Best Alcohol-Related Gifts Under $50
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The holidays are all about celebration. This usually leads to many of us spending a lot of time eating plenty of delicious food and drinking a mixed concoction or glass of wine with the people we love. Fun cocktails and festive beers help bring the warm and fuzzy feeling of the season inside. This also means that alcohol is a pretty foolproof option when it comes to gifting.
Whether you're mailing a gift to a faraway friend or looking for something to give to a holiday party host, there are plenty of alcohol-related gifts for nearly everyone on your list. We've rounded up some especially thoughtful alcohol-related items that make perfect gifts. Some of them contain alcohol while others accompany the booze of your choice, but all of them are sure to brighten the day of whoever receives one. Every one also costs less than $50, proving that you don't have to break the bank to give envy-worthy gifts this holiday season.
How we selected products
There are plenty of alcohol-related gifts to dig through on the internet, so we tried to focus our picks based on the kind of person you might be shopping for. We selected presents for people who are partial to specific cocktails, such as classic martinis or whiskey on the rocks. We also have plenty of great bar gear and other alcohol-adjacent equipment that either makes drinking more palatable, more fun, better to look at, or a combination of all three.
We also took into consideration online reviews, press coverage, and general social media chatter when it came to narrowing down our list. And if your wallet is feeling a little light, we've got you covered there, too. These gifts range come in at a maximum of $50, so there's bound to be something that will make a great addition to whoever's home bar it lands on, whether it be your own or the loved ones on your shopping list.
Best overall alcohol-related gift
It's hard to pick one overall best alcohol-related gift, but a good set of bar tools is a no-brainer that almost everyone can use. One option that has everything you need in one convenient container is the 12-piece Esmula bartender kit, complete with a stylish bamboo stand.
The set comes with all the basics, including a 25-ounce drink shaker, as well as a jigger, strainer, muddler, ice tongs, bar spoon, two liquor pourers, two bottle stoppers, one opener, and a recipe book. Not only is the kit useful, but it looks stylish sitting out on your bar in between cocktail parties. "The set has everything you could possibly need and it's very good quality. I love the wooden stand for it, which makes it look super sharp," said one Amazon reviewer.
The Esmula bartender kit is on sale for $33.99 on Amazon as of December 2022.
Best quirky alcohol-related gift
The quirky gift is the kind of present you buy when you truly don't know what to get a person, but that doesn't mean it has to be thoughtless. Take the Cocktail Bomb Shop's six-pack of holiday flavors. Cocktail bombs are essentially bath bombs for your drink and are meant to be dropped in sparkling water with a shot of your favorite alcohol. Of course, you can also forgo the booze and still have a good time.
The six-pack comes in a gift box and includes the Christmas coconut margarita glimmer bomb, cranberry lemonade glimmer bomb, holiday mule glimmer bomb, Jack Frost glimmer bomb, Santa's secret cocktail bomb, and frosted cranberry cocktail bomb. [Had] as a mocktail and as a cocktail. So happy with my purchase," one review on the brand website reads.
This six-pack of cocktail bombs is sold by the Cocktail Bomb Shop for $29.95 as of December 2022.
Best alcohol-related gift for the sophisticated drinker
Flasks can make for great gifts, but Home Wet Bar's engraved cigar flask takes that sort of thoughtfulness to the next level. The flask holds four ounces of booze and two cigars for an on-the-go pick-me-up. The exterior comes in a sleek black matte with stainless steel features that makes this suited to the sophisticated drinker who takes their whiskey straight and with a cigar.
As if that wasn't enough, the entire gift is customizable, so you can add initials and a short phrase of your choice. "This is absolutely beautiful with the engraving. Can't wait to give it to my boyfriend," one review on Home Wet Bar reads. "I was a little worried about the size of cigars it would hold, but not issue there."
Home Wet Bar sells the engraved cigar flask for $44.95 as of December 2022.
Best alcohol-related gift for the life of the party
Many people think to give the gift of alcohol for the holidays, but the day-after recovery is often for someone to fight alone. But Vita Coco coconut water has invented the ideal solution for avoiding a holiday hangover that happens to make a great gift, too. Its hangover subscription kit comes with coconut water and other goodies to ease your morning-after pain. "This is great, especially after a night out," one Influenster review reads. "Coffee is dehydrating. This is perfect."
Each box comes with 12 packs of a Vita Coco flavor of your choice, along with personalized add-ons. Depending on the subscription you choose, Vita Coco will send a hangover subscription box about 10 days before major drinking holidays like the Super Bowl, Halloween, and New Year's Eve. It also comes with a Coconut Hangover Alleviation Device that allows the recipient to discuss hydration tips, hangover recipes, healing music, and general moral support.
One box of Vita Coco's hangover kit is $22.50 as of December 2022.
