| Everyone has someone on their Christmas list who stumps them when selecting the perfect gift. Although buying alcohol seems like a copout, a well-selected bottle of something truly special is much better than the lazy gift certificate. Here are some unique, inexpensive, interesting and even bizarre gift ideas for the holidays.
UNDER 10 DOLLARS
Fuller’s Vintage Ale looks like a classy, boxed bottle of scotch, but it isn’t – it’s beer. I have never seen so much presentation put into a beer’s packaging. Every year it is slightly different and stellar. Annually, since 1997, Fuller’s brews this limited edition specialty, going overboard with extraordinary ingredients, and unlike most other beers this one will improve with age. It’s a winter warmer and just like a fine scotch, should be sipped to be enjoyed.
UNDER 20 DOLLARS
Another novel idea is the beer and whisky writings of Michael Jackson. This man’s words paint an image of both beverages that is almost poetic, in a manly kind of way, and will inspire your friends to explore the worlds of either drink. His books are great for coffee table display and are interesting light reading. In no time, you will hear your friends describing beer in terms of style, history and how the complexity affects their palates.
UNDER 30 DOLLARS
How about a beer gift pack? Presently, in Alberta there are two gift packs made by the Cistercian or Trappist monks of Westmalle and Rochefort. These gift packs not only come with a sampling of the monk’s divine beers but they include a Holy Grail. OK maybe not the Holy Grail, but they do include a swanky Belgian beer glass. These higher gravity (alcohol) beers are more than your average ale or lager and will amaze with a sophistication that is not akin to most beers.
FOURTY TO 80 DOLLARS
These gift ideas will be well received by friends with even the best-stocked liquor cabinets.
Isle of Arran is a new-school scotch distillery, opened in 1995. This new kid on the block is all about the wood and the un-peated malt and is rapidly gaining a reputation and awards for its excellent productions. Best of all, in the world of scotch, their stuff is amazingly well priced. Unlike other Scotch distilleries, Arran makes numerous and adventurous limited editions by aging whiskies in different barrels such as champagne and wine casks. You can’t go wrong with any of their products, but my favourite of their line is the Montepulciano D’Abruzzo Cask, as it has an enormous complexity and shows a real depth of character of cloves that mingle with hints of tobacco, vanilla and varnished wood. This single malt is subtle and truly one to savour, with a warming dram for long winter nights.
The 4 Copas Añejo is the king of tequilas and in order to become king, it has to rest in white oak barrels for a minimum of one year. The smooth 4 Copas Añejo is a mixture of five- and two-year-old barrels. On an interesting note, 4 copas means "four cups" and is derived from the phrase, "we shall drink four cups," which appears in traditional romantic Mexican song and verse. After four cups of tequila the singing and dancing aren’t going to last long and siesta is just around the corner. The 4 Copas distillery produces the world’s only totally organic, kosher tequilas so they make great Hanukkah gifts too. |
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