Top 10 spirits for gifting this summer
Birthdays, anniversaries, new jobs or for that deserving teacher at the end of the school year, a premium spirit can make a thoughtful gift – and we’ve got 10 ideas we think you, and your recipient, will love.
A lot of emphasis is put on gifting at the end and beginning of the year. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chinese Lunar New Year – these are just a few examples of heavily marketed gifting occasions.
However, throughout the year, there are also your traditional gift-giving occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, a new home, a new baby, all of which merit something special to mark the moment.
But what about alternative gifting occasions, too? What about hard-working teachers at the end of the school year? Or the friend who’s starting a new job – or the one who’s finally leaving their long-loathed role? Or the neighbours who check in on your pets and plants while you’re on holiday – there are myriad reasons for present-giving throughout summer.
For those in the market for an alcoholic, or alcohol-free, present, we’ve compiled a selection of 10 spirits, spanning various budgets, to inspire any gifting occasions this summer.
Elijah Craig Small Batch
This Kentucky straight Bourbon is an award-winning whiskey for good reason. Its flavour profile is complex, but approachable, making it an ideal whiskey for both novice fans and connoisseurs alike.
Thanks to the level three char of the barrels, the nose delivers notes of vanilla bean, sweet fruit and fresh mint, which lead to warming spices, a touch of smoke and nutmeg on the palate. The finish is long, sweet and toasty. This is a fantastic choice for an Old Fashioned cocktail – unsurprising given the brand has hosted an Old Fashioned Cocktail Week in numerous countries since 2020, starting in the US, before venturing to Canada in 2022, and the UK for the first time in 2024.
Priced at RRP £45 (US$62), Elijah Craig Small Batch is available from select retailers and directly from elijahcraig.com.
El Supremo 5 Years Old
Hailing from Paraguay, El Supremo 5 Years Old is an ideal bottling for rum lovers – or as an alternative to fans of dark spirits. This rum is crafted from pure sugarcane juice, using a 500-year-old method. After distillation, the spirit was matured in Incienso Marrón barrels, before being finished in French oak casks. It is bottled at 38% ABV.
The flavour profile offers soft, grassy aromas with some vanilla, walnut, fruit and floral hints. Take a sip, and the taste brings some vegetal notes, toffee, spice and a pinch of black pepper. Vanilla brings some sweetness to the finish, with a lingering black pepper warmth.
El Supremo 5 Years Old is recommended for mixing in classic cocktails, such as a Daiquiri, a Chupito or a Highball. It retails for a respectable €30-€35 (US$33-US$38).
Don Fulano Imperial
You love agave spirits. We love agave spirits. And Don Fulano Imperial is perhaps a Tequila brand you’ve not come across before. Made entirely from Blue Weber agave, Don Fulano Imperial is distilled in a double-distillation tower and aged for a minimum of five years. The Tequila has notes of ginger, candied fruits, black cherries, leather and a nuttiness.
The deep navy, almost black ceramic bottle makes this a beautiful present choice. At around £137 (US$189) per 700ml bottle, the Tequila is on the more expensive side – but for the right person, it will be worth every penny.
Desi Daru Alphonso Mango
There are flavoured vodkas, and then there is Desi Daru Alphonso Mango. Crafted from the highest-quality alphonso mangoes from Ratnagiri in India, the sweet, juicy, aromatic flavour of these ‘king of mangoes’ shine through in this vodka. It’s part of the reason Desi Daru Alphonso Mango took home the top accolade in The Vodka Masters 2023 blind-tasting competition when it received the ‘best in class’ Vodka Taste Masters title.
The vodka is created from English winter wheat, known to deliver a smooth, creamy character. Alphonso mangoes are macerated in the vodka, infusing their authentic, intense flavours into the vodka, and allowing the authentic alphonso mango flavour to shine through. This is a perfect marriage of Indian and British cultures, emulating the British-born Indian founders perfectly.
Bottled in a striking orange-yellow ombre bottle, the mango-flavoured vodka retails for RRP £45 (US$62) a bottle and is available to buy from select retailers and online at desidaru.com.
Cygnet 22
Cygnet Gin launched in 2023, the brainchild of classical singer Katherine Jenkins OBE, and her husband, Andrew Levitas, an American social-impact filmmaker, artist, and New York University professor. Cygnet 77 is created at the Copperworks Distillery in Swansea, Wales.
