Alcohol is the go-to gift for many during the holidays.
Whether you’re lifting someone’s spirits, attending a holiday party or are invited to a seasonal dinner, the right beer, wine or liquor can enhance the occasion. But finding just the right bottle for the occasion isn’t easy.
You can’t grab just any old six pack or bottle off the shelf. Like any gift this time of year, you want it to be a token of your affection and, ideally, something the recipient might never get for themselves.
The upside, though, is there are plenty of good options. Here are a few suggestions:
For wine lovers
Cakebread 50th Anniversary Chardonnay Collection – This rare collection of four single-vineyard chardonnays gives you one of the best examples to date of how the same style of wine can taste radically different depending on where it was grown. At $300, it’s not cheap, but it’s guaranteed to make you the favorite guest at dinner. You’ll pick up apple and pear with the Milton Road offering, while Tinsley Ranch is more acidic and balanced. It’s a fun tasting where there are no bad choices.
Silver Oak 2019 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon– It’s hard to go wrong with a well-made Cabernet Sauvignon. Silver Oak’s most recent release ($100) brings cherry and raspberry to mind, with blackcurrant and vanilla. It’s wonderful now with everything from pizza to desert, but will get better and better through 2047 if cellared.
For spirits enthusiasts
Dickel Bourbon Aged 18 Years – Don’t mind dropping a hefty amount on your host? This rare offering carries a suggested retail price of $510, but for that you’ll get an exceptionally rare bourbon that has been aged 18 years. With a nose that brings crème brulee to mind and a finish of toffee and oak, it’s bound to turn the head of any bourbon lover.
Designer Dram – Why guess when trying to find a gift for a bourbon lover? Let them make their own custom blend themselves. Designer Drawm lets the customer make their own blend of whiskies to create something that is truly theirs. Prices start at $169.
For the person that just wants a beer
2023 Utopias from Samuel Adams – Only released every two years, this vastly different beer is illegal to sell in 15 states, due to its whopping 28% ABV levels. It’s not carbonated, since the alcohol levels devour any CO2. Its taste is akin to a fine liquor, with a sweetness like a port or cognac and a smooth, almost buttery, malt-filled finish. And the recommended serving size is one ounce (so that $240 bottle will last a while). But it’s an experience the drinker will never forget. This year’s offering was aged in charred whiskey casks as well as American bourbon barrels and imported Scotch and peated whisky barrels, which add a smoky touch to the flavor. Ruby Port and Carcavelos casks along with Cognac barrels add dark fruit notes.
Bourbon County Stoutfrom Goose Island – There are six varietals of this year’s Bourbon County batch, which will all go on sale on Black Friday (though some will be harder to find than others). The base original was the best we tasted, while the Eagle Rare 2-year reserve and Angel’s Envy 2-year cask finish stout are both strong (though each could use a couple years in a cellar to reach their full potential). The Bananas Foster Stout is better than you might expect, but not a mandatory pour for fans. The Backyard Stout, which incorporates mulberries, boysenberries and marionberries, was the weakest of this year’s choices, in our tasting. Expect prices to be in the $16-$55 range.
NoDa Hoppy Holidays – IPAs might not be popular with some beer drinkers, but add some spruce tips to the style and it becomes a festive holiday treat. While several breweries offer spruce tip versions, Charlotte’s NoDa does it best with Hoppy Holidays, a West Coast offering that smells and tastes like the best part of a Christmas tree. And, at just $14 for a four pack, it’s imminently affordable.