Holiday Gift Guide 2020: The Best Gifts For Martini Lovers

The martini is perhaps the most classic of cocktails. Whether enjoyed shaken or stirred, dirty or with a twist, all martini lovers have a specific way to enjoy their favorite cocktail.

Traditionally, a fabulous martini would be found at an upscale bar or restaurant and expertly prepared by a professional. “The best martini is the one that a skilled bartender makes you,” said Bob Nolet, Vice President of Marketing and Master Distiller at Nolet Spirits. 

However, 2020 has been a year where everything has changed, and many martini lovers are finding ways to enjoy their favorite cocktail from the comfort of their own home. That means finding the right ingredients, and tools, and then the right ratio of those ingredients. To that end, there’ll be some varying opinions! “It starts with a quality vodka. which to me means a base spirit that is crisp instead of sharp or overpowering,” said Nolet. According to Nolet, a great martini stands on its own in flavor, with only a splash of dry vermouth.

Then there’s the question of whether a martini is best shaken or stirred. Stirred yields proper dilution and temperature, which are key ingredients for a good martini. “If you’ve got a properly diluted martini, you should never need ice, which is why it’s best served up, and in a chilled martini glass. A lemon twist to garnish is my preferred final touch, adding a delightful pop of citrus aroma,” said Nolet.

Additional tips and tricks: 

• A cold martini is the best martini. Always make sure that glass is chilled. It makes a big difference.
• A small glass will stay cold longer. Perhaps that’s an excuse to have two smaller martinis rather than one larger one!
• When stirring – try to avoid using crushed ice. Instead, opt for solid ice cubes. That will mean less ice dilution.
• Vermouth oxidizes, so a fresh bottle is a stronger bet. Don’t forget to store your vermouth in the fridge.

If there is a martini lover on your gift list, the best gifts for them this season are those gifts that will help them create a great martini at home, no matter how they enjoy it!

“Life of the Party” Knack Gift Box

The “Life of the Party” Knack gift box ($75) is so fun for getting started with an at-home martini bar. The gift box contains stemless crystal glasses, a green olives for a garnish and a Charades party game. There’s also an option to customize the box by swapping out items, which will make the gift even more personal and fun!

Williams Sonoma Martini Gift Crate 

Sometimes making a great martini is all about just having the right tools at your disposal. This beautiful wooden gift crate ($130) comes with beautiful glasses, a shaker and cocktail picks, as well as an artisanal olive juice blend perfect for making those martinis dirty.  Just add vodka or gin!

Ketel One Vodka 

Ketel One Vodka (starts at $26) is a classic for a reason, and would be ideal to add to their bar shelf for a crisp and clean vodka martini - whether that means with olives, or twist, or something sweet or savory. This vodka will stand up to a classic martini as well as a fun spin like a Cosmopolitan for those ladies nights.

Artingstall's Brilliant London Dry Gin Limited Edition Cocktail Kit

Sometimes, martini lovers opt for vodka. But for many, the perfect martini is all about the gin! Artingstall's Brilliant London Dry Gin has launched a limited-edition cocktail kit ($190) that contains two martini glasses, a matching cocktail shaker/strainer, bar spoon, a rather James Bond-like pocket square and a cut glass decanter filled with Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin. 

Belvedere Pure Customizable Silver Saber Bottle

A gorgeous vodka and also makes an incredible martini? That’s ideal, and the bottle ($99) can be engraved with a name or personalized message and is the perfect gift for the holidays. This collectable bottle has an LED light in its base that turns on and can be customized. Belvedere is a super-premium vodka made in the Polish tradition and distilled from Dankowskie Gold Rye.

NOLET’S Silver Gin

NOLET’S Silver ($49) is another beautiful gin with floral and fruit-forward botanicals including rose, peach and raspberry. Will work great in those gin martinis, but also is a beautiful choice for other classic cocktails. 

The Bitter Truth Olive Bitters

A great Dirty Martini is all about the olives, and Olive Bitters by The Bitter Truth ($30) needs just a few dashes to make a difference. These bitters have green olive flavors, along with subtle hints of salt and notes of mustard, sage and thyme.

Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails

This book ($21) is considered a classic for a reason, and is a comprehensive guide to the contemporary craft cocktail movement. The home bartender will love to add this to their collection!

Damrak Virgin 0.0

It’s important to consider those who are not drinking any alcohol or trying to cut back when planning holiday cocktails, or a holiday gift. A non-alcoholic gin is a good gift for martini lovers who want to cut back on their alcohol or even are considering embracing more low-ABV drinks. This handcrafted non-alcoholic gin ($27) is made from 10 botanicals, including Valencia and Curacao orange peels, ginger, lavender, cinnamon, and lemon peel. For a low-ABV martini, stir 1.5oz Damrak Virgin and 1.5 oz Dry Vermouth with ice in a mixing glass, and strain into a pre-chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lemon zest or olive.

Macy’s Peppermint Twist Red Martini Ornament

A martini lover loves martinis even when not drinking them! This martini ornament is super cute for their holiday tree. A red martini ornament from Holiday Lane's Peppermint Twist collection ($6) created for Macy’s, it’ll be a personal and festive touch for their holiday.

Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth

For many, a martini isn’t a martini without a splash of dry vermouth. Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth ($14) is a blend of dry white wines blended with botanicals for the perfect finishing touch.

ROOT Crafted Cocktail Party Pack

Some love their martinis with an olive or even an onion, but there’s also many who love a more fruit-forward or even floral taste to their cocktail. For the more colorful martini, grab a ROOT Cocktail Party Pack ($29), which includes four, 4-ounce bottles of mixers as well as a jigger. Whether they go for lemongrass, Hibi-Hibi, Au Pear or The Granada, this sampler will have them covered.

Divina Blue Cheese Stuffed Green Olives

A savory olive is a perfect garnish for a martini. However, stuff that olive with some blue cheese and it goes to another level. Divina ($7) took these tasty Greek Mt. Athos Green Olives and stuffed with blue cheese. Perfect for that martini, but also great to snack on or add to a cheese plate.

Dirty Sue Premium Olive Juice

A Dirty Martini becomes dirty due to that olive juice, right? Choosing the right olive juice (and then the right amount of olive juice) can make or break that martini, and a splash or two of Dirty Sue ($36 for a 4-pack) will soon become their Dirty Martini mainstay.