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For the person who has everything – or insists they don’t want a gift – a bottle of something fabulous is often the safest idea. With many brands going the extra mile to make their drinks more desirable at Christmas, it is possible to pick out something special.
Whether you’re looking for a hostess gift to impress, are shopping for hard-to-buy-for dads, or you’ve drawn the short straw in the work secret santa, a well-chosen bottle is a solid choice. From festive gin and cult-classic tequila to painstakingly curated wines and English fizz, there’s a bottle for every taste and budget.
The best drinks to give as gifts in 2025
Best vodka:
Beluga Gold Line vodka
When I rounded up the best vodkas earlier this year, I loved this luxe one from Beluga, but it felt too expensive to make the cut. I’m recommending it now as a once-a-year buy for someone really special. Made from winter wheat and spring water from Montenegro, Beluga Gold Line undergoes an extensive filtration, distilling and resting period, giving it a velvety texture and alpine character; of course, it’s also the perfect pairing to Christmas caviar. The fancy bottle is individually numbered and wax sealed for ceremonial opening, with the branded hammer and brush included in the leather gift case.
Best gin:
Salcombe Gin signature serve stocking set
The perfect ready-filled stocking for a G&T lover, this set includes your choice of Salcombe Gin’s Start Point (botanicals, grapefruit, juniper) or Rosé Sainte Marie (herbal, strawberries, pepper) in a generous 50cl bottle with a rose gold jigger and four mini Fever-Tree tonics. Having enjoyed many refreshing (and award-winning) Salcombe Gin G&Ts at the Devon HQ, this would be welcome hung on my mantelpiece.
For more, read our guide to the best gins
Best wine:
Nourished Communities festive wine selection
Travelling to relatives this Christmas? Save yourself the task of lugging bottles on the train by ordering this box of Christmas-ready wines curated by Nourished Communities, which champions independent producers, to your destination. Nourished Communities delivers across the UK, so you can give the joy of pinot noir and vintage cremant from the Michelin-starred team behind St John, Noble Rot’s party-adjacent vinho verde, plus enduringly popular Cotes du Rhone, Montsablé chardonnay and carignan from the Languedoc to family and friends.
Best tequila:
Personalised engraved Patrón XO Cafe
For anyone who mourned the loss of Patrón XO Cafe when it went out of production in 2021, a personalised engraved bottle of the partygoers’ favourite coffee-flavoured tequila liqueur will be happily received. Patrón XO Cafe remains the same cult recipe of Patrón Silver tequila combined with coffee, giving it that deep, chocolatey, nutty coffee profile that has made it so popular. Notoriously enjoyed as a shot, its versatility means you can add it to Christmas cocktails or use it in hot drinks too.
Best champagne:
Piper-Heidsieck Code Rouge limited edition champagne gift set
Sound the alarm: it’s a champagne emergency! Piper-Heidsieck’s signature cuvee brut is this year housed in a vintage-style fire extinguisher. Pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay grapes combine for this bright citrus and floral fizz with its signature toasty notes. A collectible, fun and stylish gift for your favourite champagne drinker.
Best cocktails:
Tayēr RTD Xmas Essentials 2.0
Renowned London cocktail bar Tayēr + Elementary has brought out a stylish ready-to-drink set of three seasonal cocktails for Christmas 2025, now served at its Old Street location. Created by the bar’s acclaimed bartenders, each cocktail showcases the natural ingredients and clever trickery it’s known for, with a roasted chestnut old fashioned (my personal favourite), tangerine negroni and surreally brilliant gingerbread sour. One for real cocktail devotees.
Best port:
Cockburn’s aged 10 years tawny port
This 10-year-old from famed port producers Cockburn’s is a harmonious blend of old and young ports made in the Douro valley. It’s aged in oak for a decade and loses 20% to the angel’s share, taking on layers of complexity. A world away from stuffy old-fashioned ports, this lighter, caramel-hued liquid is extremely drinkable, with barrels of nutty, vanilla and fig flavours (excellent with a mince pie or cheese). It comes in an eye-catching box with a cool, contemporary design, making it ideal for a present.
Best prosecco:
Della Vite prosecco superiore DOCG
Prosecco might be a gift many of us reach for when we’ve got no idea what to buy, but this beautifully boxed bottle created by the Delevingne sisters is a cut above. Boasting the DOCG label – the highest quality classification for prosecco – this creamy yet mineral Della Vite prosecco superiore from the Valdobbiadene hills is an all-round winner that works equally well as a party prosecco or for pairing with festive food.
Best whiskey:
Maker’s Mark Kentucky straight bourbon in Christmas jumper
Whiskey lovers will have their favourite brands on the Christmas list, but if in doubt, this cosy festive edition of the popular Maker’s Mark Kentucky straight bourbon will be appreciated. Handmade in small batches using winter wheat for a smooth sip filled with flavours of sweet baking spices, this whiskey is an approachable winter warmer that’s as good straight as in an old fashioned. Dipped in red wax and dressed in its adorable Christmas jumper, it doesn’t even need to be wrapped.
For more, read our guide to the best whisky
Best English sparkling wine:
Personalised Chapel Down brut in gift box
English sparkling wine is often well received if you’re stumped for a gift, and you can’t go far wrong with the bestselling, multi-award-winning Chapel Down brut. Grown on Tenterden’s increasingly champagne-friendly terroir, this wine is a triumphant blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier and pinot blanc. Orchard fruit prevails, with masses of deliciously fine bubbles and a long finish.
Joanne Gould is a food, drink and lifestyle writer with a decade of experience. As well as enthusiastically eating her way through London’s best bars and restaurants, she’s also a keen home cook and can often be found trying a new recipe or kitchen gadget, while taste-testing anything from South African wines to speciality coffee or scotch. Luckily, she also enjoys walking, running and keeping fit and healthy in her spare time – for balance
Christmas shopping can be tough – so we spent months finding the perfect presents for everyone on your list. We selected the best products from our testing; enlisted babies, kids and teenagers to find out what they really wanted; and sniffed, tasted and tested the good, the bad and the ugly to bring you 305 genuinely brilliant gifts.
English (US)