Made exclusively with barley grown on the Scottish island of Islay, Bruichladdich’s Islay Barley is not peated in “an effort to better showcase the terroir of this deliciously drammable maritime malt,” says Tommy Klus, owner of the Scotch Lodge in Portland, Oregon. With apricot, peach and cereal notes, the bottling is a testament to the island’s farms, and each bottle lists the farmers involved in growing the barley. In other words, “this is a whisky of provenance,” says Klus.

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“Barbichette is a Finger Lakes wine project that manages to scream New York and Burgundy at the same time,” says Eliza Dumais, Punch contributor and one half of the team behind the wine publication SWURL. “This particular wine, a pinot noir named for a beloved Tour de France cyclist, Thibaut Pinot, has momentum: all the typical well-made pinot noir notes (rose petal, strawberries, pepper) with a fresher, livelier (read: cooler) spirit.”

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“I love anything nonalcoholic that relies on cleverness and ingredients as opposed to mimicry,” says bartender and Punch contributor John deBary. His recommended gift, this set from (parentheses) comprises two expressions: Before, an aperitif-like drink made with citrus peels, Sichuan peppercorns and gentian, and After, a smokier digestif made with ingredients like cherry bark, peppermint and lemon balm. According to deBary, in the difficult-to-navigate N/A spirits landscape, these straightward offerings are “some of the few nonalcoholic spirits that are good enough for me to recommend serving neat.”

This bottling is the Cascahuín distillery’s introductory bottling, but Mírate’s Max Reis says it punches above its weight and “sings as an amazing pour at high-end cocktail bars here in the U.S., and can be found at some of the most celebrated local cantinas in Jalisco.” The pepper notes, minerality and citrus “create a standout flavor profile distinct from any bottle claiming its likeness,” he says.

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For Punch contributor and beer writer Courtney Iseman, Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Fresh Hop IPA is a classic for a reason. “It’s been a tradition since 1981, it embodies the assertive bitterness the American IPA was built on (balanced by a satisfying caramel malt that makes it great for pairing with holiday foods) and it utilizes fresh hops, capturing that fleeting fall window [after the] hop harvest,” she says. This year, the brewer is donating part of the proceeds to the NC Craft Brewers Foundation, which supports the state’s craft beer community and Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.

For Kim Vo of the gin-focused Baltimore bar Dutch Courage, Martin Miller’s 9 Moons Aged Gin satisfies a range of fans of the spirit, whether your recipient prefers more traditional or contemporary styles. The bottling gets its name from its aging process: The spirit is rested in Iceland for nine moon cycles in French oak barrels with a solera-style method, which contributes to a lightly oaky finish. “The gin is very delicate and nuanced,” Vo says, and it’s all in a gift-worthy, “gorgeous bottle.”

Aragh Sagi, aka Iran’s “forbidden spirit,” has been illegal in its home country for nearly half a century, so much of its production has been underground. “SAG, a new product from a group of Iranians in New York, is keeping the spirit’s tradition alive,” says Punch editor Mary Anne Porto. Despite its moniker as “Iranian moonshine,” this reimagined interpretation of the spirit, which is made with California raisins and distilled in New York, is surprisingly light and aromatic. “It’s delicious on its own, shaken into a simple sour, or, as you can find it at Brooklyn’s Bar Laika, served over grape sorbet—a holiday treat,” she says.

Rums from this historic Jamaican distillery are typically sold to independent bottlers or used in blends, but this release, which is aged for eight years in ex-bourbon casks, is one of the few available in the U.S. under the distillery’s own label. “This rum has the most amazing nose of tropical fruit: fresh (nearly overripe) pineapple and ripe banana, backed by a palate of brûléed fruit, vanilla and island spice,” says Punch executive editor Chloe Frechette. “From spirit-forward rum Old-Fashioneds to refreshing punches—this bottle can truly do it all.”