Manuka honey is an important ingredient in Cygnet 22. It’s a key ingredient for Jenkins, who uses Manuka honey daily for its throat-soothing properties. Other botanicals included in the gin are juniper, calendula, cassia bark, white peppercorns, bee pollen, lemon balm, sea salt, rose petals, hibiscus and heather.
Cygnet 22 sits at 44% ABV and is available online via cygnet-distillery.com for £54.90 (US$75). It is also packaged in a bottle that is 50% lighter than regular spirits bottles.
Lex by Nemiroff
Ukrainian brand Nemiroff has an impressive vodka selection – but one of its most intriguing, and delicious, launches in recent years is Lex by Nemiroff.
Lex is made with wheat from the Podilia region in Eastern Europe, water from local springs, honey from local apiaries, and linden flowers. The vodka was created to push the boundaries of production with its 13-stage filtration process, including silver, platinum, shungite, and amber filtrations. This is said to have enhanced the smoothness and flavour of the vodka, adding clarity and a slight golden hue. It has a velvety texture, with biscuit undertones and round finish, and is delicious served over ice – though that’s not to say you couldn’t make a cracking Martini or alternative vodka cocktail with Lex.
The bottle is made with perfume glass produced by Saverglass in France, and Nemiroff encourages drinkers to reuse the bottle as a decanter once it is finished.
Bottled at 40% ABV, Lex by Nemiroff is priced at RRP €80 (US$95) per one-litre bottle.
Arkay
What do you get for someone who does not drink alcohol, who is perhaps also partial to an alcohol-free cocktail? Arkay Beverages boasts a broad selection of alcohol-free alternatives, designed to be used in sophisticated, alcohol-free serves.
The key to the liquid’s effectiveness, according to the brand, is the inclusion of what it calls the ‘warm’ molecule, which apparently triggers sensory stimuli to mimic the warmth of alcohol.
Most recently, Arkay released a seven-strong selection of alcohol-free ‘vodka’ alternatives. The range includes seven flavours: mandarin, vanilla, lemon, mango, coconut, strawberry, and apricot. Each expression is made using only natural flavours, without fat and sugar, and with 0% alcohol.
The flavours are available for RRP US$39.99 for a one-litre bottle.
Giraffe Gin
A double award-winning gin is a fine gift. Giraffe Gin begins with a premium London Dry gin base, crafted with 14 botanicals from around the world, including juniper berries from Macedonia, coriander seeds from Bulgaria and liquorice from Italy. This is then infused with mango and passion fruit extracts from hand-picked mangoes and passion fruits from the island of Zanzibar.
But the flavour journey doesn’t stop there. The gin is enhanced with further flavourings to give the liquid a yellow hue, a nod to the appearance of a Masai giraffe.
To top it off, Giraffe Gin is bottled with a hand-painted cork stopper, shaped like a giraffe’s head, attached to a real wooden cork.
Sitting a 40% ABV, Giraffe Gin retails for RRP £37.95 (US$52) and is available to buy online from serengetispirits.co.uk.
Le Philtre
If sustainability is top of your priority list when choosing a gift for someone, then look no further than Le Philtre. Launched in 2020, this organic and eco-friendly vodka is made in France from wheat and is now available in 10 markets worldwide.
The vodka is presented in a wavy bottle made from 100% recycled glass that comes in a spectrum of unique shades of blue and green. The bottle was designed to encourage refilling and reuse. The shape and shades of the bottles would make them perfect to use as a vase or water decanter once the vodka has been enjoyed.
The vodka is available in two sizes, a 700ml bottle that retails for RRP €49 (US$56), and a 350ml for RRP €29 (US$33). It clocks in at 40% ABV, and boasts flavours of roasted almonds and tonka beans, and a milky finish with a hint of vanilla. It is available from select retailers, including The Whisky Exchange.
Marie Brizard Limoncello
The Limoncello Spritz is gearing up to be the drink of the summer – and Marie Brizard Limoncello would be a delicious gift for any Spritz lover. Created by Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits, the Limoncello launched in March this year.
The liquid brings a fruity and sweet flavour profile with aromatic intensity. Genuine lemon juice gives vibrant notes of candied lemon and citrus fruits – perfectly balanced.
To create the perfect Spritz, simply combine one part sparkling water with one part Marie Brizard Limoncello and one part Prosecco.
Sitting at 25% ABV, Marie Brizard Limoncello retails for RRP £22 (US$30).
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