Gift Guide 2020: Virtual happy hour must-haves for friends you miss hanging out with
For many, it is easy to resort to giving the gift of alcohol, as, even though giving it is most of the time a last-minute idea (it’s alright to admit it, no judgements), it is truly a gift that keeps on giving.
As everyone waits for the pandemic to fizzle out, the longing to go out and hang out with friends over laughter and good drinks is ever-present.
For the holidays, round up your cocktail- and spirits-loving friends for a virtual happy hour and arm them with these great gifts to raise a glass to friendship and a new year full of promise.
Sebastiao Cocktails’ curated cocktail box
Sebastiao Cocktails’ curated gift box is a fun gift not just to give but also to put together.
Inside each curated gift box are two fresh premium bottled cocktails that are ready to pour and drink. You may opt for the P599 box of regular cocktails like sangria, daiquiris, margaritas, mojito and cosmo; or the P699 box of luxury cocktails like Lychee Sake, Bronx, Negroni Manhattan and Black Russian.
According to Sebastiao Cocktails’ guide on how to curate the perfect set, first, choose according to the type of liquor (rum-, vodka-, gin-, tequila-, whiskey- or wine-based cocktails). And second, choose between light and stronger drinks—from Manhattan (at 30 percent ABV) to Classic Red Sangria (11 percent ABV).
To start curating your cocktail gift boxes, visit sebastiaoph.com or send a DM on Instagram.
Flask MNL Game of Thrones-inspired hip flask
Game of Thrones fans will not be able to resist Flask MNL’s GOT-inspired hip flask to carry their spirits or just as an addition to their growing collection.
The six-ounce flask, made with high-grade and food-grade stainless steel, comes in two designs. One is Tyrion Lannister’s “I drink and I know things” quote and the other is the House of Stark’s direwolf sigil.
All hip flasks come with a funnel and a Jack Daniels Mini collectible with a free Flask MNL brown box.
For orders, visit flask-mnl.com.
Sparkling Gummies
These pretty gummies can kick in the buzz as they are spiked with pure wine and booze. Its wine variants include red, white and rosé; and its boozy variants are whiskey, tequila, vodka, lager beer and soju.
You can munch on these (in moderation as these squishy treats could give you a bit of a buzz) or pair them with your chosen drink as sinkers or freeze them up to make your chosen poison on the rocks.
They come in 130-gram packs and 300-gram bottles. Prices range from P220 to P290 per pack and P300 to P435 per bottle.
Visit Sparkling Gummies on Instagram for orders.
Full Circle Distillers’ ARC Christmas gift set box
The ARC Christmas gift set box by Full Circle Distillers is a great gift idea for any spirits enthusiast. This set is also a great addition for any home bar cart.
You can mix and match and choose from the entire line of award-winning ARC artisanal spirits.
Each set includes an ARC spirit of your choice, a jigger, stirrer or cocktail spoon and an ARC spice kit (includes juniper berries, cardamom pods, rose petals, blue pea flowers and cloves).
Gift sets with 200ml spirits start at P1,199, and those with 750ml spirits start at P2,199.
Click here or send a DM on Instagram to shop for the Christmas gift set box.
Some•Young’s bottled holiday craft cocktails bundle
Some•Young’s two holiday craft cocktails are made to enjoy two ways: cold and warm.
Its Gram’s Apple Pie variant combines oaky Scotch, Christmas spices and red juicy apples; while Horiday Spirit is Some•Young’s take on old-fashioned cocktail with roasted houjicha-infused sake and sochu.
The two variants are included in the Holiday Bundle, which is priced at P500.
Click here to fill out Some•Young’s order form.
3-Ingredient Cocktails by Robert Simonson
Robert Simonson is a cocktail and drinks writer for the New York Times, contributor to several publications and author of a few books including the 3-Ingredient Cocktails book, which is a nice reference for those who enjoy the cocktail basics, even just for the curious.
The 163-page book, which is a 2018 James Beard Foundation Book Awards finalist, has 75 three-ingredient classic and contemporary cocktail recipes. Simonson described the book as “an opinionated guide to the most enduring drinks in the cocktail canon.”
The eBook is available at Apple Books $4.99 (P239), Google Play (P218) and Kobo (P264). Its hardcover copy is available at Amazon for $15.20 (P730).
Visit www.robertsimonson.net to order the eBook or its hardcover copy.
Santa Ana Gin
Bleeding Hearts Spirits, makers of Don Papa Rum, brings the 1920s to 2020s with Santa Ana, a premium gin inspired by the legendary Santa Ana Cabaret, a musical playground for the well-heeled Manileños and American visitors in that decadent era of entertainment.
With its beautiful bespoke bottle alone, Santa Ana makes a great gift that aesthetically wows.
Santa Ana gin, which is created especially for the Philippine market, has native Philippine botanicals: ylang-ylang, alpinia, calamansi and dalandan, which go well with traditional botanicals like juniper, coriander, lemon, bitter orange, angelica and orris roots and fennel.
Santa Ana Gin is available online at Boozy.ph (P1,699) and retail through Bacchus and Elbert’s Delivers.