Best alcohol-related gift for the festive host
A bottle of wine might be a classic host gift, but it's so overdone. For the holiday season, why not make your boozy gift more festive with a liqueur for holiday-themed cocktails? If that sounds interesting, take a look at St. George's spiced pear liqueur. The 20% ABV liqueur is made from Bartlett pears, cinnamon, cloves, and cane sugar to create a golden spirit that will seriously impress your next host.
It has the juiciness of pear with the festive warmth of baking spices, sparking plenty of inspiration for creative cocktails. One Total Wine customer wrote that "It is wonderful either neat or over ice as a sipper, it makes a wonderful martini, it works over ice cream or drizzled over pound cake. I made a pumpkin spiced pear margarita. Just use your imagination."
A bottle of St. George's spiced pear liqueur sells for $34.99 on Total Wine as of December 2022.
Best white elephant alcohol-related gift
If you feel like you've come against a gift idea wall for someone, consider Party Can. Who doesn't like the idea of ready-made batch cocktails to get the celebration going? A Party Can makes it easy to turn any gathering into an instant cocktail party, making it a must-buy for office gift exchanges and white elephant parties. Each can holds 12 non-carbonated cocktails in a resealable container that stays good a while after opening, so long as you keep it in the fridge.
Party Can comes in three flavors: triple spice margarita, passion fruit cosmopolitan, and gold rush old fashioned. Each uses real liquor like vodka, aged Kentucky bourbon, and tequila. Whiskey Raiders declared Party Can to be the best ready-to-drink option that also happens to be pretty easy on the wallet.
A single Party Can is available on Total Wine for $28.49 as of December 2022.
Best alcohol-related gift for the whiskey lover
Bourbon connoisseurs don't always like to keep their best bottles in flasks, so a better gift option for the serious whiskey drinker might be the Woodford Reserve x William Sonoma gift set. The set comes with three two-ounce cocktail mixers that make four drinks each. All you have to do is add whiskey (of course, they recommend a shot of Woodford Reserve).
The flavors are classic drinks like the mint julep, old fashioned, and a whiskey sour, so it's guaranteed to be a palatable option for a range of whiskey lovers. Editorialist recommends that you add more booze than the packaging suggests because the recipe isn't very strong, at least to some palates. Otherwise, it's a hit that makes for some easy whiskey-based cocktail crafting.
The Woodford Reserve x William Sonoma gift set is on sale for $39.95 at Williams Sonoma as of December 2022.
Best alcohol-related gift for the curious cocktail drinker
It's never a bad idea to gift someone a book on a subject that particularly interests them, and "The Japanese Art of the Cocktail" by Masahiro Urushido is just about for booze enthusiasts. Urushido is a mixologist at Katana Kitten in New York City, one of the most world-renowned Japanese-American cocktail bars currently in operation.
In his book, he shares iconic recipes from the Katana Kitten, as well as an extensive history of Japanese cocktails and what makes them especially unique. "I cannot recommend this book enough and may pick up another copy while it's still this cheap," said one Amazon reviewer. "I know that this one will eventually pick up some umeshu stains as I work my way through the extensive repertoire of Japanese cocktails."
"The Japanese Art of the Cocktail" is for sale on Amazon for $18.19 as of December 2022.
Best alcohol-related gift for the amature mixologist
Not every booze enthusiast wants to whip out a whole cocktail kit just to make a drink. Even the laziest mixologist will appreciate the added flavor that Filthy's Black Cherry cocktail kit will add to their drinks. The set includes one pouch of black cherry syrup, 48 individually-packaged black amarena cherries, and four stainless steel cocktail picks.
The deep and sweet cherry flavor seriously amps up a glass of bourbon or a simple martini, while the syrup will likewise boost even basic cocktails like classic vodka and soda. According to one Amazon reviewer, "The cherries are better than Luxardo and come in single-serve packets that make it great for single drinks. The cocktail picks are nice and the eco-conscious packaging is a plus!"
The Filthy Black Cherry cocktail kit sells for $40 on Filthy Food as of December 2022.
Best alcohol-related gift for the advanced mixologist
If you're seeking a special gift for the person who thinks they're a serious mixologist is the DO YOUR GIN gin botanicals spice kit. The set includes 12 vials of herbs and spices for infusing into gin or other liquors to create unique craft cocktails. Some of the ingredients include orange peel, pink pepper, juniper, hibiscus, rose buds, lavender, oolong tea, and cardamom, so there's plenty to experiment with.
DO YOUR GIN is made in the U.S. and was founded by two brothers looking to reinvent drinking at home, particularly in the gin world. "I was impressed by the variety of flavours, good quality in stylish bottles," one Amazon reviewer noted. "Really nice to have a card with tips on how to use and to mix different flavours."
The DO YOUR GIN gin botanicals spice kit sells for $29.90 on Amazon as of December 2022.
