Vodka, Gin & Liqueur Picks for Cocktail Enthusiasts
Got a cocktail enthusiast on your gift list? These vodka, gin, and liqueur selections are perfect additions to any bar cart!
Dec 17, 2023
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12Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin is made by Victoria Distillers in British Columbia, Canada with nine botanicals. These include juniper, elderflower, lavender, orange peel, orris root, cinnamon, coriander, red rose petals and black carrots — the last two botanicals were used to obtain the gin's natural ruby hue. Available September 2023. (SRP $39.99)
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11This flavored extension of the brand's flagship Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin adds California Orange Citrus flavors to the gunpowder tea and other botanicals. This is the second flavored gin brand extension following the Sardinian Citrus bottling which launched in May 2021. California Orange Citrus is available in the US beginning February 2023. (SRP $36.99)
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10Bayab African Classic Dry Gin is produced and bottled in South Africa. It's made with locally-grown wheat and botanicals which include African juniper berries, coriander, rosemary, cinnamon, coarse salt, lemon & orange peel. Also used in its production is Baobab fruit from one of the most iconic trees on earth, the Bayob tree also known as the "tree of life." It is blended using water from KwaZulu-Natal and bottled at 43% ABV. (SRP $33)
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9Las Californias is a gin brand developed by the Casa Lumbre team and Master Distiller Iván Saldaña. The gins are made with botanicals from both the California and Baja, Mexico coasts. This expression features kelp, California hops, white sage, California Artemisia, yerba santa, California juniper, and damiana. It is bottled at 42% ABV and available as of July, 2022. (SRP $32.99)
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8Haku Vodka is made from 100% Japanese white rice which is milled and polished. The white rice is fermented with koji rice to create a mash that is then distilled in a pot still. For the second distillation, it goes through two different processes in a pot and column still. The vodka is blended then filtered through bamboo charcoal and is proofed to 40% ABV. The curved lines on the bottle are meant to represent the streams glistening through nature in Japan as they run through the four seasons. Haku Vodka was exclusive released to the US in October 2018.
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7This vodka is produced from 100% organically-grown sugarcane and mineral rich ocean water sourced 3,000 feet deep, off the Kona Coast in Hawaii. Distilled using a continuous column process on the island of Maui.
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6This farm-to-bottle vodka uses 100% potatoes which are grown on their family farm just outside Aspen, Colorado. The potatoes, after mashing and fermentation, are distilled in their custom Carl stills. Naturally gluten-free, it's bottled at 40% ABV.
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5First introduced in 2012, Black Cow is the creation of dairy farmer Jason Barber. Produced in south west of England, the milk from Barber's grass-grazing dairy cows is used in its production. More specifically, it is the whey from the cow's milk to which yeast is added to ferment into a "beer" (the curds are used to create cheddar cheese). This vodka is triple filtered and bottled at 40% ABV.
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4Like the Ferrand Dry Curaçao released in 2012, Maison Ferrand owner Alexandre Gabriel made this Yuzu Late Harvest Dry Curaçao in consultation with drinks historian David Wondrich. The yuzu fruit which was sourced from L'Agrumiste, a biodiverse orchard in the Mediterranean, was allowed to be harvested past its peak maturity in February rather than the fall. The whole yuzu fruit is macerated in grape spirit for a week and then distilled. Then the yuzu distillate is married with a touch of yuzu infusion, bourbon vanilla, brandy, and Ferrand Cognac. Availability for the US begins July 2023 nationwide. (SRP $35.99)
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3The recipe this classic liqueur is based on has been kept in the family for many generations. It's made by steeping wild English sloe berries with Hayman's original London Dry Gin for months, before the addition of sweetener. Along with sloe berries, the botanicals include juniper, coriander, lemon peel, orange peel, angelica root, cinnamon, cassia bark, orris root, licorice, and nutmeg. Bottled at 26% ABV.
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2Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur is made at a coffee roastery and distillery located just outside of Sydney, Australia. It uses a base spirit of Australian wheat vodka along with cold-brewed coffee made from 100% Arabica coffee beans. No caramel, vanilla, or artificial flavors added.
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1This American-made bitter aperitivo was made in collaboration with chemist & absinthe distiller T.A. "Ted" Breaux and the Cocktail King himself, Dale DeGroff. Distilled by the team at Clear Creek Distillery in Oregon, this is made with a blend of botanicals including fruits, roots, flowers, and leaves, but no artificial ingredients or colors. Available early May 2023. (SRP $29.99 for 700ml)