“Amaro Lucano Anniversario is a richer, higher-proof take on the classic Lucano. It layers over 30 herbs into a velvety mix of wormwood, dried fig and orange peel [with] root beer-like undertones,” says Robby Dow, owner of Bespoke in Wilmington, North Carolina. “It’s approachable enough to be a crowd pleaser, but has enough structure and bitterness for the discerning bitter palate… [it’s] the perfect gift for the amaro lover who thinks they’ve tried it all.”

Chartreuse’s typical green and yellow expressions are darlings of the cocktail world. The Élixir Végétal, a concentrated, higher-ABV bottling, however, is less well-known; it has only been available in the U.S. for a few years. The herbal spirit is best used in small doses: spritzed on top of an Alaska, mixed into a Tuxedo or simply topped with soda. Might I suggest this as a chic stocking stuffer?

For more Chartreuse-adjacent options, check out some of our favorite substitutes.

“Michter’s Unblended American Whiskey is the unsung hero of Michter’s stellar lineup,” says Daniel Todd, bar director for The Dabney in Washington, D.C. “Bourbon, rye, Scotch and Irish whiskey enthusiasts will all find something they love about this one. In my opinion, it’s hard to find a better whiskey for an Old-Fashioned.” This is especially a fitting gift because Todd describes this to guests as “the whiskey you want to pour yourself on Christmas morning while you’re opening gifts.”

“Typically, the flavor of sweet potato shochu is savory and earthy, but Daiyame has beautiful lychee and elderflower aromas,” says Kenta Goto, owner of New York’s Bar Goto. “It’s truly unique.” He recommends it on the rocks, with club soda and in cocktails. Try it in a Chu-Hai.

This nonalcoholic wine is a go-to for Suzy Critchlow, beverage director for The Popal Group in Washington, D.C. “It’s floral with elegant tiny bubbles,” she says. “At Maison, we pour it by the glass, as well as incorporate it into a spritz with cucumber, elderflower and herbs de Provence.”

Looking for more nonalcoholic wines? Here are some of our favorites.

“St. George’s Spiced Pear Liqueur is a year-round staple on my backbar and one I reach for often,” says Demi Natoli, beverage director of Nashville’s White Limozeen. “What I love most is the way it captures the pure, fresh flavor of pears on the palate. The addition of baking spice is deliberate without being overbearing… Especially during the holidays, when spice can easily dominate, this liqueur stands out for its restraint and harmony between fruit and spice.” She uses it in a mezcal-based riff on the Vieux Carre.

Mezcaleria Alma, one of our Best New Bars of 2025, is home to an incredible list of spirits from Mexico. Co-owner Johnny Curriel says he’s been enjoying Derrumbes Tamaulipas recently. “To me, it’s one of the most unique mezcals out there right now: herbaceous, floral, but at the same time a little funky,” he says. “You think of blue cheese when you first smell it, followed by herbs.”

Earlier this year, Maison Premiere bartender William Elliott told Punch contributor Al Culliton that Mauro Vergano’s vermouths “make a drink that was otherwise boring, incredible.” It stars in his Kangaroo (a vodka Martini) and in the Coronation served at Fedora in New York.

For more vermouth recs, check out our full guide to the fortified wine.

I was introduced to this bottle at Loma, another one of Punch’s Best New Bars of 2025. At the bar, it has been a featured spirit as well as the base for a Bee’s Knees. Yefri Cortave, one of the bar’s owners, thinks it’s an excellent introduction to pisco—something he says many of Loma’s guests haven’t yet tried. “The Italia varietal is beautiful,” he says. People are surprised by “how fragrant and perfumey it is.”

As St. John Frizzell, co-founder of Gage & Tollner, wrote last year, today’s white rums are nuanced, full of flavor and embracing the fact that there are few rules governing the spirit. Holmes Cay’s single-origin rum, a limited-release blending pot and column still rums, is a good example. Fresh and citrusy, it makes an excellent addition to tropical cocktails. Jocelyn Morin, owner of Tern Club in Nashville, says it “has become one of my favorite Daiquiri rums.”

Last year, Amaretto Adriatico launched with a salty, drier take on amaretto, which Punch general manager Talia Baiocchi loves in a Godfather. This year, they’re back with a new addition: Adriatico Zero, made with roasted almonds and sea salt. You could throw it into an N/A version of an Amaretto Sour, or simply top with soda for a festive, zero-proof highball.

This coconut oil-washed gin from Bimini is great in warm-weather drinks, like this tropical take on an Aperol Spritz. But if you’re somewhere cold this holiday season, still consider this bottle a worthwhile home bar staple. In the Yolanda, a Martini-like drink, for example, the gin adds roundness and a hint of creaminess. Paul Calvert, from Atlanta’s Ticonderoga Club, says it makes “the best possible Negroni available to mortals.”

“El Guapo bitters, syrups and mixers are made with impeccable ingredients and they put a lot of care into their New Orleans community,” says Aislinn McAllister, specialty foods manager at Zingerman’s Delicatessen. It pairs well with rum or whiskey. “I’ll be gifting the Chicory Pecan bitters to all my Old-Fashioned-loving friends.”

“Domaine Mosse has been farming organic and biodynamic vines in the schist and clay soils of the Anjou and Coteaux du Layon appellations in the Loire Valley since 1999. This highly approachable (yet quietly complex) red blend is unfined and unfiltered, with notes of fresh wild cherry, young strawberries, white pepper and zippy cranberry—with some bright, buoyant acidity to finish it off,” writes Eliza Dumais.

You might be thinking: Vodka? As a present? But this one, made with wheat and rye, and created by Quebecois producer Menaud, really is special. Piper Kristensen, beverage director at Place des Fêtes in Brooklyn, says this one shines in a Martini. “It is a totally different animal,” he says. “It’s fruity and juicy, and when you get it super cold, it tastes like melted snow.” Sounds perfect for the winter holidays to me.