holiday gift guide

Holiday Shopping Guide: Collectible Cognacs

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Forget about wine (just for a second): this season's gift to have and to hold onto is cognac. With its stately maturity and supple, refined flavors, a well-chosen bottle of cognac doesn't just reward your giftee for 2010, its an investment in their imbibing future. If your bottle remains unopened next year it's not because they didn't approve, it's because they deem it an heirloom.

Pierre Ferrand Collection Privée 1914

World War I was in its first year when this Grande Champagne cognac began its long journey. Scoring a perfect 100 in France's Gilbert & Gaillard 2010 wine guide, the 1914 vintage ($1,500) is exceptionally developed with yeasty, dark fruit flavors and plenty of woody sweetness. For the rare book collector on your list.

Tags: cognac, collectibles, collection, france, holiday gift guide

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Holiday Gift Guide: Wine And Spirits Gift Packs

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Wings

Let's face it, the hour is nigh. Time is running out, and most likely patience and gifting creativity are following close behind. Don't fret, as these holiday gift packs have both brilliant packaging and a coveted payload contained within. Grab one and declare Holiday Shopping 2010 over.

Dom Pérignon Side By Side ($600)

Two bottles, two vintages. A Vintage 1996 and a Oenothèque 1996, both contained in one handsome case. Two birds, one stone. Next.

Tags: Ardbeg, dom perignon, gift packs, holiday gift guide, holiday gift guide 2010, macallan, Rare Wine Co., spirits, wine

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Holiday Shopping Guide: Small-Batch Whiskeys

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

There really isn't any way you can go wrong with gifting whiskey. There are, however, several ways to elevate the act from the merely perfunctory to the thoroughly distinguished. One of our favorites is by going with a small-batch whiskey, those limited stocks that are the result of special releases, forgotten styles or craft producers. These are our selections, sure to win you "most favored" status.

Tuthilltown Spirits Hudson Manhattan Rye

Gardiner, NY's Tuthilltown Spirits has a lot going for it: the first whiskey distillery to open in New York State since Prohibition, Tuthilltown has become a critical darling due to their local, hand-crafted appeal and "little distillery that could" backstory. Also, the whiskey is fantastic. Their Hudson Manhattan Rye ($40) celebrates the state's longstanding relationship with this spirit, the foundation of a Manhattan cocktail, with a whole grain rye bite that's rounded off with sweet fruit and floral notes. Each bottle is hand-numbered and dated, which adds just the extra bit of artisan allure.

Tags: holiday gift guide, scotch, spirits, whiskey, whisky

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Holiday Shopping Guide: Ten Great Whiskies To Buy

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

There are few things a whiskey connoisseur likes better under the tree than a long, festively wrapped box containing something special.

It has been a good year for new whiskey expressions, so there is no shortage of options. And I would recommend something new to the market to help the receiver usher in a new year.

Sure, you can buy your Glenmorangie or Glenlivet loving gift recipient a bottle of 12-year old. But put a bit more thought into it, and a bit more brass, and you can turn a grin into a broad smile. For holiday gift-giving, I always thing it's better to give someone a limited edition or otherwise special expression of the brand they prefer. The other route to go is to introduce them to something unique in the category that will capture their interest and sense of curiosity.

These days, almost every brand of Scotch, Irish or American whiskey has a "special," whether it's a single-barrel, cask-strength, extra-aged or barrel-finished.

Here are some gift suggestions of new whiskies Luxist has tried this year and reviewed. Most of these will be found at better whiskey shops in major cities, as well as duty-free travel retail, rather than the corner store.

Gallery: Holiday Shopping: Ten Great Whiskies

Tags: Amrut, Ballantines Scotch, Bowmore, Compass Box, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, holiday gift guide, Jim beam, Whiskey gifts, whisky gifts, WhistlePig

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Holiday Shopping Guide: Fabulous Eats For Foodies

by Bobbie Leigh (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Nothing says holiday l celebration like caviar and Champagne. Petrossian, tops in any town for caviar, has its own caviar concierge (800-828-9241). Call and get some advice about the briny pearls with the indescribable taste. With 18 different types of caviar options, advice is a good idea. If you're thinking "big deal," splurge on the 125 gram Special Reserve Ossetra at $1,253 plus special shipping. The Champagne to match according to an expert at New York's Sherry Lehmann is Vintage Krug 1998 at $269.95.

Tags: caviar, crab cakes, crown roast of pork, gifts for foodies, holiday, holiday gift guide, holiday shopping guide, mail order foods, Maine lobster

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Holiday Gift Guide for the Ultimate Barbie Lover

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Holiday Guides

The Holiday Gift Guide for the Ultimate Barbie Collector

Mattel's Barbie has released her next line of unique items in the new Blond Book collection, a collection that celebrates all things blond. This collection is filled with fab items from around the globe, from accessories to a one-of-a-kind corset and dolls designed by fashion's avant-garde duo, The Blonds.

