There’s no better time of year to celebrate with some of the most celebrated spirits in the cocktail kingdom. Whether it’s to serve or gift or just add to your own bar collection, these special top-shelf selections will delight and surprise imbibers.
Arbikie AK’s Gin
Raise a glass to science. Award-winning Arbikie AK’s Gin (the gin behind “The World’s Best Martini”) is by Master Distiller Kirsty Black, named Scotland’s Young Scientist of the Year for her part in making GMO-free “field-to-bottle” Arbikie the world’s first climate-positive distillery. Founded by brothers John, Iain and David Stirling on their family’s centuries-old working farm, the versatile Highlands distillery honors their farmer father, AK. www.arbikie.com
Ardbeg Ten Years Old Whisky
What whisky lover doesn’t appreciate a little hair of the dog? Ardbeg has packaged its coveted single malt from the Scottish Isle of Islay, in a limited-edition bone-shaped gift tin in a tip of the hat to their beloved canine mascot, Shortie. Inside is 750 ml of the smoky, peaty, flagship whisky, Ardbeg Ten Years Old. That’s 70 in dog years. https://www.ardbeg.com/en-US
Bertoux Brandy
Made for mixing, Bertoux Brandy gives new life to an old spirit from the Golden Age of the cocktail. This Solera-style blend of pot-distilled California fine brandies is aged 3-7 years in French and American oak. Cheers to Bertoux’s master blenders: ace bartender Jeff Bell (PDT and Legacy Records) and NoMad sommelier-winemaker Thomas Pastusak. www.bertouxbrandy.com
Chandon Sparkling Red
Looking for a unique cuvée crafted for wine lovers with a sense of discovery and adventure? California’s oldest sparkling wine producer, Chandon, introduces Chandon Sparkling Red. Though they’re rare in the U.S., sparkling red wines have a long tradition in Australia, Germany and France’s Loire Valley. Spicy and rich, it widens the spectrum of food pairings with flavors of plum, cherry, and cranberry underlined by hints of cocoa, bergamot and juniper, white pepper and licorice. https://www.chandon.com
Denizen Vatted Dark Rum
In the spirit of full-flavored old-world rums, Hotaling & Co. has added Denizen Vatted Dark Rum to its premium line-up. The blended rum is made in the old-vatted style as it was for the British Navy in the 18th century. Distilled from antique stills, 80% is produced in Guyana, with 20% unaged rhum agricole from Martinique. Denizen naturally lends its complex flavors to enrichen tropical cocktail recipes, such a premium “rum and Coke” Guyana Libre. http://denizenrum.com/denizen-vatted-dark-rum/
Gem & Bolt Mezcal Artesanal with Damiana
Mezcal’s come a long way from that junk with a worm in it. Conceived by bohemian artists, Gem & Bolt is a clear 100% Espadin Agave distilled with Damiana herbs for a euphoric “mood-boost.” Produced in Oaxaca, it’s slow roasted and fermented with wild yeasts. It’s also fair trade and sustainable for a clear conscience. Delivered by Reserve Bar and Drizly. https://www.gemandbolt.com/
Hardy VSOP Organic Cognac
Some of the world’s finest spirits are going green. Hardy VSOP Organic is one of only a handful of cognacs produced exclusively from organically grown grapes from the Petite Champagne and Fins Bois areas of France. Delicate, pure, and aged for a minimum of seven years, this cognac has been handled with care throughout the entire production process. The delicious result yields tasting notes of nuts and spices. http://www.hardycognac.fr/eng/home
Heavensake Sake
A Franco-Japanese marriage made in heaven. Eight-time “Sparkling Wine Maker of the Year,” Régis Camus, created the world’s first sake by a Champagne chef de caves. Teamed with Japanese brew-masters, Camus introduces the world to the art of blending sake for Western palates with three elegant Heavensake sake expressions: Junmai Daiginjo, Junmai Ginjo, and Junmai 12. All three are have the lightness of champagne, are delicious paired with food, and feature unexpected notes like pastry, pears, and crème brûlée. Heavensake Junmai Daiginjo (black bottle, $95) is boldly forward, Junmai Ginjo (aqua, $45) is fragrant as spring, and Junmai 12 (amber, $28) is a sublime take on traditional sake. Best served cold. https://eu.heavensake.com/
Nikka Single Malt Yoichi and Miyagikyo Limited Editions 2019
Nikka has released two exceptional limited-edition single malts to mark the 50th anniversary of the Miyagikyo Distillery and how it created a distinctive counterpoint to Nikka’s second distillery, Yoichi, in Hokkaido. A composition of whiskies from the past five decades, Single Malt Miyagikyo Limited Edition 2019 and Single Malt Yoichi Limited Edition 2019 are restricted to 70 bottles of each at an above-the-top-shelf price of $3,500. https://www.nikka.com/eng/
Patagonia Long Root Ale
This unique beer will please even the most finicky hophead on your gift list. Patagonia Provisions wants to heal our food system through organic regenerative farming, so they partnered with Portland’s Hopworks Urban Brewery to brew Long Root Ale. It’s the first beer made with Kernza, a grain that restores soil biodiversity, reduces carbons, requires less water than wheat, and grows without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. https://www.patagoniaprovisions.com/pages/long-root-pale-ale
Ten to One Rum
A newborn rum is here, pa rum pum pum pum, Ten to One Rum. Crafted by Trinidadian entrepreneur Marc Farrell — a former Starbucks VP and a Harvard, Cambridge and MIT grad — his Caribbean rums challenge perceptions of common tropical spirits. Light and dark expressions blend premium rums from Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados and Dominican Republic. https://www.tentoonerum.com/
Watershed Distillery Guild Gin
Not only did this gem of a gin win Double Gold at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for “Best Flavored Gin,” it’s a dandy way to win over gin haters. Made in Columbus, Ohio, this artisanal spirit is made in a traditional pot-and-column still, finished with a maceration of chamomile blossoms. The floral notes impart a subtle rose scent to its juniper and citrus yumminess. http://watersheddistillery.com/
