The 7 Best Spirits Under $50 to Gift This Holiday

Finding the perfect bottle to gift the spirits lover in your life every holiday season takes formidable effort. There are countless options to choose from, and with some priced in the hundreds, one may feel the need to shell out in order to impress their nearest and dearest. But gifting a knock-out bottle doesn’t need to come at a sky-high price.

Across the board, there are several stellar bottlings under $50 that punch well above their weight. Whether you’re shopping for a Martini, Manhattan, or Margarita aficionado or even a straight mezcal sipper, we’ve got every type of drinker on your gift list covered — all for wallet-friendly prices.

Keep reading to check out seven of the best spirits under $50 to gift this holiday.

Zumbador Blanco Tequila

There’s no such thing as having too much tequila on a bar cart. This highland-style spirit is made from agave cooked per tradition in stone ovens before getting crushed using the tahona process — one of the oldest techniques in tequila making. From there, the extract is fermented in a combination of steel and wooden vats before it’s distilled through both stainless steel and copper stills. The result is a wildly impressive tequila, made even more so when you remember it’s less than $30. The 40 percent ABV blanco is highly textured, with a strong cooked agave backbone supported by floral, herbal, and briny notes.

Average Price: $28
Rating: 92

Dutch Barn Vodka

When gifting vodka, it’s tempting to reach for the big-name, bottle-service brands, but for something that flies a bit under the radar, go with Dutch Barn. This U.K.-made vodka is distilled from a combination of potatoes and apples, which brings forth a fruity nose followed by punchy spice notes. It’s a unique and highly aromatic spirit ideal for stirring into vodka-based Martinis or Gimlet riffs.

Average Price: $30
Rating: 93

Redwood Empire Emerald Giant Rye Whiskey

Take care of your whiskey-loving friends during the holiday season by ensuring they have a quality bottle to last them through the cold winter months. For those who prefer rye, look no further than Redwood Empire Emerald Giant Rye. It’s a blend of the distillery’s in-house rye as well as barrels sourced from Indiana (MGP) and Kentucky aged between four and seven years, resulting in an approachable 45 percent ABV spirit. On the palate, there’s bold spice and cigar notes delivered on a luscious body that holds up just as well in cocktails as it does on the rocks or neat.

Average Price: $39
Rating: 92

Legendario Domingo Oaxaca Espadín

A phenomenal representation of the power of espadín, this mezcal is a perfect pick for the agave connoisseur and newbie alike. Coming in at 48 percent ABV, the spirit opens with spicy tropical fruit, salinity, and cooked citrus aromas that transfer into a vegetal and earthy palate. The proofing lends a weighty texture that shines when sipped neat, but given the accessible price point, one shouldn’t hesitate to shake this into a Naked and Famous.

Average Price: $40
Rating: 92

PiùCinque Gin

Gin as a category offers multiple high-quality expressions at approachable prices, but if you’re looking for one made by gin lovers for gin lovers, PiùCinque is your bottle. Distilled in Italy, it shows every bit of its heritage with prominent sage, bergamot, and citrus notes. The gin is bottled at a hefty 47 percent ABV and has pops of bitter pine and wormwood on the palate, making it an ideal choice for Martinis.

Average Price: $40
Rating: 94

Dry Fly Straight Bourbon 101

Established in 2007, Dry Fly produces each of its spirits, including the 101 — the first legal bourbon made in Washington State — with a farm-to-bottle philosophy, using only grains sourced within a 30 mile radius of the Spokane, Wash., distillery. Its bourbon arrives at 50.5 percent ABV and is aged between three and four years, depending on the batch. Despite the relatively short time spent in the cask, the bourbon has strong barrel spice notes that are delivered on a weighty, flavor-forward palate. Whiskey enthusiasts will want this one on hand to sip fireside.

Average Price: $45
Rating: 91

Charanda Single Agricole Añejo Rum Con Hongos Sol Tarasco

This rum is proof that you don’t need to fork over an arm and a leg to wow a spirits guru. A D.O.-protected charanda, the rum is distilled from Mexican sugar cane in Urupan, Michoacán, by the Pacheo family, who have been distilling charanda in the region since 1907. It’s made from estate-grown sugar cane, which is pressed by a water-powered mill before being open-air fermented for a minimum of 10 days. After distillation, the charanda is matured for three years in ex-bourbon casks before undergoing a six-month maceration with locally sourced blue indigo and oyster mushrooms. Bottled at 46.5 percent ABV, it’s intensely savory with a strong mushroom influence on the nose and palate. While umami-forward, there is a pleasant layer of sweetness on the finish to round it out.

Average Price: $48
Rating: 93

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