Welcome to our 2022 Bar & Restaurant Holiday Gift Guide! If you have a bar or restaurant worker on your gift-giving list, look no further than this guide full of unique spirits, beers, and wines; industry-favorite books; unique bar tools to jazz up their bar carts; and more!
We've separated this guide by category so it's easy to find something for every industry insider this holiday season. Choose from:
- Books
- Tools
- Spirits, wines, and beers
- Unique gifts
Black Mixcellence: A Comprehensive Guide to Black Mixology by Tamika Hall & Colin Asare-Appiah
Ths book is a tribute to the contributions of Black and Brown mixologists to the spirits and mixology industries. Featuring stories about some of the industry's most notable trailblazers, this book covers entrepreneurship, education, and famous firsts. This collective of mixologists and their signature cocktails represent different parts of the globe. There will be connections to important inventions and milestone moments by African Americans in the bartending industry weaved in between their stories. ($23.49)
Shuga & Seoul Cookbook by Erica Barrett
This is Erica Barrett’s first cookbook, who is the founder of Southern Culture. Filled with sweet and soulful recipes from the depths of the South, this cookbook includes Erica's breakfast favorites, entrees, and desserts. Plus, don’t miss her speak at the Bar & Restaurant Expo! ($36)
The Japanese Art of the Cocktail by Masahiro Urushido & Michael Anstendig
Co-authored by Katana Kitten’s Masahiro Urushido and the Hanna Lee Communications (HLC), Editor in Chief/Partner Michael Anstendig, this book was produced by the agency’s President & Founder Hanna Lee who served as the book’s Chief Creative Officer. With a foreword by cocktail historian and acclaimed author David Wondrich, the book tells Urushido’s epic story of growing up in Japan and becoming a leading bartender, first in Tokyo and later in New York City. Part memoir, part travelogue, part recipe book, the book includes 90 recipes for cocktail and bar snacks from Urushido and 35 bartenders in the U.S. and Japan who work in this style, with photography by Eric Medsker. The book won the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for “Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book.” ($19)
Brand Mysticism: Cultivate Creativity and Intoxicate Your Audience
Learn how to build and maintain a standout brand in business or in life in this book from Steven Grasse and Aaron Goldfarb. Steven Grasse made a name for himself as not only a distiller but also the mind behind beloved brands like Hendrick’s Gin and Sailor Jerry Rum. Through his work in advertising and marketing, Grasse has changed the game in the booze world and become an authority on building an authentic, enduring, and deeply beloved brand. In this book, he shares the practice of brand mysticism, a mentality for all endeavors based on keeping an open mind, taking risks, and developing authenticity. Through lessons (big life things that feel like just cool stories), case studies (how did Sailor Jerry become the punk rock Captain Morgan?), and magical ingredients (what makes a great message sing), Brand Mysticism guides you through the steps it takes to channel entrepreneurial spirit into a brand, a business, a creative practice, or a life that breaks with tradition to achieve the remarkable. ($24)
Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em
Neal Bodenheimer and coauthor Emily Timberlake tell the story of New Orleans through 100 cocktails, each chosen to represent New Orleans’ past, present, and future. A love letter to New Orleans and the cast of characters that have had a hand in making the city so singular, the book eatures interviews with local figures such as Ian Neville, musician and New Orleans funk royalty, plus a few tips on how to survive your first Mardi Gras. Famous local chefs have contributed easy recipes for snacks with local flavor, perfect for pairing with the cocktail recipes. ($29.99)
Restaurant & Bar Marketing III: Marketers Ruin Everything by Erik Shellenberger
Is the person on your list looking for some no-nonsense marketing advice? Look no further. Erik has been in the industry since he was 13-years old and has built a successful corporate restaurant and bar marketing career with clients across the country. In his third book, he will walk you through the ways restaurateurs fail at marketing and clearly explain how to avoid those traps. It isn’t just about the food, it’s the mindset that separates the successful from the “former owners.” Erik will also be speaking at the Bar & Restaurant Expo! ($9.99)
Barfly Mixology Gear’s Colored Mixing Glasses
