Lifestyle

12 Enticing Beverage Gifts to Give this Holiday Season

Gifts They’ll Want to Savor Til the Last Sip

Heather Mikesell

November 18, 2021

Photo: Shutterstock

Thanks to a host of health-inspired drinks and those that put a new spin on old favorites, gifting a beloved beverage or a healthier alternative can serve as the perfect present this holiday season. From stress-relieving teas to energy-boosting coffee alternatives to non-alcoholic spirits to the real thing, we bring you a variety of delicious drinks that can be enjoyed throughout the holidays and beyond. ‘Tis the season to imbibe, and we’ve got 12 beverage gifts that hit the spot.

Beam Dream Easy Holiday Bundle ($48)

The perfect gift for hot chocolate lovers and those who have difficulty falling asleep, Beam’s Dream Powder makes a guilt-free, sleep-inducing, delicious cup of hot cocoa without any added sugar when mixed with warm milk or hot water. Available for a limited time, this special holiday release includes a 10-serving bag of Beam’s best-selling Dream Powder, a 10-serving bag of Beam’s enticing new holiday flavor—White Chocolate Peppermint Dream Powder—and a holiday mug. Both flavors feature a bedtime blend of vitamins, minerals, nano hemp, reishi mushrooms, magnesium, and melatonin.

Bean Box World Coffee Tour ($89)

Give the coffee lovers in your life a chance to tour the world’s top coffee-producing regions from home with the World Coffee Tour, a kit featuring 16 expertly curated coffees from around the globe. It also comes with tasting notes and brewing tips. From chocolatey Latin American coffees to fruit-forward African blends, this gift features coffee sourced from the world’s finest estates and roasted to perfection. It’s ideal for anyone who needs their daily caffeine fix.

Clover Botanicals Adaptogenic Super Tea ($10.34 each; $55.86 for all six blends)

Tea lovers will want to curl up with a cup of Clover Botanicals Adaptogenic Super Tea, which is made up of clean, ethically sourced, organic plant additives. Ideal for helping people regulate stress, boost immunity, and relieve common health ailments naturally, the tea comes in six blends: Immunity, Digest, Rest, Energy, Restore, and Cleanse. With no GMOs or additives, it is a healthy beverage created with sustainably sourced ingredients from around the world, from ashwagandha to yerba mate. The company is also a member of 1% for the Planet and specifically supports the Plastic Pollution Coalition by donating 1 percent of its sales to contribute to a plastic pollution-free future. The compostable tea sachets are tag and string-free to help eliminate waste and packaged in 100 percent recycled North American steel canisters that can be upcycled.

Empress 1908 Gin ($39.99)

For the gin lover in your life, Empress 1908 Gin is micro-distilled in small-batch copper-pot stills and handcrafted using eight natural botanicals, including butterfly pea blossom, responsible for the gin’s unique indigo hue; Fairmont Empress signature tea, a blend of seasonal teas created by the Metropolitan Tea Company; and juniper, the classic taste found in most gins. This award-winning spirit was inspired by the Fairmont Empress’s afternoon tea. This premium, all-natural gin created in Victoria, B.C., features an exquisite taste and aroma.

Gratsi Sampler ($45)

Created by two frustrated wine enthusiasts who wanted to make high-quality wine accessible to wine drinkers on every budget, Gratsi does just that. Each box features the equivalent of four bottles of wine that would retail for $20 each, for only $45. The boxed wine is available in Old Country Red, an easy-drinking Cabernet blend, or Old Country White, a refreshing and tropical Sauvignon Blanc with a mix of fruit, herbs, and acidity. This low-sugar, vegan wine comes in an eco-friendly box that is made from recycled materials and is 100 percent recyclable, making it a great gift for wine-loving eco-conscious friends.

Luna Bay Booch Co. Hard Kombucha ($14.99 for a 12-oz four pack)

This health-inspired, female-founded beverage brand serves as a great gift for anyone interested in nourishing the body with a nutrient-rich libation. Made from yerba mate tea and fresh fruits and herbs sourced from local farmers and suppliers, Luna Bay’s hard kombucha comes in a variety of flavors: Palo Santo Blueberry, Ginger Lemon, Hibiscus Lavender, and Lychee Lime. The company is also celebrating the holidays with a special limited release, Prickly Pear Punch. Its sweet, mellow, and spicey flavor is perfect for the holidays. All the flavors are all-natural, low sugar, gluten-free, and non-GMO, plant-based, probiotic, and naturally fermented to 6 percent ABV (alcohol by volume). Luna Bay Booch Co. is also a member of 1% for the Planet.

