Picking out the perfect boozy gift for the holiday season (or any time of year for that matter) has never been easier. Whiskey boxes, cocktail sets, beer calendars, and entire special release collections get dropped year-round these days. Still, now’s the time when most people are looking for that perfect alcohol gift set to give to the aspiring home bartender or whiskey aficionado in their lives. And they have a plethora of options to choose from.
The choices for alcohol gift boxes span a wide range. Fancy vodka martinis? Yep, there’s a box for that. Know someone who loves all things Johnnie Walker? The brand sells a box with tasters of their entire line. Is there an IPA diehard in your life who you need to get a gift for? Stone’s 12 Days of IPA is a classic.
If you know someone who likes booze-related gifts, there’s a box they’re sure to love.
To help make sense of all the options out there, we thought we’d call out 12 of our favorite alcohol-related gift sets. We tried to keep the net fairly wide here. There’s a mix of beer, wine, whiskey, and cocktail gift boxes that range in price from $25 to $169. These picks are proof that while the 2020 holidays may not be quite as social as we’re used to, they can still be merry and bright.
Underwood Rosé Gift Pack
Price: $25
What’s In The Box:
Two 375 mL cans of Underwood Rosé, two Underwood branded glasses, and a wine cocktail recipe book.
Bottom Line:
Wine in a can is always a win. This is basically one bottle of wine with some nice glasses and an excuse to get into wine cocktails. The wine is a solid selection from Oregon’s Union Wine Co. but the price is the best part. $25 is hard to beat for a gift this tasty.
Stone Brewing 12 Days of IPA
Price: $30
What’s In The Box:
Stone IPA, Delicious IPA, Tangerine Express Hazy IPA, Scorpion Bowl IPA, Fear.Movie.Lions Double IPA, Ruination Sans Filtre Double IPA, Go-To IPA, Exotic Destinations IPA, Cosmic Runestone IPA, Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA, Soaring Dragon Imperial IPA, and Features & Benefits IPA.
Bottom Line:
This is 12 solid days of IPA from one of the U.S.’s biggest craft breweries. Stone and IPA are almost synonymous at this point. The San Diego brewer’s IPAs lean into all styles and offers one hell of a “12 days of Christmas” sampling.
Aberfeldy Golden Hot Chocolate Gift Set
Price: $45
What’s In The Box:
One bottle of Aberfeldy 12 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, one 6.8 oz. bag of Limited Edition ABERFELDY Golden Hot Chocolate Mix, two mugs, two drink stirrers, six Aberfeldy-infused marshmallows, and four grams of edible gold glitter.
Bottom Line:
Aberfeldy is honey-forward whisky from one of the best Master Blenders working in Scotland today. Their 12-year is a great mixing whisky. Tell us, doesn’t a little whisky in a mug of hot chocolate sound like the perfect drink/ gift right now?
Crown Royal Whisky Tasting Calendar
Price: $50
What’s In The Box:
Two mini bottles of Peach Flavored Whisky, two mini bottles of Salted Caramel Flavored Whisky, two mini bottles of Black Blended Canadian Whisky, two mini bottles of Fine De Luxe Blended Canadian Whisky, two mini bottles of Regal Apple Flavored Whisky, and two mini bottles of Vanilla Flavored Whisky.
Bottom Line:
Crown Royal is a very underappreciated Canadian whisky. Their line runs deep, with varied expressions and flavors. This box set will give anyone six entry points into the wide world of Crown Royal without breaking the bank when it comes to giving the gift of whiskey this year.
Heaven’s Door Trilogy Collection
Price: $60
What’s In The Box:
200 ml bottles (just under 1/3 of a regular bottle) of Heaven’s Door Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Heaven’s Door Double Barrel Whiskey, and Heaven’s Door Straight Rye Whiskey.
Bottom Line:
Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door Whiskey out of Nashville isn’t a cash grab, it’s a damn fine whiskey company. The juice is well blended and bottled. These bottles show the brand’s core line and offer a great connection point for the Dylan-lover in your life.