Eliciting the vibe from when cocktails became classic, Barfly® Mixology Gear has released colored mixing glasses that are now available in three vibrant exterior colors: blue, rose, and gold to match any décor. A retro reflective interior adds a distinctive look. Barfly’s mixing glass line is expanding with two new patterns in 17 oz. and 24 oz. capacities and a wider base 25 oz. glass delivering greater stability. A large capacity footed version with a curved shape provides excellent stirring action. All Barfly mixing glasses have a seamless interior for durability and are dishwasher safe, appealing to both the professional and home enthusiast. ($28)
Absolut Elyx Boutique Signature Vessels
Full of luxury copper accessories for the home bar, this boutique offers copper vessels in the shape of gnomes, birds, peacocks, and more; copper bar tool gift sets; copper cufflinks and clothes; and more. No matter what you gift, it’s sure to add a unique spin to the home bar. (Prices vary)
Middleton Mixology SmokeTop
Bring your cocktails to life with the Middleton Mixology original cocktail smoking kit. This smoke infuser lends a heady, full sensory experience to cocktails. Featuring premium food-grade smoking chips in a wide selection of flavors, the raw and natural smoking chips add aroma and smoke as well as deep yet subtle flavors to cocktails. Designed with simplicity in mind, SmokeTop offers anyone the chance to be a professional bartender. ($39.99)
Fermenter
A big trend going into next year will be fermented foods. Help the chef on your list experiment with a fermenter. This automatic intelligent fermenter includes a surround heater, which enables uniform heating to ensure constant temperature with minimal heat loss. It can be selected for fermentation time from 6-12 days (144-288 hours), and the fermentation temperature can be set to meet different taste effects and different time requirements. ($149.09)
The Ice Designer
Your bar and restaurant friends are most likely familiar with (and devoted followers of) craft ice, so give them a way to up their ice game even more. This brass ice plate enables you to design your craft ice by stamping logos and shapes into it. It can even be customized. ($197)
Cocktail & Sons 12 Days of Cocktails Calendar Kit
Celebrate the holidays with this Cocktail & Sons kit that includes 12 two-ounce bottles and a cocktail book with 36 recipes (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Each day on the calendar features a new flavor plus three cocktail suggestions: a simple cocktail, a complex cocktail, and a non-alcoholic libation. Each two oz bottle of syrup makes up to four individual drinks. Flavors include: Tonic #15; Wassail; Stout (beer-based syrup with herbs); Cacao Nibs & Morita; Strawberry Rose; Cucumber Shiso Lemon Balm; Roasted Pear & Pink Peppercorn; Raspberry Hibiscus; Cranberry & Bergamot; Fig & Allspice; Blueberry Thyme; and Pineapple Chipotle. The box art was created by New Orleans artist Allison Dugas Behan. ($44.95)
George Dickel & Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend
This November, following the success of the inaugural release, George Dickel and Leopold Bros are excited to announce the return of the George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend. By returning to the same liquid as the initial release, the brands are continuing their commitment to produce quality, authentic whisky.
This whisky blends Leopold Bros' Three Chamber Rye with George Dickel's column still rye produced at Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. Recreating a historic style, the Cascade Hollow component of the blend debuted in 2021 in the inaugural release of the Collaboration Blend, marking the first time whisky fans were able to enjoy a rye whisky distilled at Cascade Hollow.
The George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend initially boasts a floral nose of lavender, elderflower and rose balanced by sweet hints of maple syrup, marshmallow and cocoa. On the palate, rosewater, blackberries, caramel, lavender, fig and citrus are present followed by a finish combining earl gray, honey and cocoa. At 100 proof, fans can best enjoy this whisky neat or in a classic cocktail like the Manhattan or Whiskey Sour.
Just in time for the holiday season, the return of the George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Rye makes for the perfect gift for the whisky collector in your life. Starting this November, consumers can find George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend in select markets across the U.S. ($109.99).
PATRÓN EL ALTO
PATRÓN® Tequila is taking its first step into the prestige category with the release of its latest expression, PATRÓN EL ALTO. Passionately handcrafted from the finest 100% Weber Blue Agave grown in the highest parts of Jalisco, Mexico, yielding the sweetest agaves for an incredibly smooth taste, PATRÓN EL ALTO is a rare and masterfully aged tequila.
PATRÓN EL ALTO is primarily crafted with Extra Añejo and blended with Añejo and Reposado tequilas each aged to their maximum potential.
