-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon
Bib & Tucker Double Char: 6-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon
Whiskey lovers will appreciate this singular Tennessee bourbon that's distinctive and memorable. It boasts a mahogany color and rich, deep flavor that tastes far more complex than the six years of initial aging would suggest — thanks to the "double char" finishing that lets the bourbon spend at least five months in a second barrel that's heavily charred and smoked. The result is a smooth whiskey with aromas of maple nuts kissed with smoke. The palate shows brown sugar and pie spice with a savory edge, plus lingering notes of vanilla. At just 88 proof, it's a mellow bourbon that's immensely enjoyable to sip neat.
This wedge-shaped ice mold freezes right in the glass. Why does that matter? Your whiskey drinker can chill their favorite spirit with minimal dilution and it eliminates free-floating ice cubes from hitting their lips while sipping.
This sampler set of blended malt Scotches is actually three gifts in one. The collection this year includes one 50-ml bottle (enough for a generous pour) each of the following:
The Story of the Spaniard — a fruity, aromatic Scotch that's based around malt whiskies aged in Spanish sherry casks
The Spice Tree — a blended malt with heady aromas of vanilla and baking spices that dance on the palate
The Peat Monster — the famously smoky Scotch for the peat seekers; this savory blend calls to mind earth, mineral and campfires
Smoking adds an extra dimension of flavor and can smooth out any rough edges of any whiskey cocktail. The Breville smoking gun is easy to use for home mixologists and allows for precise levels of smoke to achieve just the right amount of smolder in your Old-Fashioned, Manhattan or whiskey sour.
Stumped on what bottle to buy the whiskey fan in your life? Then get them a subscription to try small samples of their favorite spirit, including special releases and rare and expensive bottles. It’s like giving several gifts in one.
Bitters in a cocktail are like pepper in food and the whiskey enthusiast in your life deserves a well-seasoned tipple. This sampler pack from the Black-owned, Brooklyn-based Hella Cocktail Co. includes five types of bitters: aromatic, orange, ginger, Mexican chocolate and smoked chile. It’s a fantastic array of flavors to experiment with and spice up their good libations.
A good decanter will let your whiskey connoisseur display their spirit of choice loud and proud without a pesky label getting in the way. This 32-ounce glass decanter is big enough to hold an entire 750-milliliter bottle with some room to spare. The etching not only adds textural interest, it provides a good grip for butterfingered imbibers.
When you’re not sure if your recipient’s spirit of choice is bourbon, rye or Scotch, this smooth Illinois stunner appeals to practically any type of drinker. It's also one of the few whiskeys that are certified kosher and organic.
These sturdy cocktail picks give drinks that extra finesse. At a versatile 4 inches long, the classic design suits any type of glass and whiskey drink.
Any cocktail enthusiast will appreciate a good mixing glass and it’s essential for stirring some of the best classic whiskey cocktails, such as a Manhattan, Rob Roy and Boulevardier. The Yarai is a favorite among bartenders who praise the sturdy base, overall durability and gorgeous diamond-etched design.
Does the whiskey drinker in your life fancy a little nip of journey juice? Then this gift is a must-buy. The slim, functional model from Stanley has a certain retro-modern chic and is just the right pocket-size vessel for potent potables.
Susan (she/her) is the Senior Food Editor at Good Housekeeping, where she leads wine, spirits, and drinks coverage and helps shape food content across platforms. In the Kitchen & Cooking Lab, she develops and rigorously tests recipes, drawing on experience that spans Food & Wine, Food Network, three meal kit companies, a Brooklyn wine shop, and Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. A graduate of Brown University, she has also collaborated on over a dozen cookbooks and cocktail books.
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