Sipping Santa – add some extra Christmas cheer with a gift your pals can drink
The countdown is officially on now – there are only a few weeks until Christmas. If, like us, you’re leaving the hardest-to-buy-for recipients’ gifts until last, we have a suggestion … get them something they can drink. It’s fun, it’s festive and it’s guaranteed to put an extra spring in their step on Christmas morning (there are no rules between Christmas and New Year). We’re not just talking about any old bottle though, you want to look like you’ve still put some thought into it! Here are a few ideas to help you nail your drinkable gift giving this year …
For the art lover in your life
Locally distilled Ink Gin has just launched its third limited-edition Ink Art Gin, this year collaborating with Sydney-based artist Karina Jambrak. Karina was chosen by public vote from more than 400 entries, with her winning artwork now featured on a limited release of 2000 Ink Art Gin bottles. While the bottle is beautiful to look at, the inside is equally appealing – the bottle is filled with Ink’s bright and balanced contemporary gin, with tasting notes of bold juniper, fresh fruit and fragrant flowers. If your gift recipient happens to love gin and art, this is rare and collectable gin is the perfect blending of the two.
For the lover of Italian festivities
It is a truth universally acknowledged that when the panettones hit the shelves, the festive season has officially begun. This glorious dome of sweet fruity bread is an iconic symbol of Christmas – even for those of us that aren’t actually Italian. If your gift recipient is partial to a post-Christmas wind down with a plate of panettone and negroni in hand, why not level up their festive sipping with a combination of the two? The clever concoctors at Never Never Distilling Co have created a ready-to-pour Panettone Negroni, which tastes like buttered spiced fruit toast with notes of sweet candied fruit. This complex, decadent sip is sure to be a hit – even Nonna would approve!
For a festive take on whisky
If your sip seeker loves panettone but doesn’t love negronis, perhaps they’ll prefer a whisky instead? The heroes at Starward have just released a festive limited-release panettone whisky, inspired by founder David Vitale’s Sicilian-Australian heritage. Rich yet delicate, Starward Panettone boasts notes of golden syrup, sticky raisins, almonds, pineapple and oak, finely balanced in a wheat and single-malt whisky. As you sip, your taste buds will welcome toasty, fruit-forward characteristics, with nods to demerara, Christmas pudding and toffee. It even comes in a Panettone-inspired gift box!
For the person you want to tickle pink
If aesthetics are just as important as taste, a bottle of LYV Rosé is the way to go. An enchanting geometric-style bottle encases this delicate pale-pink wine, with aromas of wild strawberries and raspberries, and sweet fairy floss. One sip will reveal an effortless, easy-to-drink rosé that is light, refreshing and perfect for summer soirees. LYV Rosé is crafted from a blend of grenache, cinsault, syrah and carignan grapes, harvested in the cool of the night to retain maximum freshness and aroma. The winemakers gently press the grapes to achieve its delicate pink colour and maintain the fruit purity, resulting in a rosé that is sure to please palates this festive season.
For those with a sophisticated palate
If you’ve got a whisky drinker in your life, why not gift them something that boasts an elegant interplay of flavours? That’s what the team behind Glen Moray say about its sherry cask single malt Scotch whisky, which is aged in oak and finished in Oloroso sherry casks from Jerez in Spain to give a layered aroma (with notes of dried fruit, nuts and spice), a smooth flavour (sweet vanilla oak and dark chocolate) and a burnished gold hue. This option is great for long-time whisky lovers and newcomers – you can’t go wrong.
For the lover of a good story
Legend has it that more than 100 years ago Casillero del Diablo winery’s founder, Don Melchor Concha y Toro, hid his most prized wines in his private cellar to protect them from thieves. Over time, however, he noticed that the bottles would strangely disappear. As it turned out, his secret cellar was not, in fact, a secret – the townspeople had heard word of his exquisite wines and couldn’t resist sneaking in to taste the magic drops for themselves. Realising that mere iron gates weren’t enough to protect his treasure he turned to fear tactics, knowing the townspeople were afraid of otherworldly phenomena. He spread the rumour of strange supernatural nighttime events that could only be explained by a simple fact – the devil inhabited his cellars. Fuelled by the locals’ imagination, the rumours grew, leaving his wines protected. Amongst his precious treasures was the Reserva Privada Carmenere – the perfect gift for lovers of rich and expressive red wines. Hopefully they choose to open it on Christmas Day so you can animatedly share its legend over a glass or two!
For fans of a true classic
Every home cocktail maker needs a reliable workhorse. Gin does loads of heavy lifting, either as the key ingredient in a G&T or popular cocktails like negronis, martinis and Southsides. If your pal loves entertaining, they’ll likely always welcome a top up of gin and Scottish distillery Edinburgh Gin has a great one you can easily nab. This classic London Dry-style gin is juniper forward and is accented by thirteen botanicals – we’re talking orange peel, black mulberry and Scottish cobnuts. This nifty nip boasts a clean aroma and a bright citrusy flavour, which means it’s versatile and just the ticket when you need to reach for a crowd-pleaser option.
For those that love a wee dram
Having just made its debut in Australia, this innovative scotch will be the ideal gift for the whisky collectors in your life. Wee Smoky is far from your traditional whisky, however – with a corn base, it offers a lighter and sweeter profile, making it a great choice for the whisky novices in your life also. Crafted with cocktails in mind, Wee Smoky is fruity, smooth and – as its name suggests – a wee bit smoky, thanks to its finish in premium-peated whisky casks. To level up your gift, pair the bottle with some pink grapefruit juice, limes, agave syrup and soda water so your recipient has everything they need to make a smoky take on a Paloma.
To welcome the Year of the Snake
Despite this being a Christmas booze round-up, with the new year making a speedy approach we thought we’d make an exception for this limited-edition drop from 23rd St Distillery. The 2025 Lunar New Year marks the Year of the Snake and to celebrate, 23rd St has unveiled a limited-edition single-malt whisky. Limited to just 3600 bottles, the Year of the Snake Whisky is crafted with the purest Kangaroo Island barley, known for its depth of flavour, and distilled in a century-old copper pot still. Reflecting a dedication to tradition and complexity, the whisky has been aged in 15-year-old Galway Pipe Tawny casks, with final maturation in charred oak barrels, revealing rich layers of flavour and a distinctive wood and fire profile – echoing the elemental spirit of the Snake.
If rum is more the vibe, Australia’s oldest operating distillery Beenleigh Rum has also announced a limited-edition creation to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The rare-release Year of the Snake Rum has been produced from just three barrels, with only 2700 individually numbered bottled available. Handcrafted from premium Australian sugarcane molasses, the rum has been aged for up to eight years in historic ex-brandy vats and ex-bourbon barrels, leaving it with a bold and complex profile and notes of butter, spiced wood and molasses.
Remember to drink responsibly this festive season!