This exquisite and refined prestige tequila is naturally smooth and sweet with subtle notes of figs, honey, caramel, dried fruit, and vanilla. The sweet, dried fruit notes of PATRÓN EL ALTO are a result of having been expertly aged in 11 types of barrels, mostly hybrid barrels of American oak body and French oak heads. PATRÓN EL ALTO uses 100% naturally perfect ingredients — agave, water, and yeast — and is crafted in small batches to ensure consistency and quality. ($179)
Anchor Brewing Company’s Christmas Ale
A 48-year tradition returns with Anchor Brewing Company’s 2022 Christmas Ale. Each year Anchor’s brewmasters craft a new secret recipe and bottle the limited-edition ale with a different festive hand-drawn tree label.
The 48th annual Christmas Ale showcases notes of orange, honeysuckle, toasted malts, and eucalyptus. Well-structured with botanicals and pleasantly herbaceous hops, this rye-forward brew finishes with a touch of spice like the warming bitter-sweet notes of Amaro, an Italian herbal liqueur often enjoyed as an after-dinner digestif. Anchor Brewing’s recently retired Brewmaster Tom Riley drove the creative direction for the 7.2% spiced red rye ale as the grand finale to his storied 38-year tenure at the iconic San Francisco brewery.
This year’s hand-drawn label features a Blue Gum Eucalyptus tree, a nod to Mary Ellen Pleasant – a 19th-century San Francisco entrepreneur, financier, abolitionist, and civil rights activist. Pleasant, who is recognized as the “Mother of Civil Rights in California” for her impact during gold-rush San Francisco, planted Blue Gum Eucalyptus trees outside her Pacific Heights mansion shortly before her death in 1904. In 1974, the city of San Francisco designated the trees a Structure of Merit, recognizing them and their accompanying honorary plaque as Mary Ellen Pleasant Memorial Park. (Prices Vary)
Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Double Diamond 2019
Recently named the #1 wine 2022 by Wine Spectator, this Cabernet Sauvignon is a unique expression of the Oakville AVA with harmonious integration of decadent fruit, refined structure, and silky tannins.
In the glass, the 15.5% ABV wine displays a nearly opaque ruby-purple hue. Upon closer inspection, aromas emerge in waves suggesting framboise, nutmeg, toasted cedar bark, plum reduction, and pennyroyal mint. The sleek palate is marked by mouth-watering notes such as blackberry compote, dark chocolate shavings, cassis, oolong tea, flint, and lavender. The dynamic flavors interact on the mid-palate with a vivid harmony, carrying through to the long floral finish, which lasts for up to a minute. With a pleasing acidity and fine tannic framework, this wine is very enjoyable today and should develop gracefully in the cellar for years to come. ($80)
Woodford Reserve 2022 Holiday Bottle
Woodford Reserve debuts a new look for its annual holiday bourbon bottle. The golden label compliments the rich color of the bourbon and conveys the joyful spirit of the holiday season.
In years past, Woodford Reserve collaborated with artists for bottle art. This year, the seasonal offering’s design showcases how every sip of Woodford Reserve bourbon is a spectacle of the senses.
The balanced taste of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is composed of more than 200 detectable flavor notes, from bold grain and wood, to sweet aromatics, spice, and fruit & floral notes. ($50)
Grand Teton Distillery 8-Year Private Stock Straight Bourbon
Grand Teton Distillery’s 8-Year Grand Teton Private Stock Straight Bourbon has been aged since 2014, making it the longest-aged whiskey to be released from an Idaho distillery to date. This release is the second in Grand Teton Distillery’s Private Stock series, following last fall’s release of Straight Corn Whiskey.
With aromas of woody maple, the whiskey has a sweet vanilla campfire taste and a full-bodied finish filled with spice, nuts, and oak. A caramel-colored, rich-tasting whiskey, Grand Teton’s 8-Year Straight Bourbon is best served neat. This premium bourbon has been aged in charred American white oak barrels at 6,000 feet at extreme temperatures. It is available in an embossed gift box. ($79.95)
Rampur Asava Gift Box
Rampur Asava is an outlier in the world of cask-finished single malts. For this expression, Rampur has chosen a unique combination of used bourbon barrels and Indian Cabernet Sauvignon casks in which to age the spirit. The result is a nose heavy with golden apricot, plums, and spice followed by a palate beginning with a honeyed sweetness flowing into pleasant, dry spice and red fruit notes imparted by the Indian Cabernet Sauvignon. The holiday gift set includes a 750 ml bottle and two Rampur tasting glasses bearing the Rampur logo. ($89.99)
Cincoro Gold Tequila
Cincoro Tequila’s fifth expression is the ultra-luxury Cincoro Gold. It combines a blend of Cincoro Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, and a generous proportion of Extra Añejo, which is barrel aged for more than 40 months. This rare addition to the portfolio reflects the signature hallmark of all four Cincoro tequilas, namely richer blends with delicious, toasted oak profiles and incredibly long, complex finishes.
