The holidays are coming, and though there are a ton of great gifts you can nab for the whiskey lover in your life, it can be hard to know exactly what to buy if you’re not a fan of the spirit yourself. Giving someone who loves a wee dram a fancy new bottle, a gorgeous set of glasses or a cocktail smoker is bound to put a smile on their face.
From fancy double-walled glassware to clear ice molds to a Dior decanter, our team used our over 15 years experience as spirits editors to round up some of our favorite gifts to give whisky and whiskey lovers. (P.S. The difference between whiskey and whisky is where it comes from: The Scots, Canadians and Japanese tend to take out the E; the Irish and Americans leave it in.)
Looking for more alcohol-themed gifts? Check out our gifts for wine lovers, wine Advent calendars and gifts for beer lovers.
Japan is renowned for its whiskey, and the Kanosuke Distillery operates on the beach in the gorgeous Kagoshima Prefecture, allowing for a mellow, lightly peated taste and super smooth finish. Made in stainless steel pots and matured in both white oak and ex-shochu casks, Grumet Segal loves the tropical and citrus fruit nose, leading to a sweeter, honey-tinged palate. And she thinks this is the perfect gift for that whiskey know-it-all in your life.
These gorgeous double rocks glasses feature a gold rim and are a classy way to sip your whiskey and elevate your home bar — be it neat, on the rocks or mixed in a cocktail. And at well under $50 for four glasses, it's also a great deal.
Grumet Segal adores eating at Via Carota, known for its spectacular Italian menu, but she especially loves stocking these ready-to-drink cocktails in her fridge for the holidays. This perfectly mixed Manhattan comes in a gorgeous, glass bottle which looks as good as this classic bourbon cocktail tastes.
We like how this cheeky candle mimics a real Old Fashioned, and we love that it smells of vanilla and bourbon when you burn it.
This gorgeous, bold bourbon is distilled from New York corn and barley, then aged for at least three years in charred American oak barrels. Grumet Segal not only appreciates the careful packaging, but the rich vanilla forward taste.
This wearable graphic tee will let everyone know what a fan they are of whiskey, and it comes in 20 different colors so you can have some fun with it.
Let them hang their spirit on the tree this season. This adorable Old-Fashioned cocktail is just $5 and is guaranteed to bring a smile to any whiskey fan's face.
We love that Cocktail Courier provides everything you need to make a sophisticated cocktail at home and this kit, fueled by Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, will get any tippler in the holiday spirit.
Gift your favorite whiskey drinker these beautiful glasses from Riedel. The unique shape was crafted specifically to highlight the sweetness of proper single malt whiskey.
Another of Grumet Segal's favorite holiday pours from New York Distilling Company, this ready-to-drink Rock & Rye is a fascinating spirit that harkens back to the days of Prohibition. A mix of rye whiskey and rock sugar candy, it's perfect to serve over ice and will certainly enhance any whiskey lover's collection.
Coffee beans aged in bourbon barrels? Yes, please. Char & Stave Roastery is owned by Bluebird Distillery, so it made perfect sense to smash these two obsessions together. How does this work? The company fills its Four Grain Bourbon Barrels with green coffee from Peru and Colombia, let's them sit for up to six months, then roasts them. What you get is all that gooey, sweet and oaky flavor that whiskey lovers will adore — even if it's in their coffee mug.
This set of six whiskey glasses is a classic — hello, cut crystal! Plus there are enough in this half-dozen set to give your dinner guests a nightcap.
Whiskey and caramels go together like wine and chocolate, so if the person you’re shopping for has a sweet tooth, a trio of these boozy caramels — which include a whiskey flavor and an absinthe one too — will be a much-loved gift.
This cocktail mixer is right at the $20 price point but feels super indulgent. And while a lot of premixed cocktails leave a little to be desired, this hits the taste buds just right. The brand recommends pairing it with rye in a ratio of four parts liquor to one part mixer.
For those who are very serious about their mixology, this smoked cocktail gift set gives them everything they need to add a smoky flavor to their Scotch and more. It includes a mini torch, two rocks glasses and a wooden platform — made from whiskey-barrel wood, of course — to rest the glass on as the magic happens.
Perfect for whiskey lovers who enjoy trying new bottles, this gift subscription expands horizons with a full bottle plus a tasting box with three vials of whiskey each quarter.
