We hate to break it to you but if you think buying a gift for the cocktail connoisseurs and mixology enthusiasts in your life is easy, you are kidding yourself. Trust us, you aren’t the only one thinking the obvious. There will be many others buying a bottle of their favourite liquor.
That is precisely why we got in touch with the folks behind Spirits With Smoke, Antonio and Meredith. As professional bartenders and experienced experts themselves, they helped us round up a list of gifts that are sure to impress the snobbiest of cocktail enthusiasts. Especially if they are the kinds who have well-stocked home bars.
From smoking boards and infusion kits to novelty glasses and ice stamps, here are 6 gifts the cocktails lovers in your life will actually appreciate.
Take a look—
Smoked Cocktail Kits by Spirits With Smoke
Imagine serving up (or being served) a cocktail with cloudy smoke wafting off your glass. That’s what these brilliant smoking cocktail kits do— allow you to craft smoking cocktails at home. Smoking enhances the aroma, texture and overall taste of the drink. The fact that it takes presentation to a whole new level of awesome is just an added perk. Depending on the kit you select, these smoking kits come with different flavoured woods, bitters, smoking saucers and a few other useful things.
INFUSED: Cocktail Creations by Spirits With Smoke
Yet another igneous offering by Spirits With Smoke is their INFUSED: Cocktail Creations kit. They basically provide you with all the premeasured ingredients— organic fruits, sugars, herbs, and spices. All you have to do is pour the appropriate liquor, wait (we’re told this is an important step) and shake! And your Top-Shelf cocktails are ready. Sure, these are perfect for amateur home bartenders. But these are just as good for the pros when concocting a large batch. Each of these packs can make 8-10 servings.
Novelty Whisky Glasses by Huckberry
Give the glass a closer look. Notice that bump at the bottom? Yes, the one that looks like the sides of a mountain? Well, that’s because it is the Grand Canyon. And you can choose which mountain you want it to look like. That’s right! This set of two glasses comes with a bump in the shape of 10 different mountains. Our picks (in descending order of preference): The Wave, Grand Canyon, Diamond Head and Denali.
1L Ageing Oak Barrel by Likor Shak
This Urban Barrel by Likor Shak is pretty cute-looking. But this tiny barrel does more than just appease aesthetics. It is also ideal for aging cocktails at home. While oak-barrel aging might seem like a professional’s job with giant barrels, this one-litre barrel is perfect for home bartenders of all calibres. After all, there are few ways to fancy up a cocktail and make those flavours bold than aging.
Ice Stamp by Stamptitude
This ice stamp is a cocktailer’s version of signing an art piece. You can mark the ice in the cocktail you craft with any design you want. Just load the design (a logo or an initial or anything else you like) you wish to get engraved. Then pick the handle of your choice— solid walnut or black aluminum. And your own personal cocktail signature is ready. Plus, it comes nicely gift-wrapped. So, that’s one thing off your plate.
Bitters by Spirits With Smoke
Okay, we admit there is one bottle on the list. But in our defence, these aren’t your traditional liquor bottles. These are spiced, herbed and fruit-flavoured bitters that take mixing several notches higher. And because Spirits With Smokes advises you to “never drink ordinary,” their bitters aren’t basic either. You’ll find a curated collection of some of the best locally made, small-batch Black Cloud cocktail bitters. These are sure to enhance the complexity of your libation and make your cocktails aroma, flavour and colour-rich.
That concludes our list. All of the above items are sure to make you very popular with the aspiring mixologists and experienced bartenders around you.
SPIRITS WITH SMOKE
Cocktail elevation tools & kits brand
