Our Editors’ 31 Favorite Whiskey Gifts for Snobs and Casual Drinkers
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Wiskey drinkers are nothing if not particular. We say that lovingly, since we're some of the biggest whiskey nerds out there. It's intimidating to buy gifts for someone with their impeccably good taste. Whether this whiskey-loving giftee is your dad, mom, boyfriend, wife, or whoever, we've found something for them. Should you try to find that specific bottle of Scotch? Must you spend $400 on an award-winning bottle of alcohol? Luckily for you, we're whiskey freaks over here at Esquire, and we have the answers. We know what they want because we are them.
For that alcohol-themed gift for the whiskey lover in your life, get creative. Some bourbons or ryes or Irish that anyone will love, plus bar tools like decanters that’ll make each sip divine. There may even be a whiskey subscription club that can match their exacting tastes. No matter what you end up settling on, they're going to love it. We've done the hard work (which included a lot of drinking), so all you have to do is Add To Cart and make their year.
Huckberry x The Explorers Club Decanter + Whiskey Glasses
If they're an adventure type, Whiskey Peaks makes my favorite novelty drinking accessories. It looks as good as stuff that's triple the price, and it's got a more fun look. I gave this set to my brother a few years back, and it's become one of his prized possessions.
Whiskey-Infused Toothpicks
These whiskey-infused toothpicks make a great, tiny gift for the person obsessed with whiskey in any form. Choose from a bourbon or malt infusion.
Portable Upcycled Jerry Can Bar Cabinet
They'll never be without their beloved tools or favorite bottles.
Barrel-aged Maple Syrup, Set of 2
A bourbon gift that is not just another bottle of the stuff. Maple syrup that gets aged in the same barrels as actual Pappy.
Headlines of History Whiskey Glasses
For the history buff (ahem, nerd), these headlines of history whiskey glasses are fun to give and get.
Huntsman Whisky & Cedarwood Cologne
Because it'd be frowned upon to douse yourself in straight whiskey, here's our favorite alternative.
Nude Malt Whiskey Bottle with Tray
Is 2024 their big year? Get 'em something to commemorate their very first (of course) pour.
Geometric Whiskey Stones, Set of 4
Sure, these geometric whiskey stones look cool as hell. But they'll also chill whiskey right and help guests tell their drinks apart. A win-win-win.
Hand-blown Rocks Glasses, Set of 2
Estelle Colored Glass makes some of our favorite barware of all time, including this chic set of hand-blown glasses.
Stirling Decanter
They'll always have a handful of bottles in their bar, but at any given time, there's one expression they want to showcase. For that, they need a decanter, and no one makes them as beautifully as Ralph Lauren Home. The Stirling line, inspired by the pleating on a tuxedo shirt, is a personal favorite, especially if you're buying for a man.
Candle + Cocktail Glass Set
Technically, all of Ranger Stations' candles can be repurposed as rocks glasses. This set is just a more obvious display of that. All the scents are great, can't go wrong, but Leather and Pine is my pick.
10 oz. Stackable Lowball
The ideal gift would be the YETI flask, but every color sold out shortly after release. A lowball glass is a suitable replacement, though. This Wetland Brown is one of my all-time favorite YETI colorways.
Pewter Hip Flask with Luxury Leather Pouch
An English Pewter flask from Sheffield is as classic a whiskey gift as there's ever been. You can always find antique ones on eBay, but this one with a leather pouch is as nice as anything out there.
And as a guy who carries a flask, this is the type you want to get them. Leather pouch is easy to hold. Attached cap means it never gets dropped into the pit at rock show, a surprisingly frequent circumstance for me.
10oz Pewter Mint Julep Cup
Old Fashioned guys are going to be mad at me, but I stand by this. There is no better cocktail for whiskey than a mint julep. If I want to really experience the stuff, I'll drink it neat or on the rocks. If I want a cocktail, give me something else, and put it over a ton of ice.
Old Fashioned
It's the only bottled drink that holds a candle to one they make themselves.
2 Inch Clear Ice Cube Tray
Whiskey people get freaky about their cocktail ice. A cheap mold will get good cubes, of course, but it's not the most user-friendly process. This three-piece ice mold is the best one I've ever used.
Pinhook Collaboration Series 2
An Esquire Spirit Award winning bottle that'll make them think. It's not an outrageously priced bottle, nor is it difficult to find at a liquor store. If you need something quick, this is a great shout.
Port Finished Bourbon
Angel's Envy brought mainstream attention to finished bourbon. Even though a bunch of distillers are finish liquid in a variety of casks now, there's still something so special about putting bourbon in port casks. The result is perfect for sipping, without being super challenging like the whiskies from across the pond.
Whiskey Wedge Glass
For anyone picky about their ice-to-whiskey ratio, this wedge-shaped ice mold and double Old Fashioned glass will give them something to think about.
'World Whiskey'
This gorgeous, leather-bound guidebook serves as an encyclopedia to 700 of the most interesting whiskey makers in the world, from Scotland to Japan to Australia.
Ancient Rocks Prehistoric Whiskey Stones
For those who like their drink... on the rocks. (Sorry!) These ice cube replacements will give them the temperature, without watering down their drink.
Little Rest American Single Malt Classic Gift Box
Tenmile Distillery is looking towards single malt Scotch for inspiration. Made from barley, like Scotch would be, grown in the Hudson Valley, it's a small-batch, small-run type of operation. The result is some fucking phenomenal whiskey.
$150.00 at newyorkcraftspirits.com
12 Year Old
If they're more of a purist, just get them a bottle of real single malt Scotch. There's a bunch of great bottles out there, but Glenglassaugh's 12-year is our favorite always available bottle.
£49.50 at thewhiskyexchange.com
Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt Japanese Whisky
A great Japanese whisky, as rare and sought-after as they've become, isn't exactly easy to track down. So do your giftee a solid and score a bottle of Yamazaki 12, a quintessential Japanese offering that makes a long-lasting impression.
Spirits Subscription
Why pick one present? A Flaviar membership introduces them to a digital whiskey-drinking club, with access to bottles and tastings, special whiskey releases, member events, and more.
Scotch-Infused Chocolate Collection
The essence of Dalmore Scotch whisky is used to flavor these decadent truffles. Two vices, satisfied in one box.
Bourbon Nosing Expansion Pack
But how deep is their love for whiskey? Can they know their Beam from Whistle Pig? Or tell the honey apart from tobacco notes in their go-to bottle? We're not so sure. But this kit will help hone that acute sense of smell, that's for sure.
Cocktail Smoking & Infusion Kit
Tap into their inner mad scientist with this cloche and torche, designed to steep cocktails in smoky flavors. That'll be one hell of an Old Fashioned.
"The Dead Rabbit Mixology & Mayhem"
The Dead Rabbit is a world-renowned bar hiding in downtown Manhattan, with an ethos built on the lore of Irish gangsters and Irish whiskey. Its cocktail recipe book is full of utterly astounding cocktails, as well as a nefarious tale of blood and revenge (and drinking) told in graphic novel form. You have to read it to believe it.
"The Whisky Dictionary"
Cask strength, floor malting, tannins...even the most whiskey-literate person you know would be forgiven for getting tripped up on the distillers lingo. This guidebook will give them a refresher on all terms that matter in whiskey-making.
1884 Small Batch Whiskey
Uncle Nearest is a newer distillery, but it digs deep into American history—all the way to the formerly enslaved Black man who taught Jack Daniel how to distill, Nearest Green himself. This bottle will give your giftee a real appreciation for Tennessee whiskey, as well as new insight into the spirit's backstory.
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