I’ve spent many years imbedded in the bar industry and have been using my home kitchen both as a bar to make drinks for friends but also as a cocktail R&D lab, so I’ve been exposed to a wide range of tools, books, servingware, and other accoutrements — and have good judgment when it comes to the right kind of items to gift versus more workaday tools like jiggers and muddlers that people can just buy for themselves. I try to find gifts that reveal something about my love and understanding of the recipient and is something they didn’t know they needed.
For this list, I included some of my favorite items to give and also checked in with a handful of bar- and beverage-industry colleagues to uncover some more wonderful gift ideas. I have found that making cocktails at home opens up a world of gift giving, and bar carts can always use the enhancement of a thoughtful present.