PARIS, Oct 22 — Whisky, cognac, vodka, rum... Whether sipped in cocktails before a meal or straight up after dessert, spirits are an essential holiday tradition in many a family. These 10 holiday editions are sure to add a bit of extra flair to the yuletide table.
Truffle and Vodka by Belvedere
This year, Belvedere’s holiday gift set honours the rare and precious truffle, whose intense taste provides a sublime accompaniment to vodka. A bottle of Belvedere Unfiltered is nestled in a birch box alongside a 25g truffle and a special knife, providing everything you need for an unforgettable tasting experience.
Price: €200 (around RM867)
Available at La Grande Épicerie, Lafayette Gourmet, Lavinia and Hédiard
The Nikka Box
The whisky distillery is offering a highly original gift set this holiday season. The black cube-shaped box sits atop a lacquered wood base, which becomes a service tray when removed. The top part of the box unfolds to become a mini-bar, containing six of the distillery’s finest whiskies. A limited edition of just 500 Nikka Boxes are available, for sale in Europe only.
Price: €595
Available at the Maison du Whisky and select wine shops
Ballantine’s 12 years by Front
Ballantine’s enlisted the help of Front, a collective of three Swedish product designers, to create unique and innovative servingware for its holiday gift set. To accompany the 12-year aged whisky, the three designers created an intriguing ensemble of copper, glass and oak to ensure a festive and interesting tasting session.
Price: €375
Available in a limited edition at select stores.
J&B Tattoo Colours: Sébastien Mathieu edition
The classic J&B bottle has been wrapped in a skin-like silicone cover and tattooed for the "Tattoo Colors" limited edition, first launched earlier this year. This December, a special limited edition will be available at the Publicis Drugstore on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, featuring a tattoo design from well-known tattoo artist Sébastien Mathieu. A graduate of the prestigious Beaux-Arts school, Mathieu is the co-founder of Sphinx, a popular Parisian tattoo parlour.
Price: €150
Available at the Publicis Drugstore in Paris from December 1
A bottle of 40-year old cognac from Delamain
This year, the prestigious cognac distiller is offering an exceptional bottle, aged since 1963 and made from grapes from the finest growth region (or cru), Grande Champagne.
Price: €650
Available directly from Cognac Delamain
A handmade sculpture for Grey Goose vodka
For this ultra-limited edition, a bottle of Grey Goose vodka goes inside a true work of art. A total of 250 hours of work went into creating this oval-shaped metal sculpture, which features interlacing lines and a wheat motif, a nod to the vodka’s main ingredient.
Price: €450
Available at select high-end wine shops
Grand Marnier honours its Parisian heritage
This holiday season, Grand Marnier is paying tribute to its birthplace on the Boulevard Haussmann in Paris. The label is shaped just like the famous street signs of the French capital, and the bottle itself is decorated with a sketch of the city’s skyline.
Price: €19
Available in a limited edition in select stores
A limited edition carafe for Bombay Sapphire
To celebrate the opening of its new distillery at Laverstoke Mill in 2014, Bombay Sapphire has produced a limited edition carafe honoring the site. In the brand’s signature blue, the distinguished and refined carafe would make a lovely addition to a holiday table.
Price: €115
Available from November 1 in select stores
Zacapa XO rum in a miniature barrel
The Guatemalan rum, aged at 2,300 metres above sea level, is available for the holidays in an original gift set. A case resembling the barrels used to age the rum opens up to reveal a bottle of Zacapa XO and two tasting glasses.
Price: €120
Available at select wine shops
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Cityscape series
This very luxurious edition allows whisky aficionados who are also jetset travellers to collect their favourite beverage on their journeys. Designed by Innovation Kitchen and featuring drawings by Michael Ng, editions for Hong Kong, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mumbai, Auckland and Singapore feature the skylines of each city and are only available in the city in question.
Price: US$399 (RM1,264)
Available in limited numbers only in the city inspiring the design — AFP-Relaxnews