Here's a list of some of some dream-worthy items from the Blond Book collection that are sure to please the most fervent Barbie fan:

For the art lover, there's the pop art piece A Plastic Tan Never Fades. Priced at $750, the (30" W by 40" H) piece is made to order and printed on white Plexiglas. Allow up to 14 weeks for delivery.
A once-in-a-lifetime tour of Beverly Hills, Barbie-style, of course. For $10,000, the trip is complete with two business class round trip tickets, three nights stay at a 5-star hotel (double occupancy), and private car service while in Los Angeles. The package includes professional photography and a custom scrapbook. Only one trip is available. To place an order, contact (800) 491-7514.

Gallery: Barbie's Blond Book Collection

Tags: barbie, barbie doll, barbie dolls, holiday gift guide, holiday shopping, mattel

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Holiday Shopping Guide: 10 Gifts for Dad

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Holiday Guides, Men's Style

Dads are especially hard to shop for because they always seem to have everything they need and heaven knows they hate getting useless keepsakes and knickknacks. But that's not to say fathers don't appreciate the finer things in life, or getting something with some sentiment behind it, so show your dad how much you care this holiday season by spoiling him (just a little) with a gift that he'll love and use but would probably never have gotten around to buying for himself. Here are our top gift picks for dad -- all beautifully functional, fun, and top of the line.

Vulcain 50s Presidents' Alarm Watch, $8,350-$23,000
The Vulcain 50s President's Alarm Watch is great for any guy really but seems especially suited to dad or grandpa due to its nostalgic 1950s styling and interesting historical story: Vulcain has been gifting one to each new President since Eisenhower. Features include a casing of steel, yellow gold, or red gold and their famous Cricket movement (automatic).

Tags: gifts for Dad, gifts for men, holiday gift guide, holiday gifts, holiday shopping, holiday shopping guide, holiday shopping season

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Holiday Shopping Guide: 10 Gifts for Mom

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Handbags, Jewelry, Holiday Guides, Luxury Shopping

Moms are the glue that holds the world together. They work hard all year to keep us happy and healthy, sacrifice their own well-being for ours on a regular basis, and just generally smooth over the rough edges of life to make it all a little more bearable. Celebrate your mom this holiday season and show her how much you love and appreciate her with one of our luxe and pampered holiday gift ideas.

Spring Street Design Group 'Garden Critters' Handbag Hanger, $32
Handbag hangers are one of those little luxuries that women love to have but never think to buy themselves. This one, depicting a pretty bejeweled dragonfly, brings a cheerful dose of sparkle to any table along with a reminder of warmer spring days to come.

Tags: gifts for mom, gifts for mothers, holiday gift guide, holiday gifts, holiday shopping, mom, mother

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Holiday Gift Idea: The Playboy Digital Archive

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

The era of holding on to Dad's old stack of Playboy magazines is over. Now instead of storing piles of magazines, you can have the entire archive in a pocket-sized 250GB hard drive from Bondi Digital Publishing (the same company that developed the Complete New Yorker DVD set).

The hard drive includes every issue of Playboy magazine from 1953 to 2010, over 650 issues and more than 100,000 pages covering a span of 56 years. The hard drive is a USB bus-powered portable device that allows users to search, view, explore and organize the entire archive of digital editions, no power cord necessary. The aluminum hard drive measures 3" x 5" and includes 200GBs of extra room on the drive to store other documents. It sells for $299.95.

Tags: gifts for Dad, gifts for guys, gifts for men, holiday gift guide, holiday gifts, playboy archive, Playboy Magazine

The Luxist Gift Guide for Spoiled Pets

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Pets

While every fashionable poodle worth her pastel hair bows knows that nothing beats the gift of a forever home and a reliable bowl of kibble, human companions have long sought ways to help Fido and Fluffy experience a little holiday cheer -- and that certainly doesn't include a taste of the bubbly. As such, we here at Luxist have some recommendations for pet products that set our whiskers twitching.

1) Smart Interactive Toy for Dogs -- a Nina Ottosson puzzle toy, recommended by Victoria Stilwell on Animal Planet's "It's Me or the Dog" show. $54.95. Dogs need to be intellectually challenged, just like our human children. Teaching them to problem solve will go a long way toward building self-confidence. And should you not be blessed with a canine Einstein, we guarantee you'll be amused for hours watching your goofy Golden figure out how to find the treat you stashed under one of the little wooden pegs. Just be careful that Dumbo doesn't start chewing the wood. Available from various retailers, including Poochie Heaven.

Tags: animals, dogs, holiday gift guide, holiday gifts, holiday shopping, pets

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Luxist Gift Guide 09: Sensai Holiday Gift Sets

by Ariston Anderson (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance, Holiday Guides

If only Pamela Anderson had discovered the new SENSAI Platinum Edition Coffret Gift Set, before she let her platinum addiction drive her into bankruptcy. The new luxury gift set out just in time for the holidays offers for the first time ever, platinum, in a soft pearl powder and highlighting platinum body lotion. If that sounds decadent to you, it is. Forget the latest diamond cremes, platinum is the new luxury ingredient, straight from the renowned Japanese beauty line, which counts Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Aniston as fans. The Platinum Gift Set, which includes the powder, flawless brush, and body lotion packaged in a velvet clutch is available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman, and retails for $80. It's literally all you need to take to any party this season. But use sparingly. A brush of powder is all you need to make your whole face glow.

Tags: cosmetics, holiday gift guide, holiday gifts, HolidayGiftGuide, HolidayGifts, sensai, skin care, SkinCare

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