The Barware You Should Gift This Valentine’s Day

PSA: Valentine’s Day is officially one week away. If your Valentine is a drinks enthusiast, last-minute gifting can be fairly easy; just head to your local liquor store and look for these bartender-approved, top-shelf picks. But if you want to grab something extra special, now is the time to order it. Here are my best ideas for your partner (or yourself—I wholly endorse picking up a little treat). 

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Jon Bonné’s mini collection of books about French wine right now is comprehensive, an excellent resource and a stunning addition to your shelf. Spirits of Latin America and The Way of the Cocktail, about Japanese drinking traditions, are great, too. 

In the new era of the wine decanter, it’s less about fussiness and more about actual functionality. Personally, I think using a decanter, and some dedicated matching glassware, is also an invitation to take a beat and indulge in a ritual. Broc’s decanter and glass set is beautiful and strikes a nice balance between dainty and casual. Relatedly: On Eater, Francky Knapp has extolled the virtues of the bedside water carafe. If you relate to the memes about boyfriends filling water bottles, perhaps it’s the gift for you.

Matchbox Distilling is a cool, genre-bending line of spirits from Long Island. Its offerings are particularly suited to Valentine’s, I think, because they get so specific (bier mash amaro, banana and saffron rum!); you can really tailor the bottle to your recipient (to be loved is to be known, etc. etc.). Also, the names are poetic. This is not simply triple sec; it’s No Where Sun Kissed & Stargazed. Sounds romantic to me!

An antique goblet duo that, put together, forms a heart. Very ’80s retro wedding coupes. A Cartier vermouth dropper modeled after a watering can (and a cheaper alternative if you don’t have hundreds of dollars to spend on, essentially, a toy). A set of vintage lace coasters, perhaps monogrammed with your partner’s initial. A cat jigger (because maybe you and your Valentine have a cat?). Cocktail picks that double as a mini bar set (I don’t have a Valentine’s angle here, this is just really adorable to me).

I’d bookmark these handy recs so you can always find something for the Martini lovers, Negroni devotees and Daiquiri drinkers in your life.