14 Boozy Gift Ideas for the Amateur Bartender

Designed for optimum fluid dynamics, scent delivery, and ergonomics (yes, seriously), Norlan's whiskey glasses are the best in the business. Created in partnership with master distiller Jim McEwan—arguably the most famous maker of Scotch on earth—these glasses offer a perfect home from which your giftee's wee drams may whisper their oak-aged secrets.

Unlike beer, you actually do want your wine to breathe. As bolder red wine oxidizes, tannins soften and become less harsh, making for a rounder, more balanced overall drinking experience. We recommend nabbing a high-quality aerator before swirling the wine in a glass like a pro. The Vinturi V1010 is a good, cheap option, with the added bonus that it will grab bigger sediment or bits of cork in its filter screen. It still might take 15 to 30 minutes for the wine to fully open up, but this is a great way to kickstart the process.

Believe it or not, glass shape, size, and even thickness can have an effect on the flavors of beer. The engineers at Spiegelau solve this problem of improper glassware head-on, offering an assortment of style-specific vessels that will help your giftee get the most out of each pint. My favorite is the IPA glass, which uses round bumps on the bottom to agitate the beer when tilted to drink, releasing a fresh puff of hop aroma into the tulip-shaped upper section. It just makes every sip a little richer.

Just like with beer, glassware has a huge effect on how a wine enthusiast perceives the nuance and complexity inside the finest wines. The Riedel Pinot Noir Glass is a great place to start. It concentrates bolder, fruity aromas in the pinched area at the top and helps limit swirl-based spills. They even come with a cool party trick: Each glass can fit an entire bottle of wine. Don't ask me how I know this.

Making crystal-clear ice requires water to freeze slowly from the top-down, driving all impurities to the bottom of the tray. For perfect spheres, we like this kit from Wintersmiths, which slowly freezes six clear balls in two sizes over the course of 24 hours.

Why are perfect dashes of bitters so hard to get, when every other unit of cocktail measurement is so precise? It's a quandary that's ruined many a tasty adult beverage, but it's solvable with these special little nipples for standard-sized bitters bottles. Give them to all your whiskey-loving friends; they'll never put too much angostura in an Old Fashioned again.

Double-walled stainless steel keeps beer cans contained in this special koozie colder than one that's surrounded by a traditional neoprene sleeve. Best of all, it fits both 12- and 16-oz cans thanks to a special gel riser (that keeps 12-oz cans even cooler). Brümate even makes a thinner version for those who want to keep their White Claws cold.

If your giftee has ever taken a class on the history of beer or wine or anything of the sort, they likely wouldn't mind learning a little more. Consider The Oxford Companions to Beer and Wine as an educational gift. With contributions from some of the world's top researchers, academics, brewers, and vintners (depending on which book you choose), they can get lost thumbing through the pages and will never again wonder about the difference between a porter and a stout.

Anyone who's as obsessed with Google Docs as I am knows the power of a good template. That's why I like this tasting notebook, which has sections for smell and appearance, and a sliding scale for rating body, tannin, acidity, alcohol, and sweetness. It makes a great gift for a budding wine connoisseur.

Homebrewing can be complicated, but it's a lot like making oatmeal. Combine cracked grain with warm water, separate the liquid from the grain, and boil that liquid with hops. If your loved one has expressed interest in making beer from scratch, the Grainfather is a great entry point. It's a Bluetooth-enabled electric brewery that mashes (the hot-water-and-grain step), then boils and chills wort (unfermented beer) with ease. All they have to do is add yeast to a carboy, splash the Grainfather's output on top of it, and wait a couple of weeks until it's time to bottle. They'll start making excellent beer in no time.

They might not need it if they've been mixing cocktails for decades, but many budding mixologists have no idea how to properly measure a drink. That's why I like this smart coaster from Barsys for younger barkeeps. Input all the ingredients in your home bar into the companion app, and it will give you suggestions on what to make. The best part is that it acts as the measuring implement while you're making them. It uses a built-in scale to tell you how much of each ingredient to add and when, completing a circle of LEDs until it flashes green for the right amount. It's got great ratios for standards like gin and tonic and margaritas, but I also liked its suggestions like a Dirty Manhattan. If you're a total newbie, it really is a great learning tool. After a while, you can pass it on to someone else who needs it.

Nobody needs a slushy machine churning out margaritas in their home bar, but who wouldn't want one during the ongoing pandemic? This special tool will whip up 25 cups of your finest frozen booze in no time. It'll also make a ton of friends jealous (along with nearly every WIRED Gear team member) during Zoom cocktail hours. This is how you win the holidays.