‘Tis the season for gift guides and end-of-year lists. I am back, with my fifth annual guide to the best boozy gift ideas and fun, flavorful non-alcoholic gift ideas ideas that can be brought to a party or delivered to someone’s door. I sampled every item on this list. While my palate is not the same as yours, I stand behind my holiday gift ideas for 2026 as delicious and exciting options to offer anyone (of any age) on your list.
Martini Floreale NA Vermouth
Leave it to the Italians to figure out how to make a non-alcoholic vermouth that is refreshing, slightly bitter on the palate, and no unpleasant saccharine aftertaste. I drank this on the rocks with a lemon twist and adored every refreshing sip. It’d make a nice companion to gin, too, should your tastes run towards martini (ha ha).
With a touch of subtle chamomile, Floreale makes a great spritz (recipe) and I bet it’d add nice complexity splashed into iced tea, too.
750 ml / $18.99
Marble Distilling Strawberry-Balsamic Shrub
Shrubs, historically made in England as a way to preserve the harvest, offer a delicious entry into the world of non-alcoholic beverages. Colorado’s Marble Distilling balances strawberries with a savory balsamic vinegar into a more savory than sweet shrub. Other flavors include Lavender-Blueberry and Palisade Peach-Jalapeño.
I liked this on its own with an ice cube but I liked it even more with a splash of gin.
375 ml / $21.99
J Vineyards & Winery LOVE Wine
The second bottling of a multi-year partnership with visual artist Alexandra Grant and her art and design initiative, grantLOVE showcases a new label on a bottle of non-vintage bubbly made with Chardonnay grapes sourced from Dutton Ranch. Designed by Blanca Molina, the label was inspired by papel picado, Mexican tile art, embroidery, and florals. It’s an easy-drinking bubbly with medium bubbles and a fresh finish.
This gift is destined for your old friend who enjoys supporting emerging artists at the local cultural center.
750 ml / $50
Charbay Nostalgie Walnut Liqueur
Made in Northern California, a liqueur better known to Italians is made from hand-picked Black and English walnuts. Though there is sugar in the distillation, Nostalgie is not syrupy or cloying – there’s a bounce on the palate in part from the alcohol, but more from the lighter style that is fragrant with baking spices (cardamom, white pepper). It’s bright character reminds me more of port than liqueur.
Here’s a recipe for a Nostalgie-driven Sidecar cocktail but I know some of you will drizzle it over vanilla ice cream.
750 ml / $58
Republic of Tea White Jasmine Sparkling Tea
Sold as a three-pack (choose between White Jasmine Tea and Cranberry-Hibiscus Tea), a bubbly, non-alcoholic gift idea is made by first gently steeping 100% white tea from China’s Fujian Province, then treated like the finest Champagne. The result is fragrant with white flowers, tastes of white tea on the palate and a soft effervescence. It looks in the glass like a classic sparkling wine.
Though I did not sample the Cranberry-Hibiscus, it’s vivid red color is a stunner. Either of these would make a delightful New Year’s Day or Christmas Day brunch pour.
three 750 ml bottles / $75
Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Bourbon Whiskey
I’m not a whiskey expert but I tend to prefer whiskies with a high corn mash bill and this whiskey from a producer on the other side of the Bay from where I live is no exception. It’s smooth drinking on its own with a whiff of vanilla aroma. At home, this is our preferred whiskey for making Manhattans.
- a blend of straight bourbons aged between four and twelve years
- a blend of American whiskies made at Mare Island (Vallejo) distillery in Norhtern California.
- Aged 4-12 years, bottled at 45% ABV
750 ml / $35
Bottlerocket Spritz
WSET considers anything under 11% to be low abv. Meaning? At 9%, this spritzy little number lands in the same boozy ballpark as beer. ,The general consensus was: there is plenty of citrus on the palate (grapefruit and orange?) and enough body that it could be drunk warm or cold weather. In winter, I’d probably add some cassis and maybe a few dark berries to brighten up the look of the glass.
750 ml / $14.99
Robert Mondavi 2022 The Estates Oakville Cabernet
There’s simply nothing like cabernet sourced from the Oakville AVA. This one, a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec, and 1% Merlot, is quite young with plentiful freshness at first sip. Give it another swirl and a second taste for the full experience. It’s aromatics jump out of the glass, definitely cherry and, wait, is that sage? The graceful tannic warmth reminds you this wine has heft which will develop if it spends some time resting in a quiet, dark spot away from heat.
I wish I could lay it down for 10 years but I served it with freshly made linguini tossed with hand-shaved truffles. Decadence.
750 ml / $105
Limerick Lane Rocks & Fog GSM
With grapes source from the Russian River Valley – 40% Syrah, 31% Grenache, 28% Mourvedre, 2% Petite Sirah – a 2023 comes in at a smidge over 14% abv. That means I’m only having one glass, so it better be good! I savored the medium tannins – alongside a meal of agrodolce pork chops, the sweet-savory flavors were in fine balance with the wine. The deep purple color is noticeable and you may even notice a hint of violet on the nose, a rarity in this little corner of paradise.
750 ml / $56
Procera Gin
Utilizing indigenous Procera Juniperus berries sourced from forests in Nairobi, a distiller in Kenya launched in the United States in 2024. Choose from Green Dot (single varietal), Red Dot (2023 vintage) and Blue Dot (signature) styles. Made with 11 African botanicals (mace from Zanzibar, coriander from Morocco), the result is dry-style with a focus on the juniper, a pop of citrus, and subtler hints of nuts and herbs. The hand-blown bottle and wrapped neck yield a wooden topper that reminds me of the layered necklaces of the Masai. Perhaps this is intentional?
