2014 Holiday Gift Guide: Booze

Walk into any liquor store and you’ll see hundreds of options. You can zero in on someone’s favorite drink when picking a gift, or you can get creative and choose something they wouldn’t buy for themselves. Also, remember that you don’t want to come to a party empty-handed, so get in the habit of at least bringing a bottle.

And for more gift ideas, check out the other categories in our Holiday Gift Guide.

Roca Patrón Silver

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It’s only been 15 or 20 years since high-end tequilas began to compete against Cognac and single-malt Scotch for supremacy among world-class sipping experiences, with often outstanding and highly accessible results. Already by far the best known premium tequila in the U.S., Patrón is upping their game even more with a new line of super-premium boozes, Roca Patrón, named for the stone wheels used to extract the juice of the blue agave plant. Unlike añejos and reposadas, silver (aka white) tequilas are un-aged and generally best used for cocktails and shots. At an MSRP of $69.00, however, Roca Patrón Silver is definitely no freshman-year bender fodder and a great gift for the man or woman who’s sipped nearly everything. The Patrón people describe the flavor as sweet, “with notes of black pepper, pumpkin and lime tea.” We taste mainly the honey-like flavor of the agave, but isn’t that the whole point of quality tequila? Not too stuffy to accompany a little grapefruit soda or perhaps even a perfectly a well-balanced classic margarita (shaken, not blended!), this definitely qualifies as not just the good stuff, but the very good stuff. Aged Roca Patrón Reposada and Roca Patrón Añejo are available at commensurately higher price tags.

Patrón’s Holiday Classic Cocktails Kit

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Once maligned by the ignorant, tequila has emerged as every bit the equal of whiskey, gin and, yes, Cognac, as the basis for a truly tip-top cocktail – and we don’t just mean a classic margarita either, as marvelous as those can be. Now, the biggest name in premium tequila is marketing its own variation on one of the ultimate cocktail classics, the Añejo Manhattan, which substitutes aged tequila for the usual bourbon, rye or Canadian whiskey. This set (MSRP $54.99) includes a bottle of flavorful mellow Patrón Añejo, two very sturdy, large coupe glasses (a more rounded old-school variation on today’s standard martini glasses) and Dashfire Brandy Old Fashioned Bitters. The latter is a tantalizing alternative to standard Angostura aromatic bitters with a strong accent of smokey cloves; no self-respecting Manhattan is remotely complete without bitters, and this artisanal brand is an outstanding choice. All your giftee needs to add is a cocktail shaker/mixing glass, some sweet vermouth (ideally Carpano Antica), lots and lots of ice, and we’re off to the races! A strong gift selection for any open-minded cocktail enthusiast.

Patrón XO Cafe Incendio

This is an awesome gift for anyone who appreciates premium tequila or enjoys flavored liqueurs. This delicious new offering from Patrón is a spicy and sweet liqueur that is perfect as a sipping drink to savor and enjoy, or as a shot to get the party going. Patrón XO Cafe Incendio starts with Patrón Silver tequila and draws its flavor from the spicy Mexican arbol chile along with the sweet richness of Criollo chocolate. We recommend drinking it straight after chilling the bottle in the refrigerator. You can also use it for cocktails, and as a kicker, to spice up your coffee or hot cocoa in the winter months. You can keep a bottle in your fridge year-round as a permanent addition to your home bar.

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Crown Royal Regal Apple

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This flavored whisky comes in a sweet emerald green carton with the iconic Crown Royal bag in green and gold tones. Crown Royal Regal Apple is a combination of the well-known, premium taste of Crown Royal whisky infused with natural apple flavors. It’s delicious when served as a chilled shot, as the strong apple flavor really jumps out, and you can use it for a number of great cocktails as well. With the beautiful packaging and the iconic Crown Royal brand, it’s also great for a gift or something to bring to a party during the holiday season. It’s a great gift option for anyone who appreciates flavored whisky.

Piehole Whiskey

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Mixing alcohol and dessert isn’t a totally new concept, but it tends to be the sweet snack that receives the infusion of booze, not the other way around. Inspired by homemade pie recipes, Piehole features a delicious blend of Canadian whiskey and pie-flavored liqueur that’s best served as a shot, adding a whole new layer of fun to the holidays. Though we wouldn’t recommend Piehole to whiskey enthusiasts, this is a great entry product for someone that doesn’t typically enjoy the stuff. There are three varieties to choose from: Apple Pie, sweet apple pie filling with a hint of cinnamon and clove spice; Pecan Pie, toasted nutty pecans with notes of bourbon vanilla extract and dark brown sugar; and Cherry Pie, sweet baked cherries with buttery pastry. Everyone’s tastes will vary, but we found Apple Pie to be the most subtle of the three, with a much stronger whiskey taste compared to the liqueur. Pecan Pie, on the other hand, is so sweet that it borders on liquid candy – tasty, but not exactly something you should drink in large volume. To be fair, that could probably be said for all of these, but Piehole is a great alternative to typical whiskey for those special occasions when grandma wants to get a little buzzed and satisfy her sweet tooth at the same time.