5 Boozy Presents Sure to Please This Holiday
Raise spirits with this local bottled gift guide
By Seattle Mag December 11, 2014
Playing Santa for someone fond of a good drink? Knitting your brows over the perfect present for an office gift exchange? The bottled gift guide below was designed especially for you.
Old Ballard Liquor Co. Aquavit Gift Pack
Share a sample of this Ballard distillery’s finest with a set of four 50-millileter bottles of aquavit – and you can choose which 4! The options currently include the Classic Norwegian-style Riktig, the citron-licious Älskar, the Midsommar (with 3 kinds of dill, caraway, and vanilla bean) as well as 3 special seasonals: 120-proof and bursting with flavor Ragnarok, winter-spiced Tomten (ideal with coffee) and Taffel #1, with 15 different botanicals. Stop by Old Ballard Liquor Co. to make your picks.
Already home to many fine amaros, this Woodinville distiller now presents the first American-made vermouth to use Washington state wines as the base. With 4 broVo vermouths to choose from, it’s easy to find the perfect flavor for your favorite cocktail lover. Select among Witty (a dry white vermouth with a light herbal touch), Pretty (a white vermouth with lovely floral tones), Jammy (a red vermouth that has a berry-peppery-jammyness) and Pink (a rare rosé vermouth that has just a tiny hint of citrus and spice).
Copperworks Peat Barrel Gin
This newest of Copperworks’s limited-issue aged gins is a gin enthusiast’s dream. A single-cask release, the drink is aged for a little over 8 months in American oak that was previously used to age peated malt whiskey. The result is a very memorable libation, with a slight sweetness backed by flavors of smoke, leaves, heather and citrus. While this gin is a terrific addition to cocktails, it can be sipped solo over ice. Supply is limited, however, so it is only available at Copperworks Distilling Company.
Westland Sherry Wood Single Malt Whiskey
Just released last month, this amazing sipper from the SoDo distillery is ideal for the whiskey lover on your list. Aged in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks (for a minimum of 26 months) with a 6-malt grain bill, this distinctive booze has a softly sweet and fruity aroma and a flavor that’s faintly cookie-ish (in the best way), with notes of citrus and tropical fruit. It’s ideal for sipping around the tree after you’ve opened presents.
AsomBroso Double Barrel Rested 11-Year Anejo Tequila
AsomBroso double barrel 11-year-old vintage is an ultra-premium tequila (so it needs to be for someone very, very special!) that has been aged for 11 years, then rested an additional 3 to 6 months in Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon American white oak barrels. Next, this legendary liquid is housed in a crystal decanter that was made by hand by the Italian artist Luciano Gambaro, and finally, it is displayed in a Humidor on a laser-engraved custom pedestal. All of which is fitting for a tequila that is exquisite enough to match the finest Cognacs.