Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest ’Tis the season to be jolly and we’ve gathered up the perfect holiday gifts for people like us who are in love with the drinking culture. Here are nine gift ideas that will excite every drink aficionado. 1) 8! Botanicals Easy Eight Botanical Kit Gin and tonic seem to be the trendiest drink this year, and more and more people are fixing up their home with a G&T cart. Here’s the perfect kit that would be a great addition to anyone’s home bar. 8! Botanicals recently launched Easy Eight botanical kit, it’s a portable gin kit that you can bring anywhere. It contains eight botanicals (juniper berries, cinnamon sticks, pink peppercorns, dried chilis, star anise, coriander seeds, cloves, and cardamom pods), botanical information, and Gin and Tonic recipe guides. Easy Eight sells for Php1950 per kit. Take advantage of their current ‘buy ten get one kit free’ promo. Visit www.8botanicals.com to order. 2) Les Deux Belges Advent Calendar This one is for the beer enthusiasts. It’s a fun Advent Calendar that gives a gift of Belgian beer from numerous breweries each day until the 24th. The 24 bottle calendar costs Php4,000, and you get a 10% discount if you use DrinkManila.com’s code: DRINKMNLCALENDAR. Click here to buy the product. 3) Craft Gins Gin is the hottest spirit of the moment, and it’s a great time to be a gin drinker because there’s a lot of great craft gins now available in the Philippine market. To be considered a craft gin the liquid has to be artisanal, created in small batch, handcrafted, and manufactured by independent distillery/bottlers. You should check out these names when you drop by the gin aisle of SNR or online liquor stores. a) Koval Dry Gin – A small-batch, organic gin from Chicago’s first distillery since Prohibition. It is organic, grain-to-glass, and certified Kosher! This gin is made with a unique variety of woodland spices with highlights on juniper and wildflowers. Priced at Php2,350 available at liquor.ph. b) The Botanist – An Islay dry gin created by the Bruichladdich Distillery. It is made with nine classic gin botanicals and 22 hand-foraged Islay botanicals. The liquid highlights notes of mint, herbs, and citrus. It sells for Php2,900 to Php3500 a bottle and available at boozeshop.ph., boozy.ph., liquor.ph., drinkka.com. c) Gin Sul – Hamburg Germany’s first gin, it has the prominent flavors fresh Portuguese lemons, coriander, juniper, rosemary, allspice, lavender, cinnamon, and rock rose. This gin is floral and rich in citrus flavors. Priced at Php3,120 and available at boozy.ph., liquor.ph., drinkka.com., and winedepot.com.ph. d) Martin Miller’s – This bottle is in demand and runs out fast. It has won more medals than any other gin in the last decade and prides itself on being the ambassador for super premium gins. Its liquid has a balance of citrus and juniper. Visit winedepot.com.ph to order online or go to the store at Wine Depot 217 Nicanor Garcia, Makati, 1209 Metro Manila. It also sells for Php1,740 at liquor.ph. and boozy.ph. e) Hendrick’s Gin – Distilled and bottled in Scotland, Hendrick’s gin is one of the most popular craft gins in the market. The gin is created with different botanicals with a highlight on the unique infusion of rose petals and cucumber. It sells for Php2,199 to Php2,350 a bottle and available at boozeshop.ph., boozy.ph., liquor.ph., and drinkka.com. f) Liverpool Gin – Liverpool Gin is an organic gin blended with organic handpicked botanicals and grain spirit. It has a balanced nose of coriander, angelica, juniper berries, and citrus. The bottle is distributed locally by Don Revy Philippines, buy it at Php1,432 via donrevy.com. or Php3,000 at liquor.ph. g) Ferdinand Saar – This craft gin is produced from carefully handpicked Riesling grapes from the steep shale slopes of the Zilliken estate in Germany. The recipe of Ferdinand’s Saar Dry Gin is an homage to the fruitful landscape of the Saar-Region using over 30 botanicals from the company’s own cultivation or regionally grown botanicals in combination with the finest Riesling grapes. Get it at boozy.ph. for Php3,899. h) Cosmic Carabao – This local craft gin is created by the makers of the Juan Brew craft beers. It is a citrus-forward Gin that combines dayap lime, angelica plant root, kaffir leaves, green, cardamom pods, juniper berries, and coriander seeds. It sells from Php630 to Php750 at liquor.ph., boozeshop.ph., manila-wine.com., thepck.ph., and juanbrew.com. i) ARC Botanical Gin – This new craft gin recently launched in Manila. It is handcrafted from rare blends of 28 exotic botanicals, 22 of which are sourced and foraged from the Philippines. The botanicals include fresh pomelo, dalandan, calamansi, dayap, mango, Sagada oranges, Benguet pine, sampaguita, ylang-ylang, and kamia flowers. It ‘s available at winedepot.com.ph. for Php2,800. 4) New Spirits in the market If you’re gifting a drink aficionado, here are new releases in the market that is sure to excite anyone who loves to drink. a) The Macallan Edition No. 4 – Recently launched in Manila, it’s the fourth release in The Macallan’s Edition Series, a range of whiskies that focuses on The Macallan’s commitment to wood. The Edition No. 4 was aged in a combination of seven different cask types—European/American Oak refill butts, European/American Oak refill hogsheads, American Oak first fill Vasyma hogsheads, European Oak first fill Diego Martin Rosado butts, European Oak first fill Jose Y Miguel Martin butts, European Oak first fill Tevasa butts/puncheons, and European Oak first fill Tevasa hogsheads. It’s available in select specialty stores and bars in Manila. The price starts at Php14,000+ depending on the establishment. b) Maker’s Mark Private Select – Maker’s Mark’s newest release in the Philippines, which debuted at Whisky Live Manila 2018. It offers a new take on the Maker’s 46 processes beginning with cask-strength Maker’s Mark aged for nine additional weeks in barrels specially fitted with ten wood-finishing