15 Whiskey Gifts for Menand the Bottles Not Worth Hunting
Fifteen whiskey gifts for men, ten bottles we've reviewed and five pieces of barware, plus which famous bottles cost far more than their sticker.
The Holiday Issue
BoozeMakers Magazine, issue 2, December 2026
Gifts worth giving, drinks worth batching, and the bottle math for a party that runs past midnight.
Read it as a magazine, page by pageFrom the editors
Issue two is the holiday issue, built for whoever is doing the buying and the pouring. The cover story is our 2026 Holiday Gift Guide: 62 gifts across ten sections, from Kentucky bourbon and Oaxacan mezcal to Montana-made outerwear. The whiskey and cigar gift lists that follow are built on bottles and cigars we have reviewed, and the cigar list carries the federal age rule that applies to every one of them.
If the gift is one splurge bottle, read the Armagnac pair first. Cardinal du Four's Year of the Horse scored 95 with us, and its PR team prices it at $530. The standard 21 Rébellion it starts from was $369.99 at ReserveBar on October 26. Know what that $160 buys before you pay it.
For the party, the punch recipes give you the bottle count for 20 guests, the Christmas cocktails list the standard drinks in every glass, and the New Year's Eve ideas do the bottle math for a champagne tower. Pour with care, and get everyone home.
The Editors
The cover story
The 2026 Holiday Gift Guide
62 Gifts for the Sophisticated Gentleman
Kentucky bourbon, Oaxacan mezcal, a mango-wood cigar lighter, Montana-made outerwear, everyday tech and game-day gear, across ten sections.
Read the cover storyFeatures
2 stories
15 Cigar Gifts for Himand the Age Rule That Applies to Every One
Fifteen cigar gifts for him, nine cigars we've reviewed and six accessories, plus a sampler priced from our reviews and the federal age rule for buying them.
Reviews
4 stories
Cardinal du Four Year of the Horse ReviewThe $530 Armagnac, and the $370 Bottle Underneath It
Cardinal du Four's Year of the Horse, a 21 Rébellion Armagnac finished in a Tierçon cask, scored 95/100. Its youngest Armagnac is 21 and its oldest a 1976. The PR team prices it at $530; the standard 21 Rébellion it starts from was $369.99 at ReserveBar on October 26, 2026.
The Bar
4 stories
15 Christmas Cocktailsand How Strong Each One Really Is
Fifteen Christmas cocktails made with bottles we've reviewed, with the standard-drink count for each one and the egg-safety rule for the three that need it.
15 Holiday Punch Recipesand How Much One Bowl Really Pours
Fifteen big-batch holiday punches made with bottles we've reviewed, with the standard drinks in every cup and the bottle count for a 20-guest party.
The Hot Toddy RecipeBourbon's Answer to Cold Weather
The hot toddy is bourbon's warm embrace on a cold night—honey, lemon, hot water, and whiskey in perfect harmony. Simple to make, impossible to master poorly, and exactly what winter demands.
15 Spiked Hot Cocoa Bar Ideasand Why the Booze Goes in the Mug
Fifteen spiked hot chocolate ideas for a holiday cocoa bar, each built on a bottle we've reviewed or a named liqueur, with the strength of every mug.
Culture
3 stories
15 Christmas Bar Decor Ideasand the Ones to Light Carefully
Fifteen ways to decorate a home bar or bar cart for Christmas, and the fire data that tells you which ones to switch to LED.
Makers
1 story
Grit, Loyalty, and a 92-Point Blanco
Michael Mauti & Christian Hackenberg on Building Whiteout Tequila
Two former Penn State football players built an additive-free, tahona-crushed tequila we scored 92/100 — and insist it was never meant to be an athlete's bottle. Michael Mauti and Christian Hackenberg on the liquid, the White Out, and why 'the jersey can open a door but can't build the company.'