Bells will be ringing.....now that I put that ear worm in your ear, let's talk about gifts for the whiskey drinker in your life.
There are so many choices of what to get a whiskey drinker now. Glasses, Ice Molds, Smokers, novelty items the list seems to go on and on. It's become a big business. And many niche magazines will come out with a list of the the top 15 or top 20 gifts for a whiskey drinker.
Now is the time of year that these lists will start to come out. Esquire magazine came out with their list of gifts for "people who take whiskey seriously". The Spruce Eats, has come out with a list of "22 Best Gifts for Whiskey Lovers". And, Men's Health just came out with their list "40 Best Whiskey Gifts 2023". All good lists and I'm sure you can find some inspiration or an idea or two on the lists.
Ice Molds have become pretty popular, and most liquor stores and even some big box stores will have lots of silicone molds for you to pick from. It's nice having a few extra. When I know I am having friends over, I can fill them up and throw them in the freezer so I have plenty of large ice cubes / balls for my friends to use. And, they are easy to store when I'm not using them.
Books are always a good choice. Whether your whiskey drinker is a reader or not. There are plenty of picture books, and many whiskey books will be full color, with the bottle prominent and a short write up of the bottle, distillery, tasting notes, etc... If your whiskey drinker is a reader, there are some great books to get them (if they haven't already read them). See the list below
Anything by Fred Minnick
Bourbon Empire America's Whiskey by Reid Mitenbuler
Whisk(e)y Distilled by Heather Greene (One of my favorites) - and she also has her own brand now Milam & Greene
Anything by Michael Veach
Do a search on amazon for whiskey related books and you will find all sort of great coffee table books, and tasting books, as well as some history books about specific distillery's.
If your whiskey drinker has a favorite distillery, you might be able to find a book about that specific distillery.
There are also plenty of whiskey clubs that you could buy a subscription to for a year. One of my favorites is Rackhouse Whiskey Club. It is of course Craft Whiskey.
If there is one thing not to get a whiskey drinker....it's whiskey stones. It's a novel concept, but no whiskey drinker wants to worry about breaking a tooth while drinking their whiskey. Whether they be rock stones, metal stones or something else. Just don't do it. I have been given these in the past, and they get put in a drawer.
However my #1 item to get a whiskey drinker....a bottle of whiskey. When my friends ask me what they can get me, my answer is always the same. Buy me a bottle. I'm gonna love it.
If their favorite whiskey is inexpensive and you want to spend a little, buy them a couple, hell, buy them a case of it. They will love it. Ask the whiskey drinker if you were to celebrate something with a pour of your whiskey's what would it be? Take note and buy them another bottle of that. Ask them what their favorite liquor store is where they buy their whiskey. Chances are, that store has some higher priced bottles or special bottles.
Whether someone gives me a bottle of something I already have (Score, now I have a back-up) or it's something new, it's always a great gift. And highly appreciated. My wife, not so much, cause then she has to hear me talk about that bottle for the next 20 minutes, or longer.
So, buy your whiskey drinker a bottle or three of whiskey. They will be appreciative, and it's something they will enjoy.
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