by Not sure what to give the bourbon lovers in your life for the holidays this year? The options for gifts are nearly unlimited, from merchandise to tours and festivals, and from bottles of your favorite brands to chocolates and customized barrel heads. Here are some of my recommendations for a wide variety of gifts from around bourbon country.
The Distillery Shop Around the Corner (or online)
Every distillery tour ends, in true Walt Disney World fashion, in the gift shop. And many are so well stocked with bourbon bottles and swag that the old sales adage applies, “If we don’t have it, you don’t need it.”
I recently stopped by the gift shop at the Angel’s Envy Distillery in Louisville to see what new items are available.
“This year, we have a new Angel’s Envy Holiday Bottle Ornament and just released our Orange Blossom Barrel Aged Honey created with Savannah Bee Company,” said Dee Ford, Brand Home General Manager, Angel’s Envy. “In addition to those items, an engraved bottle is the perfect personalized gift and can be made at our brand home in downtown Louisville.”
About 90 percent of the items you’ll see in the Angel’s Envy store can also be bought online.
Other top sellers? “Our Port Syrup that helps at-home bartenders with their cocktails, our chocolates that are made with Angel’s Envy by Louisville’s Art Eatables, and our new Angel’s Envy Bourbon and Rye Coffee created with another Louisville brand – Fante’s Coffee House,” Ford said.
If you’re in Louisville, you could spend an entire day just hitting the gift shops along Whiskey Row (Main Street). After you leave Angel’s Envy, stop by the gift shops at Old Forester, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, Michter’s Fort Nelson, the Frazier History Museum (The Welcome Center of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail), and Kentucky Peerless.
The Frazier Museum has a gift shop full of non-brand-specific but very pro-bourbon items you buy. My personal favorite: is the “Bourbon is a Vegetable” t-shirt.
Pro tip: Finish reading this article and either go directly to the distillery gift shop or get online. You want to make sure you make your purchases before they run out and allow plenty of time for online deliveries.
Put Your Cash on the Barrel Head
Every true whiskey lover (at least the ones with available wall space) wants a custom-engraved barrel head. Whether you want to decorate your home bar, promote your business, or need an alternative to a wedding reception guest book, your own special barrel head could be just the thing.
When you want it done right (and for a great price) get in touch with our friends at Hackin’ Grain in Kentucky. Use code “15candles” for 15 percent off your order.
My wife Judy worked with Hackin’ Grain for my Christmas present a few years ago. It proudly hangs on our wall right above the bar cart. (Consider this my non-celebrity endorsement.)
Take a Bottle for a Spin
Sure, there are plenty of places where you can order a bottle of premium whiskey as a gift. But
take a look at the WBSE Rickhouse online. You can order several expressions of Obtanium from Cat Eye Distillery or Starward Single Barrel Australian Whiskey. Not sure what they like? Gift cards are available in several “one size fits all” denominations.
All I Want for Christmas is Bourbon-Infused Chocolate
Nothing says “I love you,” like bourbon-infused chocolate and other sweet treats of the season.
The obvious choice is bourbon balls. Read more here about this Kentucky bourbon/chocolate/pecan creation that’s been a holiday staple for more than one hundred years in the Bluegrass.
For a unique twist, try bourbon truffles from Art Eatables in Louisville. Our friend Kelly Ramsey creates a variety of chocolate and spirit combinations, including small-batch truffles made with bourbon, rye, and whiskey, including nearly 30 brands ranging from Michter’s to Old Forester to Rabbit Hole. Her products are also available at several distillery gift shops.
I had my most recent delicious sampling of Art Eatables chocolate at the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame lunch last summer. No question it’s the real deal if this is what the KBHOF decides to have for dessert.
Give a Day in Kentucky Bourbon Country
There’s nothing like touring Kentucky Bourbon Country in person. As Angel’s Envy’s Dee Ford said, “Experiences also make wonderful holiday gifts. Give the gift of time together with a tour, bottle your own single barrel or a cocktail class with your family or friends.”
Those experiences are even better when you have a knowledgeable tour guide leading the way. (And it’s always good to leave the driving to someone else when you’re responsibly enjoying the many samples that come your way while touring.) Pegasus Distillery Tours and Kentucky Bourbon Boys are two of the best choices you can make when you want to see Kentucky Bourbon Country with the pros.
Pro-tip: Book your gift/trip as early as you can. Reservations are required for all distillery tours, and tours fill up quickly.
Give a Festival for this Festive Giving Season
Nobody throws a party like the many bourbon-related festivals all around Kentucky. And tickets and gift certificates are always appreciated. One of the best, The Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, is set for September 15-17, 2023. Tickets aren’t available yet, but you can always make a hand-drawn holiday coupon out of construction paper, just like you did when you were a kid. (“This coupon is made with love and is good for two tickets to next year’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival.”)
One of the best up-and-coming bourbon gatherings is the Bourbon on the Banks Festival in Frankfort, Kentucky, set for October 5-6, 2023. No need for construction paper; tickets are already available online.
Join the Club
Another great gift idea for the bourbon lover in your life is membership or event tickets to one of the many bourbon enthusiast societies around Kentucky and around the country. Bourbon Women (with chapters around the country) and Whisky Chicks (in Louisville) are among the top options for the ladies. Gentlemen, check out the monthly events put on by the Bourbon Brotherhood in Louisville. And all are welcome to join The Bourbon Society in Louisville.
Let’s Make a Memory Together
Whatever you decide to give your bourbon lover in your life, make sure you don’t let those bottles get dusty. I saw Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Ambassador Freddie Johnson give a toast once, quoting something his father said to him during the last bottle of bourbon they shared (with Diet Pepsi):
“Freddie, always remembers, there will always be old barrels and bottles of whiskey. But friends and family won’t always be around. And if you’re blessed enough to have a good bottle of bourbon that you’re about to share with friends and family, he said, it is far better to have the memories that the bottle creates than to know that the memories never got created because you didn’t like the way somebody drank your whiskey.”
Freddie raised his glass and said, “So here’s to family and memories. Here is a moment; let’s make a memory together.”
Here’s to good memories with you, your families, and a bit of bourbon this holiday season.
