Alcohol Gift Guide 2024: The best Scotch to beer to THC (and more) to buy for the holidays
The holidays are nearly upon us. Festive gatherings will begin soon. So what are you gonna bring to these parties? What will you buy for the boozy adult on your gift list?
Well, hey, maybe I can help.
For the past three-plus years I've been breaking down beers, wines, spirits and more for FTW's Beverage of the Week series. That means I've had the chance to drink a loooooot of stuff, even before getting to the fact I'm based in Madison, Wisconsin -- one of the drinking-est towns in the universe. I've had some great drinks and some terrible ones this year. Let's talk about that former category and see if we can't find you some present ideas that will bowl over whomever's on the receiving end.
These tend to range toward the more expensive, but there are a few strong moderately priced options as well. Whether the object of your affection like bourbon, Scotch, vodka, wine, cannabis or just likes a good non-alcoholic beverage, there's something here for you.
For someone who really, really loves scotch: Bruichladdich's Octomore 15.1
Let's start with a big, bold and stupidly expensive gift. Octomore is the most peated whisky in the world, a marvel of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland that tastes like a delicious, salty camp fire.
I understand that sounds bad. I assure you it is not. It's one of the most unique and complex spirits I've ever had. The only problem? It's both difficult to find and costs about $200 to start.
My favorite from the 15 series happens to also be the cheapest, which is cold comfort but it's something. Here's what I thought, from an upcoming review:
For the wine drinker on the go (or not): Nomadica
I don't have a lot of wine experience under my boozing belt. For me, it's not especially appealing, but I'm happy to sip a glass if it's the only option. That effectively leaves me qualified to tell you if a wine is well made or not with little room for nuance.
Fortunately, I have wine friends who were happy to give Nomadica's gorgeous 250 milliliter cans a try. They agreed with me: Nomadica is good wine in an unorthodox package.
From an upcoming review:
For someone who likes heavy, creative (and expensive) beer: Firestone Walker's Brewmaster's Collective
Firestone Walker is a circle of trust brewery for me. I'm happy to buy whatever they've got on the shelf at my local bottle shop because I know it's going to be good.
With the quarterly Brewmaster's Collective subscription, you also know it's going to be at least slightly weird. The mailer is meant for beer buffs deep in the woods of dry hopping and barrel aging. You'll get stouts and barleywines infused with flavors you never expected -- and they always turn out pretty great.
My most recent mailer included a double-oaked ale brewed with vanilla and pistachio named "Bendy Foldies." I am a 40-year-old dad. This is my love language.
From: Firestone Walker's subscription box isn't cheap, but hoooo buddy it's worth it:
Find it here. And if Hoste is too pricy, Diageo's got a lineup of familiar premixed cocktails that scratch a similar itch. Check out our review here.
For someone looking to straddle the line between fancy whiskey and fancy tequila: Roble Fino Reposado
Roble Fino isn't cheap. The bottle reflects this; it's big, wears a scarf and is heavy as hell. At more than $100 for the sherry oak finished reposado, you're making an investment here.
But the Tequila Partida offshoot stands up as a sipper. It's a track workout through a lineup of flavors -- some you jog through, others you sprint. It's lowkey and intense at the same time.
From an upcoming review:
For someone who wants to broaden their vodka horizons: Beattie's
I'm sorry, Canadian vodka distillers. I was not familiar with your game.
Fortunately, Beattie's put me on the right track. The potato-based spirit from our northern neighbor was a perfect fit for my too-strong mixed drinks. It's subtle but flavorful, bringing flowery, citrus and pepper notes to a booze that can feel too astringent with the slightest mistake.
Here's what I thought of it when I mixed it, poorly, into a transfusion. From Beattie's farm-made vodkas are a proper slice of Canada:
You can find it here.
For someone looking to juice up their non-alcoholic beverages with some cannabis: Nowadays
Nowadays offers a variety of ways to get federally legal, hemp-derived THC into your bloodstream. There's a tried-and-true route of canned seltzers that do a great job combining form and function. But if you're looking at cannabis as a quick shot or cocktail enhancer they've got you covered as well. 750 milliliter bottles offer doses of three, five, and 10 milligrams of THC per 1.5 ounce shot.
Importantly, those shots taste pretty good on their own in addition to mixing well with, say, a typical seltzer. From Nowadays stands out in a crowded field of THC drinks:
You can find it here.
For the cannabis enthusiast with discerning taste for craft soda: Mary Jones
While some cannabis-infused drinks are a trade off between modest highs and clean flavors, Jones Soda Co. puts in work to make sure their weed-y soft drinks taste like the real thing. There's a wide array of flavors from which to choose, but the Mary Jones cola was the one that caught my eye.
From an upcoming review:
It pours exactly like you'd expect a full-sugar cola. It's dark and effervescent, with bubbles jumping from the top of a glass filled with ice. That sweetness permeates the smell coming off the top of the pour, but there's just enough of a minor THC current to let you know this isn't regular soda. It's not especially weed-y, necessarily, but you can tell there's cannabis lurking inside.
The soda is sweet enough to be a bit of a shock for me, a guy who mostly drinks diet sodas to avoid cramming down 300 extra calories of caffeinated drinks every weekday at 2 p.m. It's not sickly or overwhelming, but it does stick to your teeth just enough to let you know you're dealing with real sugar.
The taste is a lovely cola blend -- cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and whatever else I can use that sounds better than "tastes like Coke." That cinnamon/vanilla is handled gently and well balanced, leaving this as exactly the kind of soda you'd expect from a craft brewer that's been around for decades. It's not quite good enough to supplant my favorite non-THC cola -- Sprecher's Puma Kola, hello -- but it's tasty as hell.
That means it is also putting in work to cover up that mild cannabis flavor. You do pick it up a bit toward the end of each sip, but crisp carbonation helps clean that from your palate en route to a smooth, sweet aftertaste. It lingers pleasantly, making it an easy-to-sip can that'll probably last you about half an hour.
Half an hour after that, you can expect the 10 milligrams of THC to kick in. That wasn't enough to turn me into a cliche, but it did blur the lines on my evening, helping me get to bed for a few restful hours well ahead of where I'd be had I not drank it.
You can find it here.
For the soda enthusiast who isn't interested in THC: Sprecher's Puma Kola
I'm not sure I've ever truly reviewed Puma Kola here, but it comes up pretty much any time I write a review that involves soda here. There's a reason for that; it's really, really [expletive] good.
Beyond the honey that brings added smoothness to the fire-brewed beverage, there's a swirling base of flavors that make each sip a reward. Cinnamon, vanilla, clove and a deep, rich cola flavor take what Coke does best and turns it up to 11. The end result is almost creamy, leaving behind a lingering sweet aftertaste that sticks with you long after you've finished the bottle (or can, which is an option in some places).
It's wonderful. The Orange Dream? That's great too. The root beer? A classic. Just roll with Sprecher; bring a 12-pack to your next gathering, especially if there are some kids in tow. You'll be a quiet hero.
(Or bring some Ravin' Red and a little vodka to the adults. You'll be a much louder one.)
For the simple beer drinker amongst us: A 30-rack of Hamm's
Look, I'm just saying it'll run you about $15 and get you invited back to my house every time. Bonus points if you bring it up to Camp Wandawega, a Wisconsin based adult-style summer camp that looks like an Instagram filter and a Wes Anderson movie had a baby. They're both great. One is much more expensive than the other.
Check out Camp Wandawega here.
Buy some Hamm's wherever.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Alcohol Gift Guide 2024: The best Scotch to beer to THC (and more) to buy for the holidays