With dozens of classic and new-school examples to choose from, it’s hard to go wrong when gifting a bottle of amaro. For Punch art director Lizzie Munro, Amaro Camatti, a Genovese bottling that’s lighter on its feet than most, is a versatile gift. “There’s plenty of mint on the nose, with a bit of cola and a delicate, sweet finish, like amaretti cookies,” she says. “It’s perfect for after dinner, but with a splash of soda it makes for a great aperitivo, too.”

Whiskey expert Clay Risen says that Proof and Wood, a Connecticut-based spirits company, “has been quietly turning out stunning yet approachable bourbons and ryes, at prices much lower than their quality might suggest.” The Senator, a six-year-old rye bottled at barrel proof, is excellent for the season, especially because of its baking spice and leather flavor profile. “It is a deliciously rich whiskey on its own, and it shines in a Sazerac or a Boulevardier,” Risen says.

“The only gift I’m able to recommend in good conscience are donations to organizations within Palestine and Lebanon,” says John McCarroll, a Punch contributor and wine distributor, who notes that the area includes some of the first wine-producing regions on Earth, and recommends the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund and the Lebanese Red Cross/Red Crescent. “This is also a fantastic time for you to support independent winemakers in the region, such as Philokalia, Mersel, Heya or, for the classicist set, Chateau Musar.” Mersel wines are made by Eddie Chami in Dimane, Lebanon, largely using the country’s native grapes. “Eddie’s been quietly tutoring the next generation of Lebanese winemakers, counteracting decades of brain drain and talent flight in Lebanon and ushering in what promises to be an incredibly bright future for one of the oldest wine regions,” McCarroll wrote earlier this year.

“With a flood of new tequila brands entering the agave spirits space every year, it’s rare to find one that has something unique to add to the conversation,” says author and Punch contributor Emma Janzen. But this release, the first in Mijenta’s Maestra Selection series, is an exception. The tequila is made from 8-year-old agaves grown on a single estate in Jalisco from seed—“which sometimes happens in mezcal but is almost unheard of in tequila,” Janzen notes. She recommends the unique bottling for sipping. “It’s flush with rich dulce de leche, cinnamon and roasted pineapple flavors, with a slate-like mineral quality that goes on for days—proving that this approach is not only best for the biodiversity of the plants, it’s arguably better for the juice itself, too.”

“Ozeki has been an industry leader and innovator for decades. They’re my favorite brand,” says Shaun Williams, bartender at Jewel of the South in New Orleans and a kikisake-shi (or sake sommelier). This sake from Ozeki is a junmai, with an earthy, dry profile. What makes it particularly gift-worthy is that it comes in a komodaru, a traditional storage and transport vessel for sake. “I always think it’s cool to gift someone a little history,” says Williams.

“Think of this saline, subtly smoky, high-ester Haitian clairin as the perfect entry into the broad spectrum of spirit profiles that make Haiti’s rum culture so unique,” says Punch founder Talia Baiocchi. Boss Méles Augustín Normil is located in the center of Haiti and uses a unique production method similar to those for high-ester Jamaican rums, in which the vinasse (or “dunder,” in Jamaica) is used in the fermentation process. The result is less loud than your typically dunder-fueled Jamaican rum. It is by no means for the faint of heart (it is pot-distilled and bottled at full proof, after all), but it also possesses a clarity and subtlety within the flavor concentration that is wholly unique. “It’s game-changing in a Daiquiri, but I find myself sipping it solo more often than not,” says Baiocchi.

We tend to give agave-based spirits the shine in summer, but the spiced notes of Xila make it an ideal winter warmer. The espadín plant grows for seven years before being harvested, then is twice-distilled at a Oaxacan-based pulque. From there, the mezcal is blended with caramelized pineapple, ancho chile, hibiscus, clove and cinnamon, making it an herbaceous pick-me-up before a holiday meal. “This is a nice way to keep it lower-proof this time of year,” says Punch managing editor Jess Mayhugh. “Sub it for Pimm’s, or simply add it to your hot chocolate with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for an extra kick.”