30 Best Gifts for Bartenders and Aspiring Mixologists
Whether your favorite cocktail lover is a friend, partner or family member, these ideas are guaranteed to earn you a round on the house.
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The best gift ideas for bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts include special bottles of liquor, sure, but if you really want to impress them, you'll need to look beyond the liquor store. Whether you're shopping for a professional mixologist or an amateur who's just looking to craft the perfect negroni sbagliato (...with prosecco in it), we think the best way to go is to gift them something useful that will help them serve — and taste! — all of their favorite tipples.
In the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, we've crafted hundreds of cocktail recipes — and that means we've also tested out all of the top ingredients and tools for slicing, juicing, stirring, shaking and garnishing (and of course, drinking!). Here, we've gathered our staff's favorite gift ideas for professional and at-home bartenders, from mixology essentials to display-worthy luxury pieces.
These gifts will help your favorite bartender host an epic dinner party, ace that introductory mixology class or even make their day-to-day life behind the bar easier. From fancy cherries that make great stocking stuffers to unique glassware sets that allow them to properly serve up their creations, these thoughtful presents are guaranteed to earn you a round on the house. Cheers!
These bring a whole new meaning to "rocks" glasses: The Rockies, Mt. Washington, Grand Tetons and more of the world's greatest peaks appear at the bottom of these glasses.
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If they feel like their cocktail is missing a little oomph, bitters are usually the missing ingredient — they add complexity and depth of flavor (just like vanilla extract in baked goods).
They can pour their bitters into these vintage-style bottles for a stylish (and functional!) upgrade to their bar cart. Paired with a bottle of spicy Angostura bitters, this gift will get constant use.
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Pick up the large or small Koriko shaking tin for a leak-free winner that's the perfect size — even for mixologists with the smallest hands. We've found that drinks shaken in this product stay colder than in other shakers, too.
Whether you're pouring water, wine or cocktails, they'll look better in this set of four funky, party-ready glasses available in three different colors and two different sizes.
They'll get all the tools they need to make classic cocktails in this stylish set that includes six essential tools gathered up in an eye-catching ice bucket. Our testers appreciated that the pieces felt sturdy and that the ice bucket doubles as a storage container.
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Perfect a super-chill pour with this freezable glass that comes with a slanted ice mold. Artsy!
Cloud Paper x Death & Co Swish Cloth
These reusable kitchen towels were made in collaboration with NYC's famous Death & Co. cocktail bar. They're perfect for soaking up spills as they shake drinks, and they come with a specialty cocktail recipe printed right on the towel. At under $20, they make a great Secret Santa gift for bartenders!
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The angle on this mini cup allows for an easy read of measurements, and the spout makes for a perfect pour. It's a must-have for any home bartender!
The lid of this sleek bucket is an ice tray, so they can make, store, and serve ice all from the same container. Genius!
Allison DeVane Minute Cocktail Sugar Cube Trio
While some gifts on this list are essentials, this one is pure fun (and there's nothing wrong with that!). The flavored sugar cubes dissolve in their booze of choice for an instant cocktail.
They can cut, slice and peel garnishes plus create pretty citrus curls with this sophisticated set. Bonus: The knife has a built-in bottle opener and a forked tip that makes picking up ingredients easy.
Clarkson Potter 'The Joy of Mixology: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender's Craft'
This updated edition of the 2003 classic includes recipes, of course, but also a little history on the cocktail revolution that has occurred over the past 20 years.
Get the six-piece variety pack for a mix of martini, coupe and goblet glasses. The delicate floral pattern makes these look straight out of grandma's china cabinet (in a good way!).
This strainer stands out for its small size — it's easy to hold while pouring and even easier to stash away for fuss-free storage.
Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer
Mix up sour cocktails (hello, margaritas!) like a pro with our favorite citrus juicer. It comes in models specifically designed for lemons, limes and oranges.
If they're big on traveling, they probably love the idea of bringing along their own equipment instead of relying on what's already at the hotel or Airbnb. This set allows them to easily tote along all the tools for mixing up a pre-dinner cocktail.
Extra-large ice keeps drinks cold without watering them down (a large cube won't melt as quickly). The lid on this tray helps avoid sloshing on your way to the freezer, and allows for easy stacking.
Not all cocktails are shaken! Pick up a stirring glass for drinks composed fully of spirits, tonics, and/or bitters (two popular examples: a Negroni and a Manhattan).
Any budding bartender will be stoked to find this chic buy under the tree. We prefer a simple design without holders for glassware, which can get dusty if left unused.
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Samantha (she/her) is the Senior Editor at Delish, where she edits the most-talked-about food news and features on the internet. In her previous role as Assistant Editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, she taste-tested hundreds of products and recipes (tough job!). A graduate of Fordham University, she considers the kitchen to be her happiest place.
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