Who says the
wine or
whiskey you give to friends and business associates this
holiday season has to be boring?
Certainly not
The Luxurist – or anyone he knows or would care to know. But I digress.
Back to the subject at hand:
haute hootch. By this we mean premium libations that
stand out from the crowd of
monotonous merlots and
so-so champagnes – in other words,
bottles with bling.
Here are two that
The Luxurist recommends:
Absolut Elyx
The first thing you notice about this
super premium vodka is the distinctive shape of the bottle – it's not
round! – suggesting that what's inside is something
out of the ordinary, as well.
Absolut (and nearly all other) vodka is produced in large stainless steel vats. The entire process is controlled by computers. No humans allowed!
Elyx is distilled
by hand in a small,
all-copper still at the original Absolut distillery in Ahus, Sweden. Simply distilling in all copper creates a vodka with
unique flavor characteristics, one that is
silky smooth, quite different, and more
refined than vodkas you might be used to.
Also read: Scotch You Don't Know But Should
The
wheat used to make
Elyx is sourced from a
single estate,
introducing the concept of
terroir to this category of spirits and further distinguishing the flavor profile.
Critics have called Elyx "a
grand slam home run" and "one of the
best vodkas" to come to market in ages. That's saying a lot when you consider how many fine vodkas you can find nowadays. Drink
Elyx neat or with a single ice cube. About $50 per bottle.
Belvedere RED
It's what's on the
outside of this eye-catching semi-transparent metallic
special edition bottle that's important here. When you purchase Belvedere RED, half of the profits go to the
Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Inside you'll find the same
tasty vodka as in a regular bottle of
Belvedere. And there's nothing shabby about that! About $35 for 750ML and $65 for the double-your-fun 1.5L bottle.
To purchase these and other
premium wines and spirits in multiples for
holiday gifting, call
Jasper & James at
(310) 581-6710.
See
more fine wine and premium spirits
here.
