Booze Goes Postal For the Holidays

photo courtesy That Boutique-y Whisky Company

Cool clubs and well-curated selections for gifting at online liquor retailers and subscription services

This time of year, there are few people more valuable than those working the floor at the liquor store. That job may sound easy and fun, but it takes a massive reserve of patience, and even a bit of expert Q and A detective work, to come up with appropriate gifts for certain individuals. I know because I worked in liquor retail for years, interviewing customers about the tastes and habits of total strangers to get a sense of which spirits and wines they’d want to receive (in New York City, beer can’t be sold in the same store as wine and spirits. Thanks, Prohibition!). I’ll never forget that Christmas Eve, about 10 minutes before we were locking the door after “extended holiday hours”, when this well-meaning couple walked in, and—you can’t make this stuff up—asked in all sincerity, “Can you tell us which wines go with food?”

I simply took a deep breath, counted to 10 (mentally), asked them about their budget and to maybe narrow down which “food” they had in mind. When they provided an answer that was thankfully short and simple, I walked a few paces and handed them a bottle from a nearby display, rattling off a few points about “palate” and “versatility” as I firmly steered them toward the register. It turns out they just didn’t know which questions to ask, and happened to ask a particularly silly one at a very silly time. Trust me, handling this sort of situation, at the time it happened to situate, and still having a job to come to on December 26th takes a special set of skills.

As valuable as your friendly neighborhood package store clerks are, sometimes the gifting situation is more complicated than even a staffer who has geek level familiarity with the products can handle. Or maybe there’s a “keeps-on-giving” type of element a one and done single bottle selection can’t satisfy for that particular gift. There’s a reason internet booze shopping was invented, and it’s not always about laziness convenience, although it helps with that.

There are now tons of options out there for online boozy gift giving, for all sorts of products from whiskey to wine to beer and everything in between. I personally believe there’s still no one better to handle your holiday shopping needs than a good floor sales person (not to mention lessening that carbon footprint impact), but if you choose to go this route, here are some online sources that have truly gone the extra step to satisfy all kinds of personal tastes and budgets, or just make the whole process more cheeky and fun (because, after all, drinking is supposed to be fun)! Please note that price ranges, delivery times and availability (depending on where the items are being shipped) all vary. Researching early, like nowish, is encouraged for best results!

Some of the items in the Flaviar membership, courtesy Flaviar

Curated Spirits Selections

For a few years running now, Flaviar has been the go-to for spirits enthusiasts interested in either exploring new products (gin, rum, whiskey, brandy, vodka and all the agaves) or simply getting more of what they love with special offers, or a little bit of both. Plus, you gotta love those end of year advent calenders, especially the Spirits of the World. Letting you all in on a little secret: that “Half Assed Holiday Collection” they feature? It’s actually a bunch of cheesy gifts that arrive in a box, but then reveal a code, the real, gift--an annual membership with a mix of unusual spirits delivered all year long. Prices and subscriptions vary. Info here.

Cool Indie Bottlers

That Boutique-y Whisky Company specializes in curating fascinating and rare age statement single cask expressions, some from very well known distilleries (Glenrothes, Dalmore, Bowmore, etc.), as well as some beauties that typically only make it into blends (Benrinnes, Invergordon). Now they have expanded to gin (That Boutique-y Gin), Japanese whisky, American whiskey, other world whiskies, and tequila! If you (or your gift recipient) live in the UK, it’s possible to receive their Drinks by the Dram selections sent in mini bottles for sampling. Only full, single bottles (with incredibly well art directed labels that each look like a graphic novel cover) are available in the states at select retailers (see a list of a few here). However, it’s possible to obtain their Drinks by the Dram advent calendars from retailers who ship overseas if you prefer to start there. Check here for availability.

Spirits Network Subscription Box

It’s the world’s first streaming entertainment channel all about spirits—and they sell the goods too! Select Enthusiast or Connoisseur level (includes VIP access to tickets on its events calendar such as whisky tastings at Brandy Library, hosted by Flavien Desoblin, who also hosts the channel’s Science of Spirits show). Delivery fees waived if purchased through site.

Mezcal subscription service

For that agave freak in your life, Maguey Melate offers super limited edition gift boxes and monthly subscriptions that include beautiful packaging and in depth educational information about the mezcaleros of the month! For pricing and more information, please go here.

Orange wine club

If you think most conventional wine clubs are offering the same old reds, whites and pinks, here’s a service for those of us (raises hand) who appreciate a good orange too. Orange Glou was curated by natural wine sommelier Doreen Winkler. Three bottle subscriptions are available for $105/month and 6 bottles for $195. For more info, including featured producers and shipment restrictions, please go here.

For Non-Commital Beer Lovers

Most beer clubs are a huge commitment with tons of shipments to keep up with all year long. Just want a one and done, but still very cool and interesting beer selection? One Time Beer gifts from the Micro Beer Club are the answer. Although they also offer club levels, if you prefer. Start here.

Personalized Bottles

Nothing makes a boozy gift more unique than sending an engraved bottle! Some brands are offering engraving services at select retailers which can be ordered in person. But if the weather outside is frightful, the gift is still delightful from online retailers such as Reserve Bar, who offer custom engraving on a number of products, both spirits and Champagne, and even handle corporate orders. Please note that this type of gift involves a bit of planning ahead since there are cutoff dates (listed on the site), so the earlier the order is placed, the better. Get the details here.

Speaking of engraving, the luxurious Johnnie Walker Blue label has brought its annual engraving tradition to the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place, where one can check out the Luminaries installation by West Elm and come home with (or have shipped) a custom engraved bottle, or you can also choose from sayings created by actress Mindy Kaling such as “Snow Much Fun!”. The 45 character customization is available in multiple languages, including those with special characters and accents. (Note: As well as purchasing bottles on site, already purchased bottles can be brought to the site for engraving). Can’t make it there? You can also have 750 or 1 Liter bottles engraved by Giftagram.