15 Holiday Gifts Sure to Please Home Bartenders
It’s the busy season for bartenders and even home bartenders deserve some new toys. The gifts we selected cover various skill levels, from beginning home bartenders to seasoned professionals, and price ranges. There is something here for everyone, and a few things you can add to your own collection.
While we have come up with some fun gifts in the 2022 version of this list, this is the ninth one of these lists we have completed. So if you need more options than the ones provided here, take a stroll through this gift-giving vertical and see if there are other options that may work.
Are you ready to do a little shopping?
Tools of the Trade
Kuhn Rikon Peeler Set - $14
There is a reason a simple trio of peelers is our first suggestion for a gift. When looking at the tool boxes of many of the top bartenders in the industry, there is a good chance you will find some of these. They are simple, durable, and do an incredible job. A delightful stocking stuffer.
Breville 3X Blucier - $225 - Fresh juices, while very rewarding to have for cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks, can be time-consuming. Especially with fruits and vegetables that provide small yields (looking at you, berries). The Breville not only juices quickly and efficiently, it also blends! Bar professionals, and home bartenders, can create those juices and then mix them into a smoothie or other frozen libation.
Bormioli Rocco Medium Tumblers $40
Is it nice to have a wide variety of glasses for cocktails for entertaining? Of course it is! But if they are starting their collection, or have limited space where they live, they will have to be far more selective. These durable and workman-like glasses provide a vessel for a wide variety of drinks and look good. Want to serve a Manhattan? A Gin Fizz? A glass of wine? We have a glass for you.
Gary Regan Finger Stirrer - $33
This is the one time a bartender will smile when you give them the finger. Gary Regan contributed so much to the bartending and cocktail community, including a book that should be on everyone’s shelf, The Joy of Mixology. He also contributed his famous, or infamous, stirring finger for Negronis for bars all over the world.
Vinturi Red Wine Aerator with No-Drip Base - $45
Improving the taste of a wine through aeration or letting it breathe has been around for ages. There are many tools on the market to help that process, either through speed or swirling the liquid or other science. This product focuses on speed, aerating wine as quickly pouring a glass.
Home Bar Accessories
Bartender In a Box - $20
For the budding wannabe bartender, here’s a quick, fun solution for creating a batch of cocktails in a pinch. This can be bought as a gift or brought to one of the many holiday parties you will attend this holiday season. Want to make sure your margarita pops? Make sure you add tequila or mezcal from the 2022 New York International Spirits Competition, like Double Gold Medal winner Cutwater Tequila Blanco or Gold winner Monelobos Mezcal Pechuga.
Wine Map of France - $30
The bar area in any home can always use an update to the wall art. While there are many maps of France's individual wine regions, very few show them in the context of where they are in the country. This full-color map not only shows France but it also shows regions near France. If they are not fans of Frech wine, you can still pick up similar maps of Italy, California, and Spain & Portugal.
Sur la Table The Sommelier Apron - $60
Every bartender, whether at home or manning the stick at the local craft bar, has worn a cocktail they were shaking Or spilled a juice or spirit on them. This well-crafted apron can be worn full body or cafe style, with enough pockets to carry everything a bartender needs for the night.
W & P Everyday Ice Tray - $16
It is no secret that ice is a critical ingredient to every cocktail. Adding the right ice will add to the experience. These delightful trays have a structure to make them easier to remove the ice and a lid to minimize any odors and flavors the freezer could impart. Help the mixologist in your life improve their ice game.
Mixologist’s Log - $10
If you have watched the hit Netflix show Drink Masters, you have watched the competitors scribbling in notebooks before crafting their incredible cocktails. The judges even mentioned that the notebook is one of the bartender’s most potent tools. If they do not have one, they need one, and if they do have one, they’ll need another soon. It is a win-win!
Fun For Everyone
Aged and Infused Cocktail Kits - $25
Infusions are very popular. Everything from subtle herbs and spices to big, bold fruits or even bacon! Aged and Infused takes the guesswork out of what and how much to add, letting you consider the right spirit to use. A good time to consider some of the Double Gold winners at the 2022 New York International Spirits Competition, like Echo Spirits Distilling Co. White Rum or Sipsmith London Dry Gin.
Lolli & Pops Cocktail Collection Tin - $30
Candy is dandy…especially when it is infused with the flavors of their favorite liquor! Lolli & Pops has a broad selection of treats, from cakes to cotton candy, with a boozy-flavored kick. They can be shipped or picked up in one of their stores.
Betty Buzz Entertainment Gift Box - $60
Another entry from our 2022 New York International Spirits Competition, these mixers took a Gold medal home. Specifically their Ginger Beer, Tonic Water, and Sparkling Lemon Lime Soda. Their Entertainment gift box provides enough sodas in multiple flavors for cocktails or to drink and relax.
Napa Wine Company Wine Soaps - $68
Delightfully scented soaps for the kitchen or the bathroom, this set of six different soaps offers wine lovers a great way to get clean and smell good doing it. Paired with other products, like their lotions, they can get the gift of a full wine-scented day of relaxation.
Mixology Dice Tumbler - $32
Need help deciding what to drink? Or simply want to experiment through random chance? Take a page from some prominent TikTokkers and roll for it! Pull out the Mixology Dice to see what cocktail is being made next. Each die has an element (spirit, sugar, liqueur, citrus, fruit, herb, spice, & bitters) of a cocktail. Choose as many as you want to roll to make your next drink.
From candies to sodas, from blenders to aprons, we hope that you find something on this list that suits the needs of the bartenders in your life. If not, we hope it inspires you to find something similar or explore past iterations of this list.
What is missing from this list? The spirits, of course! There are plenty of incredible spirits out there, whether they are made locally or globally recognized for their quality. In addition to the 2022 New York Spirits Competition winners, there are the winners from the 2022 Berlin International Beer Competition, the 2022 Melbourne International Wine Competition, and many others for you to consider. Adding a bottle with your gift is another way to build a home bar or help the professionals in your life relax after a long day. During the holidays, they are going to need it. Have a safe and wonderful holiday season!