Finding the perfect gift is never an easy task – especially if you’re celebrating a special occasion like an anniversary or big birthday.
But drinks lovers will always welcome a new bottle to add to their collection; something that can be opened and enjoyed for months to come.
The Reid Single Malt Vodka from New Zealand
A matter of taste
The perfect present is something that looks the part but also tastes great. While vodka is often thought of as a neutral spirit, it can be distilled from a range of raw materials that greatly influence the texture and flavour of the spirit in the bottle.
Grains and potatoes are the most common base ingredients for vodkas. But a vodka can actually be distilled from almost anything, from grapes and apples to rice and milk – even oyster shells.
X Muse is distilled from two different barley varieties
Something different
These more unusual vodkas can make an original gift. Try Black Cow Vodka, a zero-waste product made from milk of cows that graze by the distillery in south-west Dorset. Gift packed in a milk carton, it makes a fun present – and it’s a cracking choice for mixing up a White Russian cocktail too (£31/70cl, Sainsburys).
If you’d prefer to play it safe, grain-based vodkas are a classic choice. Wheat vodkas, like Absolut (see below) are smooth and usually have a slight sweetness to their flavour. Potato-based spirits, such as Polish vodka Chopin, will be creamier and often have a slightly nutty taste (£38.50/70cl, The Whisky Exchange).
Hey good looking…
So much for taste, what about appearance? When super-premium vodkas started to hit the shelves in the 1990s, their sleek, minimalist bottles, often frosted or artfully sculpted, immediately set them apart.
Stylish brands such as Belvedere (see below) and Grey Goose are now iconic – and will always make a great choice for a gift. But there are various bottle designs to suit every personality and style in the vodka market.
Absolut Haring Artist-Edition
Grand designs
Swedish vodka brand Absolut releases highly collectible limited-edition bottles each year. There’s even a global collector’s club for these exclusive and rare bottles. Its current limited release is a homage to late pop artist and activist Keith Haring, whose vibrant street designs were part of the influential New York art scene of the 1980s.
Or what about a vodka bottle that looks like a perfume bottle? Scent creator Jo Malone CBE launched her Jo Vodka range earlier this year. The three signature expressions are presented in tall Art Deco-style bottles, with red glass stoppers that echo the design of perfume bottles.
Need more shopping inspiration? Try these suggestions below – all delicious bottles that I have in my own home bar…
Jo Malone CBE with her Jo Vodka range
Best vodkas to give as a gift: 10 expert ideas
06 Vodka Rosé
A perfect choice for wine lovers, this French winter wheat vodka from the Comte de Grasse distillery captures the essence of Provençal rosé. It was created by aromatician and Master Distiller Marie-Anne Contamin, using a technique based on methods used in the fragrance industry to extract flavour molecules and colour pigments from a Côte de Provence organic wine. The result is an aromatic and taste profile that will be very familiar to rosé drinkers, with delicate strawberry notes, subtle florality, peach and a beautifully creamy texture. Alcohol 37.5%
Absolut Haring Artist-Edition
Swedish vodka Absolut was launched in 1979 with its iconic design based on 18th century apothecary bottles. Its special editions always make a great choice for gifting – in fact there’s a global collector’s club for these exclusive and rare bottles. The latest edition pays homage to pop artist Keith Haring, who first designed a bottle for Absolut in 1986. Made from a base of winter wheat in Åhus, Absolut has a silky palate with notes of caramel and creamy vanilla, white bread and cashew nuts, plus liquorice and anise spice. Alc 40%
Beluga Gold Line
For those who enjoy theatre, smartly boxed Beluga comes with a hammer to break the wax-sealed bottles open. Beyond the theatrics is a seductively smooth super-premium spirit, distilled in Montenegro from organic winter wheat and rested for 90 days after distillation. This self-styled ‘vodka gastronomique’ is a fine choice to sip neat with caviar. Light grain notes give a base layer to fresh herbal and citrus flavours with a slightly salty savoury edge. Clean and crisp. Alc 40%
Belvedere
Launched in 1993, Poland’s Belvedere was one of the original brands that kick-started the craze for premium vodka in the 1990s. Belvedere means ‘beautiful to see’, and is inspired by the neoclassical Belweder Palace in Warsaw – the distinctive building that adorns every beautiful frosted bottle. Made from Dankowskie Gold rye and quadruple-distilled, this vodka is bright, with vanilla, almond and citrus notes. There’s also a distinct peppery spice thanks to the rye. Alc 40%
Crystal Head Vodka
Launched in 2008 by Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters star Dan Aykroyd, Crystal Head makes a statement with its striking skull-shaped bottle designed by artist friend John Alexander. Inside the bottle is a grain vodka filtered seven times, including three times through layers of semi-precious crystals. It’s very clean and clear, with delicate notes of vanilla, black pepper and caramel. If you’re after a gift that’s even more unusual and distinctive, buy Crystal Head’s Onyx: presented in a black skull and made from Mexican Blue Weber agave. Alc 40%
Elyx
With its handsome 1920s Art Deco-inspired bottle, Elyx is the luxury expression of Absolut, crafted from winter wheat grown on the historic Råbelöf estate in southern Sweden – an area with a grain-growing tradition dating back to the 15th century. Distilled in vintage, manually operated copper column stills dating back to 1921, Elyx delivers a remarkably smooth and silky texture. On the palate, it reveals elegant notes of nutty granola, warm ginger, freshly baked baguette and a hint of creamy fudge. Alc 42.3%
Meili Vodka
If you want to gift a bottle with some hefty celebrity credentials and rockstar attitude, try Meili, created by actor Jason Momoa – famous for Aquaman and Game of Thrones – and designer Blaine Halvorsen. Pronounced ‘may-lee’ this is a vodka with style and substance: rich and soft, with sweet cereal hints on the palate, it’s made in Montana from a blend of local native and seasonal grains, with natural spring water from a 300-million-year-old aquifer. Bottles are crafted from 100% recycled glass, meaning each one is uniquely imperfect – and it makes a seriously smooth Vodka Martini. Alc 40%
Cardrona The Reid Single Malt Vodka
One for whisky lovers, The Reid is made by New Zealand’s Cardrona Distillery in the Crown Range mountains. Crafted from just three ingredients – malted barley, distiller’s yeast and alpine water from nearby Mount Cardrona – and unusually for a vodka, it’s unfiltered. This makes for a characterful drop with aromas of ripe pear, vanilla, Caramac and malted milk biscuits. The weighty palate has a rich earthiness balanced by lemon zest and grassy notes.
Its elegant teardrop bottle makes it a stylish gift to grace any drinks cabinet. Alc 41%
Ukiyo Japanese Rice Vodka
This distinctive and beautifully bottled Japanese vodka is made in Okinawa from long grain rice, which is first distilled into traditional awamori spirit, then redistilled into vodka. The fragrant nose is reminiscent of sake, with warm floral notes and yuzu citrus. Spicy in the mouth, with notes of liquorice and aniseed, alongside lavender, violet and citrus zest. Sake fans will love this in a Vodkatini. Alc 40%
X Muse
Pronounced ‘tenth muse’ – a reference to the nine inspirational muses of Greek mythology – Scotland’s first blended barley vodka has an artistic soul. Its beautiful sculptural bottle is inspired by Cells of Life, a land art installation by Charles Jencks, at the Jupiter Artland contemporary sculpture park. Two different barley varieties – Maris Otter and Plumage Archer – are used to create a creamy and flinty palate, with notes of orchard fruit, grain and peppery spice. Alc 40%