This award-winning whiskey (over 1,000 times!) is a family affair that goes all the way back to when former slave Nearest Green taught Jack Daniels how to distill. Good taste still runs in the family: A fifth-generation descendant, Victoria Eady Butler, oversees the batches and is a four-time Master Blender of the Year winner.
If your whiskey lover is just getting started on their “journey,” gift them this handy book. Written by an expert, it goes into detail about how the drink is made, great bottles and tips on what (and how) to drink it.
At $50 a pop, these modern tumblers aren’t the cheapest, but serious whiskey drinkers know that Norlan’s glasses are optimal, thanks to the double-wall construction that amplifies the coloring of the beverage and makes it a great vessel for a bit of ice.
If you’re short on time, you can order a bottle of Woodford Reserve for pickup or delivery and your recipient will be pleased as (whiskey) punch.
Did you know Dior makes decanters? Now you do. Give the designer-loving, top-shelf-whiskey-drinking special someone a made-in-France, 100% crystal decanter to pour their fine spirits from.
Ice in whiskey? A true connoisseur would say never. Instead, these chilling rocks get whiskey cool without diluting a single drop. This set is great for entertaining since each stone is a different color (all the easier to keep track of your glass when a few are on the table).
These coasters are a great alternative to whiskey stones — and they let the glass chill when it needs it most (when they’re not sipping from it).
This rambler is perfect for whiskey around the campfire, thanks to its durable build and double-walled insulation. The MagSlider lid keeps contents from sloshing (or errant insects and debris from contaminating your Scotch).
This frankly sexy set of barware is a statement piece to show off just how good they are at making cocktails — and the perfect timeless antidote to the usual various shades of metal. If you don’t need a full setup — or can’t splash that much cash — this $40 Williams Sonoma x Sheila Bridges Harlem Toile Mixing Glass is a downright gorgeous addition to any mixology setup.
For a taste of Ireland, this triple-casked whiskey is incredible value for the money. It’s wonderful enough to sip, but it’s also a great pick for using in cocktails.
Turn vodka into whiskey (yes, really) through the alchemy of this whiskey-making kit. Your lucky recipient will use the included book as a guide to add wood chips (flavor and color), plus different botanicals to kick things up a notch. It comes with glass bottles to let the spirit rest for three to four weeks, then you can pour it out over the included whiskey stones.
Whiskey and fine leatherbound volumes go hand-in-hand, and while it’s been a while since a book has cost this much, the look, feel and information in this encyclopedia are well worth it if you’re gifting to a whiskey aficionado — who will still undoubtedly find many things to learn in its pages.
Receiving a bottle of this incredibly famous (for good reason) Scotch is a big deal, so if you’re serious about this someone, and they’re serious about their whisky, this is a go-to gift that’s sure to be a favorite.
Whiskey and flasks go hand in hand — especially on cold days. This one from Stanley has a built-in cap and a wide-mouth sipper. Plus, it comes in a variety of colors, including Hammertone Green.
If your lucky recipient is more of a mixologist than a straight sipper, this book of 100 cocktail recipes involving Scotch, whiskey and bourbon will give them inspiration for many evenings and gatherings to come.
If you go to a whiskey tasting or a fancy whiskey bar, these are the glasses you’ll likely find. The tulip shape helps the nose of the whiskey funnel up to your, well, nose, letting you (or the lucky recipient) taste the spirit and its complexity fully.
This ice cube maker takes a whiskey cocktail to the next level with the production of super-clear ice.
This compact bar cart is the perfect size for small apartments inhabited by whiskey-loving people. The glass and mirror glass is the perfect combination of polish and style for small bottle and bitters collections, plus some key barware and glasses.
Why trust CNN Underscored
Here at Underscored, we make it our job to stay up to date on all the latest products, but we don’t just find them; we also rigorously test products from hundreds of brands to make sure every gift you give is a hit. We also know that you get tired of seeing the same gift ideas year after year, which is why our team of editors has carefully curated each of our gift guides with a selection of products tailored to the person, hobby or event you’re shopping for (though, if you’re seeing some repeat products in our coverage, it probably just means that we really love them). For this story, we used our many years of experience as spirits editors to choose the best gifts for whiskey lovers.