Top-shelf bottles for a special (or any) occasion.
Whether intended for gifting or gracing your own bar, these top-shelf spirits will dazzle in holiday cocktails and straight pours.
Here’s a fancy ceramic tequila bottle that actually contains a top-quality spirit. Añejo Cristalino — matured in French oak for at least a year, then filtered to remove colour — drinks smooth but with great agave intensity. Reposado Rosa is rested in French red wine barrels for a pinkish hue and spicy agave notes.
This smooth Cali gin uses ingredients wild-harvested or sustainably sourced along the coast of the migratory path of the great grey whale — juniper, fir and kelp, plus lime, mint and almonds. A percentage of the brand’s sales go to environmental causes, like Oceana and 1% for the Planet.
Yep, some tasty bourbon comes from Tennessee, too. This one doubles down on a second maturation period in a barrel as deeply charred and smoked as the burnt ends of great brisket.
The sour mash process is to whiskey-making what sourdough is to baking. With the sweet aromatics and vanilla creaminess of a bourbon but with the smoky, spicy finish of a rye, this all-star fills every classic-cocktail niche, from old fashioneds to manhattans.
Eschew the liqueurs that layer sugar and flavour over cheap spirit. Make your best espresso martini with this one, made from quality 100-percent agave Tromba Tequila, artisanal Mexican cold brew and agave nectar, for deep tropical-fruit and green botanical notes.
You can chase single-agave varietal mezcal thrills or you can pour this blend of espadín and maguey cuishe (also known as wild karwinskii). Expect a burst of olive brine, dill, cucumber and citrus on the nose, and a lingering dash of black pepper and buttery roasted corn.
As rich as an XO Cognac — but without breaking the holiday bank — this Italian brandy finished in Amarone barrels is intensely mature, with tobacco, walnut and fig flavours. Soak your fruitcake or use it to spike luxe mulled wine.
The son of the founder of fast-fashion chain H&M is now distilling slow spirits. Wheat and botanicals grown on a pristine English estate make this sustainability-focused gin the feel-good martini spirit of the season. Try it in a festive cocktail like a pomegranate-cranberry spritz.
Rum is one of the few great-value categories left in spirits. This copper-pot-distilled, dry (no sugar added) blend contains rums up to 10 years old, including some agricole-style cane-juice spirit. Drink it with a squeeze of lime over ice or seriously upgrade your ’nog and toddies.
Prices and availability vary by province.
By Charlene Rooke
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