Gift Guide 2016: For the Cocktail Connoisseur
Our picks for the cocktail (and beer and wine) lovers on your list.
Above: This brass Crescent Bottle Opener ($46 from Rikumo) may look like an ornament at first glance, but its brilliant design (by Oji Masanori in partnership with nearly 120-year-old Japanese
metal manufacturer Futagami) pops bottles with ease.
Above: This essential cocktail tome features musings, tips, and carefully illustrated cocktail recipes, all favorites of the legendary man behind NYC speakeasy-style bar Milk & Honey. Read it and you'll be an instant mixologist. Available for $20.71 on Amazon.
Above: For the old-school imbiber: The Great American Flask (by 200-year-old manufacturer Jacob Bromwell) is made of copper, “just like the massive copper pots used by distillers,� and has an American birch stopper. It's available for $200 at Heath Ceramics.
Above: Stewart & Claire's Cocktail-Inspired Lip Balms are a clever way to keep the taste of your favorite drink on your lips. Made with essential oils, a trio of Negroni (orange and juniper), Old Fashioned (cedar, vanilla, and cinnamon), and Tiki (coconut oil and mandarin) is $22.
Above: We're big fans of the wonky wares from Malfatti Glass (they were a hit at our NYC market last year); a pair of Vino Rosso glasses is $70 (visit the site to see more offerings).
Above: House-made bitters, bottled in Portland, Maine, by Vena's Fizz House, are named for Vena's former suitors-”some smoldering, some charismatic, some bold.” Armando (“smoky, devious, and captivating”) and Tyrone (“swashbuckling and earthy”) are each $20.
Above: These aren't lumps of coal; they're Black Whiskey Stones, made of non-porous soapstone. When chilled, they cool any drink without diluting the flavor. A set of nine is $24 at The Line.
Above: And, for the beer lover, this Stoneware Growler holds 64 ounces of your favorite craft ale. Available for $88 via Terrain.