This year’s Guide to Gifts for Cocktail Lovers focuses on new liquids that can’t (or can’t easily) be found outside of France. So, while any drinks enthusiast worth their cocktail salt would appreciate something from the selection below, there are a few prime choices for that perfect gift to bring someone from Paris!
La Distillerie Generale spirits
Just when you thought you didn’t need another booze brand, the newly launched La Distillerie Generale proves otherwise with their exclusive spirits line designed to make the exceptional a little more accessible. The range includes one or more references of various liqueurs and liquors including gentian, absinthe, vodka, gin, Armagnac, Cognac, rum, mezcal, whisky and tequila. The 35cl bottles cost from 30 – 120 Euros and are available in very limited editions at the five Paris Juhlès boutiques starting early December and on their website as of January 2018. Read more about them in our recent full article here.
Balbine bottled cocktails
This new, innovative range of bottled cocktails is entirely made in France. Rather than blending commercial products, they carefully mix French premium spirits, macerated in plants and spices, allowing them to orchestrate the aromas and flavours. Along, with a producer from Cognac, a barman and a perfumer, they experimented with several combinations before settling on the ones that evoke the most emotion. As with any good alchemist, they keep their recipes secret. Very, very tasty secrets. The current range includes their ‘French’ versions of Negroni, Manhatten, Boulvardier, Americano, Old Fashioned plus a hibiscus gin and old tom gin, each for 33 Euros a bottle. We’ll be writing more about them in January. But, in the meantime, buy directly from their website for delivery in metropolitan France.
Paris Cocktail Week Bottled Espresso Martini (Limited Edition)
For Christmas, the Paris Cocktail Week team collaborated with Brûlerie de Paris et Nicolas Julhes for a special coffee cocktail. But don’t mistake this for your usual Espresso Martini. The team took a grape based alcohol and distilled it with coffee to serves as a base. Following that, there are two different coffee infusions, sugar and hibiscus, tonka and cascara macerations. All this to finish with a winter-worthy coffee cocktail with chocolate notes that will warm you up even though its served frothy cold. And bonus, this one should be even easier to find as It’s for sale exclusively at Monoprix for 19.99 Euros for a 500ml bottle.
Firsty Gift Certificates
Give the gift of Paris nightlife to the cocktail lover in your life. Firsty is an application where, for a 9.99 Euros monthly subscription rate, users can enjoy a free drink in dozens of different Parisian bars – from wine, to coffee, to beer and of course…cocktails! This app is a great idea for a young, fun drinker looking for affordable drinks and a fun way to go out that ties together modern technology and fun spaces to break the usual daily routine and discover something new. Read more about it in our full article here. And this year they’ve put out gift certificates so you can buy a friend 1, 3 or 12 months of free drinks for 10 to 62 Euros total. Nice price for a lot of nightlife, right? Head to their website to take advantage of the offers.
(And, if you’re not based in Paris or are shopping for someone who’s not, there are similar services in the US like Hooch, so do a bit of googling to find something close to you)
NY Cocktail Box monthly drinks delivery
New York Cocktail Box is a monthly subscription service that delivers everything necessary to make 4+ cocktails at home including all ingredients, instructions, jigger, and napkins or coasters. To complete the experience, they also provide a pamphlet with the cocktail’s backstory, food pairing suggestions, recommended playlist, a QR code linking to an instructional video and other relevant information. It all comes in a very nicely packaged box, the theme of which changes every month. Read more about NYCB in our full article. Or head to their website to sign up some very lucky friend for their own monthly box of fun for about 30 – 35 Euros per box.
(Again, if you’re outside of France, there are similar services operating in the US, so with some googling you should find something closer to your area.)
And if you’re still looking for more gift ideas, check out our many themed Gift Guides for Cocktail Lovers. You’ll even find one that tells you specifically what NOT to buy for that drinks enthusiast in your life.
