The 30 Best Whiskey Gifts Your Bourbon-Loving Buddy Will Actually Use

If your friend prides themselves on their basement or backyard bar, there's no better addition to their decor than this custom cask.

But make no mistake: This personally branded compact barrel isn't just for show. It has a functional bung and spigot to allow for aging and serving its owner's favorite spirits.

If you're gifting someone who loves making craft whiskey cocktails at home, they'll need these delicious black walnut bitters from Strongwater Mountain Elixirs, stat.

Earthy, nutty, and perfect for adding to a classic Manhattan or iconic Old Fashioned, these popular handcrafted bitters are made with black walnut, cacao, and allspice.

Let's say your whiskey-sipping pal doesn't confine their consumption to their hometown. If they've bounced around pubs across the country, or even the world, then shouldn't there be a way to reflect that in their home bar setup? Now they can commemorate their favorite locales with these glasses etched with maps of iconic cities.

They can pour a bourbon in Brooklyn, sip a whiskey sour in San Francisco, and even mix up a La Louisiane in St. Louis, all without ever leaving the house.

Adding an element of smoke to any spirit can drastically impact its aroma, taste, and personality. Of course, there are plenty of cocktail smoking devices out there, from simple butane guns to massive tubes that resemble the Ghostbusters' backpacks.

Yet, none of those have the panache of this sleek and elegant cocktail smoking box, which can house two drinks at once for... special company.

Ensure your friend's dark liquor is chilling in style with this clever Whiskey Wedge from Corkcicle. Designed to prevent pesky cubes from clinking around in your drink — or worse, hitting your lips to interrupt sips — these wedges melt slowly to ensure the drink retains its full flavor. No more watered-down nightcaps!

Looking for a gift to surprise someone who loves both whiskey and coffee? Kill two birds with one stone with this delicious Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey Coffee.

It's infused with plenty of whiskey flavor for added richness, but with none of the alcohol — meaning, this java won't actually get them buzzed.

More: 35 Hottest Gifts For Coffee Lovers Every Caffeine Fiend Needs

Do you know a classic film fan who’s also a searcher for good spirits? Get them a bottle of the only bourbon with “true grit,” Duke Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

Named for the Stagecoach star himself, John Wayne (often dubbed The Duke), Duke Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a blend based on the bottles unearthed from Wayne’s own personal collection, tuned to his 1962 tasting notes. It’s perfect to help your cinephile friend unwind after they’ve had “the longest day.”

Whether they're an amateur historian or snoozed during social studies, Harris Cooper's American History Through A Whiskey Glass is sure to hook any liquor-loving reader.

Whiskey has played a huge role in American history, from George Washington’s own Mount Vernon distillery and the “Whiskey Rebellion” to the digging of the Eerie Canal and, of course, Prohibition.

Cooper offers the reader a pub crawl through eight periods of American history, as well as tasting notes for recommended whiskeys that represent each era.

Why have your person settle for traditional, square-shaped ice cubes when they can upgrade to super cool spheres instead? These ice-ball molds makes two large circular ice cubes, so you can ensure their favorite dram is chilling in style.

Plus, spherical ice cubes have less surface area and melt slower than traditional ice cubes, so your whiskey lover's drink won't get diluted.

More: 5 Best Nugget Ice Makers

Let your whiskey lover enjoy a sustained chill all night long with this whiskey stone gift set. After a few hours in the freezer, these natural soapstone cubes will chill whiskey in just 5 minutes.

This set includes nine soapstone whiskey rocks and a pair of metal tongs, along with a velvet pouch and gift box for storage.

Some glasses just feel really good in the hand, and this Rauk Heavy Tumbler from Norlan wins the prize. With a good amount of heft, a chunky base, and gorgeous pressed molten crystal construction, it's no wonder that whiskey drinkers consider this Icelandic pick to be the perfect heavy tumbler.

Whiskey and chocolate — two guilty-pleasure indulgences that taste great together. But while you may have had “boozy candy” before, you’ve likely never had one as carefully crafted as this collection.

Designed to compliment the Dalmore single malt Scotch whiskey they’re each infused with, elements of vanilla bean, coffee, orange, and spiced ginger crumb each bring out different sides of the signature Scotch.

If your whiskey-drinking friend is also a music fan, they likely know Metallica’s hit cover of the Irish folk song “Whiskey in the Jar” by way of Thin Lizzy. But do they know they can actually taste Metallica in their drink?

This unique pairing first conceived by the band and master brewer Dave Pickering involved "sonically enhancing" the whiskey in the finishing stages by blasting the barrels with curated playlists of Metallica songs that were selected by the band to encourage movement within the casks. The result is a unique flavor that'll even make St. Anger go down smooth.

The team at Two Stacks were determined to turn their backs on what they felt was an overly-automated distillery culture, and instead, return to the traditional Irish ways. Along the way, though, they managed to make a major innovation in the whiskey world: the dram in a can.

With an eye toward whiskey on-the-go for concerts, camping, or any time an outdoorsy-type might need a fix, Two Stacks managed to craft a 43% ABV whiskey that tastes just as good in the can as it does in a glass!

A true whiskey devotee understands that presentation matters. After all, a unique bottle shape or label makes for a great piece of decor in any basement bar.

Whiskey fans and history buffs alike will appreciate the label design for Proclamation Whiskey. Named for the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic, its label is modeled after the original proclamation itself, right down to the details — including utilizing a upper-case e of a different font, just as the original document had to use when the printing press ran out of the proper letter.

Sure, the whiskey inside is a smooth, bourbon-influenced blend with hints of brioche and custard, but we're mainly here for the historical trivia, right?

The word “whiskey” has its origins in the Gaelic term “uisce beatha,” or “water of life.” This sentiment is immortalized in the Irish folk song “Finnegan’s Wake,” wherein the titular Tim Finnegan’s wake becomes such a raucous brawl that whiskey spilled on the corpse, causing him to spring back to life.

These charming prints not only feature a verse from this famed folk song that would inspire James Joyce's final novel, but they even have a QR code that links to performances of the song itself.

Maybe we're just a sucker for pretty copper barware, but this hammered-copper Boston shaker is a stunner. The weighted base cup is an oversized 30 ounces, making this cocktail shaker great for mixing up more than two tasty whiskey cocktails at once. Best of all, it's durable and built to last, so it can take a hit if someone's bartending skills are a bit rusty.

The toothpick is a very underrated tool: It's not only handy for an after-meal cleaning, but it's also functional accessory for rugged types. After all, would Clint Eastwood have looked as cool using dental floss?

Add some strong flavor to post-meal pickings with these bourbon-soaked toothpicks. This dram of dental hygiene offers a Kentucky kick with each pick that can both help with digestion and supply a nonchalant nightcap.

Tom Hanks in You've Got Mail said it best: "The Godfather is the sum of all wisdom." So, if you've got a friend who pairs every dram of Jameson with a quote from a Corleone, consider this homage to the crime movie classic that's also a pretty solid dad joke.

The 21st century brought in a major innovation for whiskey drinkers, in the form of the Glencairn whiskey glass. Designed to accentuate the aromas of the whiskey for a fuller, more thorough tasting experience, the Glencairn design has been endorsed by the Scotch Whisky Association, and is a must-own for any aficionado.