Wondering what to buy the whiskey aficionado on your list this holiday season? Your favorite bourbon lover may already have a home bar stocked with essential spirits and glassware, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find the perfect gift. Our Ultimate Gift Guide for Sacramento Whiskey Drinkers is chock full of exciting and boozy gift ideas from local businesses.
Shopping small? Check. A great gift your bourbon enthusiast will love? Check. Supporting local businesses? Check, check, check.
9 of Sacramento’s Best Gifts for the Whiskey Lover in Your Life
#1. Bring Home a Bottle of Their Favorite
Nothing pairs better with a chilly evening than a great drink by the fire. Locked Barrel is a local whiskey lounge and restaurant that offers some of the best drinks in town! You can enjoy their amazing whiskey–served over Block Ice artisan ice—at their Sacramento location or bring their amazing whiskey home to add to your own bar cart. Quantities of take-home are limited. Order yours today.
#2. Satisfy Sports Fans with a Limited Edition Joe Montana Whiskey Collab
Gold Bar Whiskey is crafted with care just down the road from Sacramento in the San Francisco Bay and blended by a second-generation winemaker from Napa Valley. Gold Bar’s official Joe Montana Collection is the perfect gift for the whiskey lover who is also a sports fan. Choose from a bottle inspired by Joe’s throwback jersey or one featuring an iconic illustration and signature.
#3. Go For the Gold With This Keepsake Bottle and Collectible Coin
You don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate the luxury craftsmanship of Gold Bar Whiskey. Gold Bar is decadently gift-worthy, presented in a glass bottle shaped like a solid gold bar and featuring a collector-grade keepsake coin that will upgrade any bar cart.
Gold Bar’s mini six-pack of 50 mL whiskey makes great stocking stuffers or impressive party favors, and their signature Gold Bar metal flask will elevate anyone’s “to-go” whiskey game.
#4. Whiskey Glasses that are Kenough
The perfect trending barware for a Barbie™ loving bourbon fan that will transform any home into a Mojo Dojo Casa. This whiskey tumbler set of two 8-ounce glasses features a double-wall insulated design and a sophisticated smoked metallic finish inspired by Ken™.
For a gift that’s more glam, this set of two 10-oz diamond-shaped whiskey glasses in gold and magenta will transform any boring bar cart into one worthy of a Barbie Dreamhouse.™
Dragon Glassware is a family-owned small business from Sacramento that creates one-of-a-kind glass products and has officially licensed collaborations with Barbie™, Ken™, Hotwheels™, and even an out-of-this-world NASA Astronaut glass tumbler set.
Shop all Dragon whiskey glasses.
#5. For the One Who Has Everything
What do you give the bourbon lover who already has everything? Take them out for an evening of fun. Eat, drink, and play the night away at Punch Bowl Social in DOCO Sacramento.
Punch Bowl offers bowling, nostalgic arcade games, table games, and so much more. Treat your whiskey lover to a meal and then order them a drink — we recommend the ‘I’m on a Whiskey Diet" featuring Old Forester 86 Bourbon, pear chamomile tea, blueberry syrup, honey, fresh lemon juice, lemon wheel, and fresh blueberries.
Eat, drink, and play at Punch Bowl
#6. Indulge Their Inner Bartender
You can’t shake up the perfect cocktail without the right tools. Local favorite The Kitchen Table offers adorable gifts and home decor with all the basics you’ll need for a home bar. Shop for unique gadgets and specialty tools for the kitchen and bar that will allow your favorite at-home bartender to indulge in their favorite cocktail creations.
#7. Make it a Michelin Meal to Remember
Sacramento’s food scene is spectacular, so why not treat a whiskey lover to a Michelin-starred meal? Sacramento restaurants The Kitchen and Localis have both earned a coveted Michelin star. The Kitchen was Sacramento’s first-ever eatery to be awarded a star in 2019, and Localis became the second in 2022.
Ready to gift an award-winning experience? Reserve Your Table at The Kitchen or Reserve Your Spot at Localis for the holiday season.
#8. Swag from Sactown Distillery Scene
Sacramento’s local craft brewing scene is a whiskey and beer lover’s dream. They can rep their favorite local distillery with swag from J.J. Pfister Distilling! Surprisingly, they got their start as a San Francisco knitting company and later evolved into a distillery that makes some of Sacramento’s best drinks.
As an added bonus, if you want to sample some of J.J. Pfister’s fare, you can sip a glass over dinner with Block Ice client Kru Japanese Restaurant.
#9. Last Minute Shopping? Grab a Gift On the Go
Running late to that party and just realized you don’t have a gift? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. When you need a last-minute gift for a whiskey-loving party host or your bourbon-loving-bestie, just stop at a local Nugget Market on your way.
Grab a bottle of bourbon and pair it with a complimentary cheese — a perfect pairing to please the foodie on your list. Even a single bottle of whiskey or bourbon is sure to please. (We love Wheel House small batch spirits from Gold River Distillery, distributed at local Nugget locations!)
You’ll find plenty of giftable goods at Nugget, and with locations throughout the Sacramento area, you can put off gift-buying until the last possible minute.
Bonus points: grab a bag of Block Ice to bring to your host to elevate any cocktail served! Find us in the freezer section.
When it’s time to bestow a gift on a whiskey lover, there are so many local options that will delight your recipient and support a local business at the same time. From bottles of their favorite bourbon to merch, swag, and meals they’ll never forget, you can find the most memorable gifts for a whiskey lover right around the corner.
This blog post was updated in 2023 to reflect the most-up-to-date information. It was originally published in 2020.
