Honestly, my favourite thing about Christmas is finding the perfect presents for my loved ones! To be honest I tend to start mid year or basically as soon as I spot something someone will love and I stash it away until the big day because I like to put lots of thought into my gifts and make sure everyone has the perfect prezzy that shows them what they mean to me.
This year I've decided to share some ideas for what I think would be lovely gifts for those that you care about and I'm kicking off with some treats that would be ideal for those cocktail lovers (or just tasty drink lovers really) in your life. It's well known that I'm a bit of a cocktail connoisseur and so all of these gifts are things that I would be thrilled to receive and I'm sure your friends and family would too!
Gin is my thing as they say and one of my all time favourites is Burleighs. It just happens to be made about fifteen minutes from my village and I was lucky enough to tour the distillery a few weeks ago so I know the passion and true craft that goes into it - just two people make this wonderful stuff from start to finish including bottling and packing!
I love each of the five Burleighs gins for different reasons and although Distillers Cut is the one I choose most often I also adore the Pink Edition (£42.50) as it is floral and aromatic and is made with some of my favourite things such as rose petals, cherry blossom and hibiscus. A bottle of this delicious tipple with a Burleighs Copa de Balon (£14.99) is sure to be well received by anyone, or you could check out the hampers that are also available in the shop.
If you're looking for stocking fillers for a drink fan then you'd be well advised to head over to Prezzybox!
I'm a big book fan and love giving them as gifts too - this beautiful and funny little book Tequila Mockingbird by Tim Federle (£8.99*) is a wonderful collection of cocktail recipes with titles based on classic pieces of literature. There's a wonderful selection and each recipe also features a little anecdote on the book plot so not only does it give you drink ideas but some classics to add to your reading list too!
What better thing to go along with a good book than some utterly delicious smelling bath treats! These Cocktail Bath Melts (£8.01*) really do smell (and look) good enough to eat but I would recommend they be popped in the tub instead to add to the drinkspiration!
I'm also a scented candle junkie but I tend to like smokey, woody, tobacco like scents the best which really helps as they tend to be what my husband likes too rather then something floral or too sweet. This Whiskey Mac Scented Candle (£10.99*) has a great scent that's a little citrussy, a little caramelly and one hundred percent yummy, plus it comes in a whiskey tumbler style glass - how perfect can you get?
Although I'm lucky to live near to some very good specialist drink shops sometimes I'll spot an ingredient in a recipe that I can't find locally and when that happens I usually head to www.31dover.com to find it.
As I have a lot of friends that are big fans of both good coffee and good cocktails this Conker Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur (£27.95*) is making it's way into more than one person's stocking this year! This dark and rich drink is made with Brazilian coffee and a blend of natural vanillas, caramels and demerara sugar so it makes a dreamy addition to an espresso martini, after dinner coffee or just over ice with a freshly baked mince pie.
Another great site that I've found for those times when a good gift is required is the aptly named The Present Finder. While their giant gin and tonic glasses are a big draw for me I fell in love with these sweet little stocking fillers of a Gin & Tonic Lip Balm & Bath Salts Gift Handbag (£10.99*) and Gin & Tonic Scented Candle (£14.99*).
I for one would be more than happy having the taste of a G&T on my lips all day and a bath scented the same way sounds like a dream, plus amping that up with this zesty, fresh and feisty candle would be even better! I love tinned candles because they're great for travelling with and add a touch of cosy hominess to even the most sparce of hotel rooms.
Can you beat a festive gift set? Not if it's a spirit and glassware gift set! Pretty glasses are something I always appreciate and I like how the ones in this Eden Mill's "Golf Gin" Two Glass Gift Pack (£39.95*) aren't the kind you usually expect to see with a gin. Another fabulous find from 31 Dover, you can choose from Eden Mill's Golf Gin or Love Gin each distilled with different botanicals so you can ensure you get the one to suit your recipient's specific tastes.
Look out for my luxury stocking fillers guide later this week!
Look out for my luxury stocking fillers guide later this week!
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