The first release is limited to 4,000 cases. The expression will be presented in Cincoro’s bottle with a distinctive gold finish. The sleek and contemporary bottle is five sided to capture the beauty of the agave plant, as well as to represent each of the five founders. NBA owners Jeanie Buss of the Lakers, Wes Edens of the Bucks, Emilia Fazzalari and Wyc Grousbeck of the Celtics, and Michael Jordan of the Hornets launched the Cincoro brand in 2019. ($350)
Speyburn 10 Year Old Speyside Single Malt with Speyside Source Water Gift Pack
Speyburn Distillery’s single malt offering is pale gold with amber highlights. On the nose, it’s fresh and clean with a hint of lemon. On the palate, the single malt is medium bodied with hints of toffee and butterscotch and a long, sweet finish. Speyburn is the only distillery to use the exceptionally clear and pure water from the Granty Burn, a tributary of the River Spey. For the holidays, this 10-year-old single malt is now available in a gift pack together with a bottle of the Speyside source water. ($34.99)
Savage and Cooke Holiday Sampler
This three-pack includes three 375mL bottles of Savage and Cooke's spirits made on Mare Island, a formal naval base, right outside of Vallejo, California: The Burning Chair Bourbon, Second Glance American Whiskey, and Lip Service Rye.Owned by famed winemaker Dave Phinney, Savage and Cooke was at the forefront of the barrel-finished whiskey trend using Phinney's own wine barrels to finish his whiskey. ($99)
RASĀSVĀDA Plant-based, Non-alcoholic Spirit Restoratives
RASĀSVĀDA is a line of real, 100% planted-based, non-alcoholic spirit restoratives. These zero-proof decoctions pay homage to Italian Amaros, while incorporating rarified herbs and ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine and western herbalism. Sippable on their own over ice or mixed into cocktails, RASĀSVĀDA’s expressions contain only 1gm of naturally occurring sugar per serving, they contain no preservatives, added sugar, artificial sweeteners, plant extracts or powders, laboratory-made nutraceuticals, colorants or chemical additives. There are three expressions currently available: Ruby Artemisia, Rose Bergamot, and Black Ginger. ($40)
Massager Machine
Bar and restaurant workers spend long hours on their feet. Consider the gift of an at-home massage with a machine that uses a deep kneading Shiatsu technique to help improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, stimulate muscle recovery, and soothe pain relief. ($259.99)
The Mixologist Cocktail Game
Put your mixology knowledge to the test with this multiplayer trivia game. Part board game, part trivia, the game includes more than 200 cards that test your knowledge of mixed beverages. As you correctly answer questions, you move around the board collecting drink ingredients. The first player to collect all six ingredients wins. ($37)
Shiitake Mushroom Log Kit
Mushrooms are predicted to be a big ingredient next year, so treat the chef in your life to the ability to grow their own at home! Makers Howard Berk and Todd salvage recently felled trees and plant organic spores inside. Users soak the wood, keep it in a damp, cool, dark place, and in about six weeks you’ll have shiitakes. Re-soak and harvest every six weeks or so for up to three years. ($30)
Charitable Donations
In lieu of something material, consider making a donation in the person’s name to one of the organizations that does great work in the industry: CORE, Another Round Another Rally, and the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program are just a few.
Plan to Attend or Participate in Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 27-29, 2023
To learn about the latest trends, issues and hot topics, and to experience and taste the best products within the bar, restaurant and hospitality industry, plan to attend Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 27-29, 2023 in Las Vegas. Visit BarandRestaurantExpo.com.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at Bar & Restaurant Expo, contact:
Veronica Gonnello (for companies A to G) e: [email protected] p: 212-895-8244
Tim Schultz (for companies H to Q) e: [email protected] p: 917-258-8589
Fadi Alsayegh (for companies R to Z) e: [email protected]p: 917-258-5174
Also, be sure to follow Bar & Restaurant on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest industry news and trends.