750 ml / $90
Tabor Hill Grand Mark Sparkling Wine
A sparkling wine from the Lake Michigan Shore appellation – which, I admit, did not know existed – is Brut in style and crafted from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. You’ll know it was aged on the lees for 18 months in stainless steel by the toasty notes that waft out of the glass, followed on the palate by hints of vanilla and peach. Made using traditional méthode champenoise techniques, the wine is a hidden gem hiding in plain sight.
Maybe don’t bring this to someone’s house as a party gift – save it all for yourself!
750 ml / $55
Book Society Escape Book and Wine Box
Because I am a book nerd on top of being a food nerd (I’m a lot, I know!), I got veeeery excited when I heard about Berkeley’s Book Society Wine & Book Gift Box. You choose one of the 8 genres – Escape features the book Sam by Allegra Goodman – but other categories include Passion & Peril, Mysteries & Mayhem and Unearthed – and in the keepsake box with the book are four wines in slim, 100 ml bottles chosen for their own sense of journey and place. In the Escape box, you get:
- An Ehlers Estate R&D 2024 Sauvignon Blanc
- A 2025 California Rosé from Chasing Ether
- A 2019 Zinfandel from Onwards’ KenMar Vineyard
- A 2022 Estate Pinot Noir from Belden Barns
Too bad the box does not come with a cozy chair next to a roaring fire…
$119 per box
Pestoni Family Winery 2022 Riserva Di Famiglia
There’s something about a Super Tuscan blend from the heart of Napa Valley that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world. Yes, terroir is your friend in this beautiful, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot blend that is juicy and ripe and carries the velvety tannins and bright juiciness that speaks so clearly of this part of the world.
Though I so badly wanted to lay this wine down for a few years (it’s 14.5% abv) and see what comes of it, I trialed this wine with that night’s teriyaki salmon and seared broccoli. The pairing was great, the sweet savoriness of the fish and sauce was already nice but add a sip of this wine and enjoy the explosion of flavors as the wine crosses your palate. Thanks, umami!
750 ml / $95
Gruet Route 66 Celebration Sparkling Wine
Did you know that 2026 is the 100th anniversary year of Route 66? And Albuquerque, where Gruet is headquartered, is on the Route? With that intel sorted, a fizzy bottle in honor of America’s most famous roadway was in order.
It’s non-vintage, which I don’t mind, especially if I am using bubbles as a base for a spritz or a punch. This one is 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay, which explains the expressive lemon zest on the palate. Medium-size bubbles are creamy rather than zippy. And, if anniversaries are your thing, Gruet also has an All-American Brut USA 250 for the same price.
750 ml / $25
The Perfect Puree Chai-Cardamom Fruit Syrup
Unlike shrubs, fruit-forward culinary syrups are not made with vinegar, offering straight-forward fruit flavors. The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley designed a line of six mixers:
- Blood Orange
- Chai Cardamom
- Honeysuckle Orange Blossom
- Passion Fruit
- Plum Gochu
- Yuzu Juniper Thyme
I found Honeysuckle Orange Blossom too sweet for my palate but I loved Plum Gochu’s hint of spice and slightly bitter plum flavors. My favorite? Chai Cardamom. There’s a prickle of heat from the cardamom and warming spices of ginger, clove, and star anise to round things out. A splash in hot milk turns something ordinary into something sublime.
There’s tons of recipes for each flavor – here’s the page for Chai Cardamom ideas.
16 oz / $15
House of Far Niente Il Dolce Gift Box
I’m a sucker for a beautiful gift box and completely captivated when the product inside is as glamorous as its packaging. Such is the case with Napa’s Coombsville AVA where a mix of 83% Semillon, 17% Sauvignon Blanc is left to linger on the wine, concentrating flavor and sweetness. It’s a late harvest wine crafted in the style of Sauternes. A.k.a. liquid gold.
I gently chilled my Dolce, then served it up as part of a late afternoon celebration with amaretti cookies. If you decide to open the bottle right away (and why not?!?), you’ll notice a warm scent of vanilla (from the wine’s 28 months in oak) and rich, opulent botrytis fruit balanced with enough acidity to make it lively. Delicious.
375 ml / $123
Loon’s Libations Smoked Demerara Syrup
If you’ve ever searched for the perfect simple syrup to build your cocktail cart, I declare the search to be over! Hailing from Denver, Loon’s Libations is known for bar-friendly syrups that make a mocktail or a cocktail in minutes. Flavors:
- Cherry-Almond-Orange Blossom
- Smoked Demerara
- Madagascar Vanilla Bean (the perfect addition to your morning coffee)
- Yuzu-Lemongrass
I especially liked Smoked Demerara, its smokiness soft enough to drink straight yet strong enough to pull through in a mixed drink (An Old-Fashioned). Loon’s will ship a pour spout for as many bottles you order as well as four recipe cards, two each for cocktails and mocktails.
8 oz. / $16, or all four flavors for $54
Hamilton Family Wines 2020 Blanc de Noir
Pale pink in color with grapes sourced from Carneros, a bubbly from a boutique producer is crisp and refreshing with distinct notes of apple and zingy citrus (lemon peel?) and almost no noticeable yeast notes. The style is quite unique!
I found it best paired with cheese but expect it would be most charming on a warm afternoon when the bright flavor palate and medium bubbles/fizz would provide extra delight on the palate.
750 ml / $48
Need more alcoholic and non-alcoholic gift ideas? Here’s what I recommended in 2025 and in 2024.