The Top Christmas Gift Ideas For Drink Lovers

We've put together a handy gift guide, full of the best boozy presents for the gin slingers, rum punchers and ale aficionados in your life. Whether you want to give them a unique drinks experience that they can enjoy at home, an insightful masterclass or give them something to look forward to, make their Christmas the most spirited yet.

Gin Adventure for Two

Mrs Fogg's Dockside Drinkery & Distillery

We can't think of anywhere that manages to blend gin and utter eccentricity like Mr. Fogg's. Their new venture, a fully immersive gin-making experience, takes place 'below deck' on Mrs. Fogg's Victorian steamship, where they'll blend their own hooch with the grudging help of the grumpy Engine Master. It's got an added bonus of being able to take home a 200ml personalised bottle of their own gin, too.

Six Month Gin Subscription

Little Gin Box

World-renowned gins, delivered straight to their doorstep every month; a gin subscription box is the Christmas gift that keeps on giving for your favourite gin connoisseur. Two carefully selected 50ml samples, complete with tasting notes, are sent out each month - all hand-picked by experts who source some of the world's most unique and premium gins.

Discovery Tour with Gin Cocktail for Two

The Bombay Sapphire Distillery

The Bombay Distillery Tour has long been a customer favourite at Virgin Experience Days, so you know you're getting a tried-and-tested classic here. Let them peer behind the curtain of gin's production at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery, from the crystal waters of the River Test all the way to the Vapour Infusion processes. They'll round things off with a gin cocktail overlooking the river.

Full Day Brewery Experience with Lunch and Beer Tastings

Brewhouse & Kitchen

Forgo the uninspired bottle of beer and instead become a gifting hero this Christmas with the expert help of Brewhouse & Kitchen. Led by one of the talented Head Brewers, they’ll get involved with all stages of the brewing process, while sampling some of the finest brews. Fuel throughout the day comes in the form of breakfast and a hearty lunch.

Brewery Tour and Tastings For Two

Fuller’s

Hailed as one of the Top 10 Brewery Tours in the World, Fuller’s is now a cornerstone of the capital’s brewery culture and an easy way to delight a beer fanatic. They’ll spend the day finding out how brewing has evolved, the continual success of Fuller’s and uncover Britain’s rich beer history. Naturally, the tour culminates with a tasting of some of Fuller’s finest ales.

Brewery Tour with Tastings for Two

Hawkstone Brewery 

On a mission to produce a high-quality, flavour-filled British lager, Hawkstone Brewery is the ideal place to send your loved one. One of the UK’s first independent lager breweries, they’ll enjoy a walking brewery tour led by expert guides. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without a few generous samples along the way. 

Vineyard Tour and Tasting for Two

Aldwick Estate

One for the inquisitive wine connoisseur, a tour of Aldwick Estate offers a deep dive into English viticulture. Somerset's largest vineyard offers fascinating insight into the complexities of English wine, and they'll be able to explore the 11 acres of grape vines too, before assessing the fruits of Aldwick's labour by sampling all of their available vintages. 

Wine Tasting and Vineyard Tour For Two

Chapel Down

Dedicated to changing the way the world thinks about English wine, the lucky recipient will love finding this wine tasting wrapped up under the Christmas tree. The experience includes a guided tour of Chapel Down vineyard, a tasting session and a lowdown on all the processes involved in the state-of-the-art winery.

Vineyard Tour and Tasting for Two

Woodchester Valley

Put down the case of wine and give them a one-of-a-kind gift of a day out at the family-owned boutique Woodchester Valley. Perched on the limestone soils of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, they’ll begin with a welcome aperitif, before exploring the vineyard site and winery. Glimpse behind-the-scenes and finish off with a tutored tasting of five wines. 

Distillery Tour with Cask Whisky Tasting for Two

Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery

Voted Scotland’s Best Visitor Attraction in 2018, unlock the magic of Christmas by gifting your loved one a distillery tour of Dewar’s Aberfeldy. Diving into the world of whisky, they’ll become versed on what makes the distillery so special before taking their seats for an exclusive single cask whisky tasting. The tasting fun continues in the bar and at home with a souvenir glass as a memento of their day. 

Discover the Origins and History of Whisky with Tastings for Two

Old School Distillery

Taking place in a former Victorian schoolhouse in Staffordshire, this whisky masterclass will see them sample Single Malt Whisky from all of the major regions of Scotland. They’ll ascertain how each one’s taste differs from the other, the role production methods, ageing and maturing techniques play as well as the spirit’s rich history. 

One Day Whisky School and Lunch

The Whisky Lounge

If they’re the type to refer to whisky as the ‘water of life’, this one’s got their name all over it. The world’s most complex spirit, a knowledgeable host will unravel the history and traditions of whisky. No whisky education is complete without knocking some back so they’ll sample a wide array of whiskies throughout, taking home an array of souvenirs. 

Molecular Cocktail Cooking Experience for Two

ABQ London

A shady-looking RV, questionable paraphernalia, hip-hop soundtrack and chemistry apparatus are the name of the game at London's notorious ABQ. They'll be thrown straight into character, donning a hazmat suit and mixing up molecular cocktails using dry ice, nitrous oxide and foam.

Immersive Magical Cocktail Experience for Two

The Cauldron 

What do you get someone who loves Harry Potter and cocktails? An immersive magical experience at The Cauldron, of course. Donning spectacular robes, they’ll test out a magic wand by pouring a welcome drink before using special molecular mixology skills to brew delicious elixirs. Gifting hero status, acquired. 

Cocktail Masterclass for Two

Revolution Bars

If you’re going to leave their Christmas gift in the hands of anyone, it may as well be the experts at Revolution. Kicking those mixology skills into high gear, they’ll create a chosen cocktail with the help of a bartender. Along the way, there’ll be drinks, samples and interactive games. Rounding things off is a Revolution handcrafted vodka flavour train. 

Create Your Own Personalised Rum with Tastings and Cocktails for Two

Laki Kane

Rum's making a comeback. In this world-first rum redistillation experience, your favourite rum connoisseur can learn and taste their way through the history of this amazing spirit, before heading to their own copper alembic pot still to create their own personalised rum.

Make your Own Spiced Rum with Tastings and Cocktails for Two

Hotham’s Rum School

Spirits don’t get much more versatile than rum but Hotham’s is here to reveal all. This masterclass will see them create their own spiced rum, under the guidance of Hotham’s experts. Of course, they’ll need to build a flavour profile by sampling an array of varieties to distinguish the various nuances of each style. And to keep the spirit alive, they’ll take home their own labelled 50cl bottle. 

Distillery Tour and Tasting for Two

English Spirit Distillery

One of the UK’s original small batch distilleries, the Grade II listed English Spirit Distillery is a unique adventure for a rum connoisseur. The day will kick off with a tour, before it’s time for a guided tasting of scratch distilled, artisanal products including exclusive limited editions. 

Theatrical Cocktail Experience for Two

Alcotraz, The Prison Cocktail Bar

If they love Prison Break and cocktails, this thrill-inducing cocktail experience is the perfect gift. Levelling up their regular night out, it’s BYOB and they’ll need to be stealthy to get it past the warden. Once successful, the mixologists posing as inmates will blend cocktails like pros, incorporating syrups, juices and bitters from their secret supply. 

Theatrical Cocktail Experience for Two

Moonshine Saloon

For those that like their drinks with a difference, Chelsea’s Wild Western bar is the place to host. Kitted out in cowboy gear, they’ll head down to the saloon to check out the cover moonshine operation. There’s card and dice games with the local characters as well as delicious cocktails prepared by the world-class team of barkeeps.