staves. There’s a special 200 bottle release in the Philippines that will be available in SNR starting this Christmas season. It is recommended to get a bottle for you or for your special someone before it runs out! c) White Walker – One of the most awaited bottles to come to the Philippines this Christmas season. This limited edition blend brings you right to the Frozen North with an icy white and blue design along with the iconic Johnnie Walker Striding Man now fashioned in the liking of Night King’s forces. The color of the bottle design changes when cold. The liquid is spicy with notes of sweet caramel, oak, cinnamon, and dried fruits. It is pre-selling for Php1,299 at liquor.ph. and drinkka.com. and will arrive in Manila by mid-December. You have to visit the sites now to check availability as it sells like hotcakes. d) Chivas XV – Chivas XV is the latest release from Chivas Brother’s iconic whisky portfolio. It is a 15-year-old whisky blend finished in the most prized of Grande Champagne Cognac casks. It has subtle flavors of the Cognac cask. The liquid is sweet and fruity with notes of orange marmalade, apples, cinnamon, with a velvety vanilla finish. Chivas XV is available exclusively in travel retail since July 2018. If you’re coming from a trip abroad make sure to drop by the Duty-Free to spot this bottle. It might be released in local stores by next year. e) Remy Martin Matt W. Moore Limited Edition V.S.O.P. – This is a limited-edition V.S.O.P bottle designed by artist Matt W. Moore. Known for his Vectorfunk style, Matt W. Moore bottle design will be a perfect gift for a young drink enthusiast. The design combines the designer’s precise attention to detail and breathtaking colors that embody Rémy Martin’s ideal balance between craftsmanship and creativity. Remy Martin Matt W. Moore Limited Edition V.S.O.P. is available in SNR outlets nationwide. f) The Shackleton – Following the success of the first (Journey) and second bottling (Discovery) inspired by Sir Ernest Shackleton and his journeys in the Atlantic, this release of Shackleton is a more accessible bottling for the market. Best served cold. The liquid has notes of vanilla, honey, copper, and fruits. It is exclusively available online at boozy.ph priced at Php1,349. You may also find the bottle in select specialty stores and Duty-Free shops. 5) Scrappy’s Bitters Mini Set Any cocktail fanatic would love to get this mini bitters set so they can make great cocktails with them especially during travels. Bitters is like the salt and pepper of the cocktail world, and it adds nose and flavor notes to craft concoctions. Scrappy’s Bitters offer two mini sets— Exotic Mini Set and Classic Mini Set priced at Php1,311 per pack. The Scrappy’s Exotic Mini Set contains mini bottles of grapefruit, chocolate, lavender, and cardamom bitters. The Classic Mini Set includes mini bottles of orange, aromatic, orleans, and celery bitters. Scrappy’s Bitters is distributed by Apotheke Craft Spirits Co. Visit winedepot.com.ph. to order online or go to the store at Wine Depot 217 Nicanor Garcia, Makati, 1209 Metro Manila. 6) The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Membership This membership kit is the perfect present for the whisky lover in your life. Debuted in Manila during Whisky Live 2018, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is the world’s leading whisky community, driven by more than 26,000 members around the world. They specialize in single cask whisky in its purest form and has rare and limited bottlings available for sale only to its members. You can be a member for Php5,336 which will include– an exclusive access to purchase whisky and spirits from SMWS.ph; an exclusive members rates for all SMWS events, members rates at all partner bars across the Philippines, UK and Europe, advanced access to all new whiskies (Outturn); exclusive access to member venues, free subscription to SMWS award-winning magazine; and a membership card. For Php12,399 you can have an additional welcome pack of 3 limited release SMWS 10cl bottles, SMWS journal, and a club lapel badge. Visit this link to subscribe to the membership today. 7) Lasarca Curated Boxes If you’re too lazy to shop and just want to have something prepared for you, Lasarca Curated Boxes might be your best option. They have curated special holiday boxes like Bruce which includes a gold flask, brass bottle opener, money clips (2pcs), Brass shoe horn, Barik Supremo Lambanog, Seasonal dried blooms, and Lasarca dedication card. Priced at Php3,000. Bruce You may also opt to make your own box and choose the contents for your special pack. They have an assortment of items and bottles which includes— Anna de Codorniu Blanc Cava and Brit Rosé, Château Cap de Fer Wine, Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserved Wine, Château La Gravière Entre-Deux-Mers, and Barik Lambanog variants. Call +639154911622 for more information or visit the site openlasarca.com to purchase. 8) Aprontiacs Aprons Do you have someone in mind prepping for their home bar, a cocktail enthusiast, or a special bartender that you will be gifting for Christmas? These made to order aprons from Aprontiacs are the perfect gift. Created by the collaboration of seasoned bartenders Ian Libang and Vanessa Rabadon, their customized aprons are worn by numerous world-class bartenders and mixologists in Manila. World Class PH 2018 Champion Lester Ligon wearing an Aprontiacs apron Priced at Php1,800, you can have it customized with their limited edition fabrics, or opt for the denim designs. They can also customize with patches and embroidered names for an additional price of Php70. Order these beautiful aprons now at @aprontiacsph on Instagram. 9) Crate and Barrel Stemless Wine Glass For the person who loves to entertain at home, these stemless wine glasses make for an excellent gift. Available in 17 oz. at Php179 per piece and Metallic Dot 22 oz. size at Php249 per piece. You can buy these at Crate & barrel SM Aura, SM Makati, and Megamall.