MUD\WTR Morning Ritual Starter Kit (starting at $40)

Although coffee is an essential part of many people’s morning routines, it can leave some feeling jittery and anxious after the initial high has worn off. MUD\WTR, a blend of masala chai, cacao, and adaptogenic mushrooms, provides a healthy alternative for those wanting a boost of energy without the subsequent crash. This delicious beverage is made with a host of impressive ingredients, such as lion’s mane for memory and focus, chaga and reishi to support a healthy immune system, cordyceps to promote natural energy, turmeric and cinnamon for their antioxidant benefits, and cacao for mood and energy. It contains one-seventh of the caffeine as a cup of coffee and is 100 percent organic with no sweeteners added. The company is also launching a caffeine-free blend called :rest this month that is ideal for incorporating into an evening ritual. The Morning Ritual Starter Kit comes with a 30-serving tin of MUD\WTR, a USB rechargeable frother, a sample of the company’s creamer, and a guidebook with recipes for different ways to prepare the beverage. The perfect gift for someone who enjoys a healthy morning ritual, it also tastes incredible—like a delicious blend of masala chai and hot cocoa. Instead of introducing holiday discounts this year, MUD\WTR will be giving back to those who need extra mental support by donating 30 percent of revenue between November 26 and 30 to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a non-profit research and educational organization developing medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the use of psychedelics and marijuana.

Optimist Botanicals ($35)

This holiday season, gift non-alcoholic spirits from Optimist Botanicals to friends and family who may be rethinking drinking. With complex flavors inspired by LA’s diverse culture, the three unique flavor profiles—Bright, Fresh, and Smokey—are made with a host of botanical ingredients and come in a beautiful glass bottle. Bright is a refreshing blend of citrus, light florals, and fresh herbs; Fresh is an herbaceous blend with junipers, herbs, and roots; and Smokey is a spiced blend with charred wood, floral, and bitter notes. Not intended to mimic the taste of alcohol, these flavor profiles are meant to be entirely original, although they do invite experimentation in various cocktails. Free of alcohol, sugar, calories, and additives, the drinks are also non-GMO, gluten-free, carb-free, and vegan. The company also directs 2 percent of sales to provide access to mental wellbeing services for underserved youth, so you can feel good about sharing a brand that promotes mental wellness.

The Wand Wine Filter 30-Pack ($64.99 one-time purchase; $51 subscription)

Ideal for wine enthusiasts who suffer from congestion and headaches when they drink, the Wand Wine Filter helps purify wine by removing up to 95 percent of histamines and sulfites from a single glass of wine. The patented PureWine purification technology is safe and effective, allowing users to swirl away the unwanted side effects from wine without impacting the natural taste, aroma, and color. The perfect stocking stuffer, it is a great on-the-go gift, made from environmentally renewable materials.

The Wine Party Co. Future is Female Wine Pack ($110)

Gift your favorite feminist the Future is Female Wine Pack, a curated selection of organic wine made by four talented female winemakers from around the world. The pack includes four handpicked bottles of wine from California, France, and Italy, including one white, one rosé, and two reds. It also features a digital copy the company’s signature Savor Guide to provide a behind-the-scenes look at each of the wines with tasting notes, winemaker spotlights, pairing recipes, and more. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the special women in your life. The Wine Party Co., which offers impressive organic wines from small farms throughout the world, features a host of single bottles and monthly subscriptions.

Vinebox 12 Nights of Wine ($129)

Providing the perfect tasting experience for any wine enthusiast, Vinebox curates seasonally themed wine boxes filled with vials of European wines to be served by the glass. The 12 Nights of Wine is a wine advent calendar featuring four vibrant whites, two alluring rosés, and six opulent reds, all handpicked by the company’s certified sommeliers. Beyond the exquisite flavor profiles, the wines were also chosen because they tell the stories of women who have broken down barriers in the world of wine. The brand commissioned artists Alessia Margarita and Benjamin Craven to design this year’s advent calendar boxes, letting you choose from Margarita’s winter-inspired box or Craven’s colorful abstract box. The 12 Nights of Wine is the perfect way to celebrate the season while also celebrating women winemakers.

Raising The Bar New Year’s Eve Box ($89 plus $10 for shipping and handling)

A fun and festive gift for those wanting to ring in the New Year without alcohol, the New Year’s Eve Box is a great one-time option from Raising the Bar, a monthly subscription box company that specializes in alcohol-free beverages created after the founder and CEO gave up alcohol and found herself frustrated by the lack of mocktail options. Inspired by the rise in alcohol-free brands and the sober curious movement, she came up with the idea for Raising the Bar, which features delicious and innovative alcohol-free options. The New Year’s Eve Box comes with toasting flutes, sparklers, coasters, a wooden cork stopper, organic sparkling non-alcoholic Chardonnay, club soda, sparkling non-alcoholic rosé, and more.

Looking for even more fabulous gift ideas? Don’t miss our 10 gift guides designed to help you find the perfect present.

Heather Mikesell

Heather, co-founder of Well Defined and the former editor-in-chief of American Spa, is an award-winning journalist and content strategist, skilled in writing, copyediting, and media relations. She is also a freelance writer and has contributed to Elite Traveler, Islands, Kiwi, Luxury Travel Advisor, Organic Spa, Porthole Cruise, Travel Agent, abcnews.com, jetsetter.com, outside.com, and wellandgood.com, in addition to various custom publications. She is frequently called upon to comment on various spa and wellness trends for various media outlets.