Best alcohol-related gift for the person always drinking espresso martinis
It's safe to say that espresso martinis are all the rage. They're tasty for those of us who can't get enough coffee and have a combination of booze and caffeine that can help to fuel a long night out. However, this isn't a simple cocktail, especially if you have to whip up your espresso at home. The perfect gift for someone who wants an espresso martini without quite so much bother is a case of Owen's espresso martini mix. The nitro-infused mix is dairy-free and booze-free, but otherwise includes all of the ingredients you need for the perfect drink.
One can of Owen's espresso martini mix contains 60 mg of caffeine along with some cane sugar to make it sweet and creamy. It tastes delicious with traditional vodka or an alternate base like tequila or flavored whiskey. "I was surprised at how perfect and delicious this was. Espresso martinis are my favorite cocktail but they are normally a pain to make. Love how easy it was by only needing the mix and vodka to make one," said one Amazon reviewer.
A four-pack of Owen's Espresso Martini Mix sells for $14 on Amazon as of December 2022.
Best alcohol-related gift for your old-fashioned aficionado
A classic old fashioned cocktail hinges on the use of bitters. For those who prefer this whiskey drink as their cocktail of choice, Bitter Queens has the perfect gift with its variety pack of bitters. The set contains four half-ounce bottles of bitters in Marie Laveau tobacco, Opulent Odessa orange, Bangkok Betty Thai, and Joker Judy chocolate walnut.
Each bottle in this kit may seem tiny, but a little bit will more than cover your bitters cocktail needs, especially since each bottle contains a whopping 50% ABV. "Substitute for Angostura in any cocktail, and mixes well with Cocchi Americano for a Manhattan without vermouth," said one Bitters & Bottles reviewer of the tobacco flavor. Other fans of the brand on Instagram praise each variety for having distinct flavor and vibrant character.
Bitter Queens sells its Essential Bitters Variety Kit for $25 as of December 2022.
Best alcohol-related gift for the martini-obsessed
Martini glasses can make for some seriously good gifts, especially if they're meant for someone who has an affinity for James Bond's signature drink. That's why this set of two NUDE vintage round martini glasses is the gift that everyone wants, even if they don't know it just yet.
The unique rounded base of these glasses is perfect for showing off olives at the bottom while still maintaining the classic martini shape. The design is also meant to help keep your drink cold. Meanwhile, the material is dishwasher-safe, making cleanup easy. "Beautiful and a great size and shape for straight up cocktails. I have other coupe stemware but these are smaller and work well for straight up cocktails," one Wayfair review of the glasses reads.
The set of two NUDE vintage round martini glasses sells for $43 on Liquor.com as of December 2022.
Best alcohol-related gift for craft beer enthusiasts
It seems like everyone knows at least one person who is a self-proclaimed craft beer head, so why not give them the gift of something new and interesting this holiday season with a Beer Drop subscription? Beer Drop sends lucky recipients a package with 10 beers from five different breweries, including exclusive releases that they wouldn't be able to buy anywhere else. Plus, the package gets delivered right to their door without the hassle of driving to a nearby store or brewery. It's a thoughtful touch that makes this a great gift to a craft beer enthusiast.
Each Beer Drop package is catered to the individual subscriber, using a survey that gives Beer Drop information on their unique beer preferences. Additionally, any user can swap beers that they don't like for other options before it ships.
A box from Beer Drop starts at $49.99 as of December 2022.
Best alcohol-related gift for fans of drinking games:
White elephant gift exchanges will always and forever feature drinking games as a popular present. One option for someone who's stocking up on games for winter is "These Cards Will Get You Drunk." The 21 and older drinking game has easy-to-follow rules and can be played with anywhere from two to eight players.
More specifically, the deck contains 100 cards with challenges that, naturally enough, involve drinking. You can supersize the gift with expansion packs that contain even more cards. "This is a really great game that is a lot of fun to play in a small or large group. It's suitable to play with family or friends, no awkward questions or dares, just a lot of fun," one Amazon reviewer notes.
The original "These Cards Will Get You Drunk" game is on sale for $15.99 on Amazon as of December 2022.
Best alcohol-related gift for the person whose entire Instagram is cocktails:
Aesthetics are as much a part of the drinking experience as the taste of what's in your glass. For the person who can't help but order drinks based on what will match their Instagram feed, a four-pack of Himalayan salt tequila glasses is the way to go. These aren't just cute, but functional, making them especially well-suited for drinks that play well with salt, like tequila. Each glass also comes with a PET plastic insert to prevent any leakage or damage to the salt.
Because of the material, these aren't dishwasher-safe and must stay dry to prevent any damage. "Such a cute, compact and useful tray for all your tequila and bar needs," one customer review on Uncommon Goods reads. "The shot glasses are salty (such a fun surprise for guests when entertaining!) and the set is a perfect size for bar carts."
The four-pack of Himalayan salt tequila glasses starts at $20 on Uncommon Goods as of December 2022.