The Classic Malt Coastal Collection
Price: $65
What’s In The Box:
200 ml bottles of Caol Ila 12 Year Old, Clynelish 14 Year Old, and Talisker 10 Year Old.
Bottom Line:
Diageo’s single malts continue to dominate the world of whisky. These three whiskies lean towards the smokier side of things with Caol Ila and Talisker from Islay and the Isle of Skye respectively. Clynelish, on the other hand, is a Highland whisky that makes up a large portion of Johnnie Walker’s Gold blend.
A smoky trio from three truly special lines.
Bulleit Bourbon Yeti Outdoor Pack
Price: $72
What’s In The Box:
One bottle of Bulleit Bourbon Kentucky Straight Whiskey, one half-bottle of Bulleit 95 Rye Whiskey, and one 10 oz. Bulleit Branded YETI Rambler.
Bottom Line:
Bulleit remains one of the most popular bourbons and ryes in America. Their juice is a solid choice at a very accessible price point. Add in a YETI Rambler for sipping that whiskey (with a little ice and water, we hope), and you’ve got a great gift. Plus, once the whiskey is gone, whoever receives this gift will still have a YETI Rambler for years to come.
Johnnie Walker 12 Days of Discovery
Price: $100
What’s In The Box:
Two mini bottles of Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky, two mini bottles of Aged 18 Years Blended Scotch Whisky, two mini bottles of Gold Label Reserve Blended Scotch Whiskey, two mini bottles of Green Label Blended Scotch Whisky, two mini bottles of Double Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky, and two mini bottles of Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky.
Bottom Line:
What’s cool about this gift is that you’ll be able to recreate UPROXX’s own tasting of Johnnie Walker! Also, this is a very solid all-around selection of whiskies with real heavy-hitters like Johnnie Blue, Gold, and Green, making this an excellent entry-point to scotch overall.
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label with Sugarfina Pop The Champagne Gift Set
Price: $105
What’s In The Box:
One bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, Champagne Bears (gummies infused with the finest Champagne in sparkling flavors of brut and rosé), Bubbly Bears (tart Champagne-infused gummies), Baby Champagne Bears (a tiny version of Sugarfina’s best-selling Champagne Bears), and two Champagne flutes.
Bottom Line:
Moving towards New Year’s Eve, this gift is sure to make a long night a little more fun. Boozy gummy bears and a bottle of champers with two glasses is a solid gift for that special person in your life who you’re eager to ring in 2021 with.
Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey & 1884 Small Batch Whiskey
Price: $108
What’s In The Box:
One bottle of Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey and one bottle of Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey.
Bottom Line:
Uncle Nearest is doing some of the best work in Tennessee whiskey right now. The heritage brand has been racking up award after award for their refined whiskeys and this gift set makes for the perfect place to get introduced to the line.
The Ultimate California Wine & Cheese Collection
Price: $155
What’s In The Box:
2018 Matanzas Creek Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc, Cambria Estate Cambria Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay, 2017 Hartford Court Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, and Mt. Brave Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon paired with 90-day aged TomaProvence, 90-day aged TomaRashi, 90-day aged Bay Blue, and 16-month aged Gouda.
Bottom Line:
This is great wine paired with great cheese. There are few better things in life.
Martini Lover’s Gift Set
Price: $169
What’s In The Box:
One bottle of Absolut Elyx, one bottle of Lillet Rosé, Elyx Copper Cocktail Coupe Gift Set (set of 2), and Sugarfina Martini Olive Almonds in Shaker.
Bottom Line:
Absolut Elyx is one of the best luxe vodkas you can buy or drink. We’re talking about a beautifully crafted spirit. Mixed with Lillet Rosé (a light fortified wine), and a little ice and you have yourself a perfect martini. The set also comes with rad copper coupes and a copper shaker for mixing up your cocktails.
It’s a stylish, delicious, and long-lasting gift.