Last Minute Gifts 2025: Bottles of Booze That Say ‘I Really Thought About This’
We’ve all been there you’ve got the Christmas shopping done, you’re ready to put your feet up and crack into the Baileys and watch Muppets Christmas Carol for the sixteen hundredth time, when shock! You realise you’ve forgotten someone. Your strange uncle, your yoga instructor, the postman whoever it is, there’s always one.
You have to throw on your jacket and dash to the off-licence to grab something quick and easy. But don’t just grab a random bottle of plonk off the shelf and blindly hope for the best. Here’s a list of boozy bottles (plus an alcohol-free option) to make last-minute gifting still feel thoughtful and special.
Rebel Distillery Maharani Gin
Rebel Distillery’s Maharani Gin is a standout Irish gin with an Indian twist. Crafted in Cork by husband-and-wife team Bhagya and Robert Barrett, it combines traditional Irish distilling with vibrant botanicals from Kerala, including pomelo, cassia, cardamom, nutmeg, and mace. It carries a profile of zesty citrus, warm spice, and floral notes. Every sip echoes the vibrant flavours of India. Named “Maharani”, meaning queen, it honours strong women and the ethically sourced botanicals that inspire it. So Perhaps a good choice for special woman in your life.
Where to Buy: SuperValu, Dunnes Stores (€35)
Hollow Leg Sparkling White Albariño
It’s important to be mindful that not everyone drinks. Only buy alcohol for people you know indulge, and always be respectful if they abstain for any reason. Thankfully, we’re living in an age of enlightenment around non-alcoholic options. Hollow Leg comes from Spain and is a shockingly perfect non-alcoholic wine made with organic ingredients. It’s delicious organic wine—just without the headache in the morning, which is the real gift, isn’t it? The Sparkling White Albariño is bright with aromas of citrus peel and pear. The palate is wonderfully crisp with a rich mousse, making it perfect for sipping on Christmas Day.
Where to buy: Molly’s, Dunne’s Stores (€12-€15)
Two Shores
IIf you have a rum lover in your life, then Two Shores is a lovely award-winning option. It builds a bridge between the rum traditions of the Americas and Irish craftsmanship. The team sources rum distilled from sustainably sourced sugar cane in Central America and finishes it on the west coast in hand-selected aged Irish whiskey casks. It makes for a wonderfully smooth, complex spirit that really sets it apart from other rums and will make a special addition to their collection. Prices range from €40–€80, but the Amarone Cask Irish Whiskey Finish is a great introduction at around €60. It is bright, well-rounded and smooth, with notes of peach, apricot, plum and a hint of milk chocolate.
Where to by: The Corkscrew, Mitchell & Son, James J Fox (€60-65)
Sausage Tree Vodka
Made by The Shed Distillery in Drumshambo the team brings the same of level of elegance to this vodka a they do to they famous gin. It is crafted by marrying Irish Grain and the Kigelia Africana, also known as the “Sausage Tree”. It brings an ultra pure and clean flavour but with a slightly fruity and herbaceous taste. Not to mention that bottle just screams Christmas and makes for a visually stunning gift that will looks as good as it tastes.
Where to by: Tesco, Celtic Whiskey Shop, Mitchell & Son, O’Briens (€40)
Jack Ryan
Jack Ryan is the definition of a family-run business, with the Ryans proud in the drinks business since 1013. They follow their family traditions, ageing, finishing and bottling their special blends in their Dublin Maturation Hall. They make small batches of their award-winning whiskeys so each bottle gets love and attention. For something really special, grab a bottle of the 2022 Irish Whiskey Awards gold winner, Finisher’s Touch 12 Year Old. Matured in bourbon casks and finished in Justino’s Madeira, it has a bright, citrusy flavour that balances its woody elements.
Where to buy: The Corkscrew, Mitchell & Son (€80-€90)
Móinéir Irish Blackberry Wine
You can’t go wrong with a bottle of wine, but why not take it up a level and make it Irish? Wicklow Way Wines produces the most wholesome range of wines made from Irish berries—no grapes here. It’s delicious and unique. They offer strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry wines. For the season that’s in it, the Black Blackberry Wine is a perfect choice. Wild elderberries are locally foraged from the Wicklow Mountains and blended with Irish blackberries to create a light-bodied, fruity wine that pairs beautifully with a cheeseboard after Christmas dinner. If you want extra brownie points get them one of each of flavour.
Where to buy: Avoca, Whelehans Wines, Blackrock Cellar (€22.95-€25.95)
Five Farms Irish Cream
Nothing screams Christmas quite like snuggling up by the fire with a glass of cream liqueur. Five Farms is an ultra luscious iteration of this yule tide tradition. Made using the very best of fresh cream from happy cows from five family run farms in county cork, the cream is quickly combined and combine with premium Irish whiskey. Five Farms actually contains ten times the amount of Irish whiskey than typical Irish creams, meaning its warmth and smoothness is truly one of a kind and something truly special.
Where to buy: O’Briens, Molloy’s, Supervalu, Tesco (€28-€35)
