The Social Drinker

Gifts for the wine lover

Finding a present for drinkers can be a fraught affair. Obviously, a bottle is often welcome, but it can often be difficult to match drinker and drink. For this reason, it is often easier to buy a present that is not liquid.

In my opinion, one of the best presents you can buy anybody is a set of glasses. New glasses are lovely, but so are old glasses from an antique shop or auction room. Crystal is so untrendy these days that you can pick up a dozen beautiful glasses at auction for less than it would cost to buy glassware in Ikea. The good news is that everything tastes better in a good glass.

Another simple present that is almost always welcome is a decent corkscrew. For me, the best corkscrew is the one known as a Waiter’s Friend, which operates a little like a penknife. But an electric corkscrew is a good alternative for anybody who has arthritis or lacks the strength needed for a manual corkscrew. It is best to stay away from the ubiquitous winged or butterfly corkscrew, which always seems to break after a few months.

A final present which should always find a welcome in any social drinker’s home is a cocktail shaker. Cocktail shakers are one of those things that don’t come in all shapes and sizes. Somebody in the 1920s alighted upon the right design, and everybody has been copying this genius ever since. Rather like watches these days, it is all about individual taste rather than price. Flying Tiger does a good glass cocktail shaker for about a fiver, while Debenhams has a selection at very reasonable prices. Alessi’s version, below, at €195 in Brown Thomas, is more top-of-the-range. Of course, a shaker is only the beginning. Glasses, as well as a bottle of Angostura Bitters; dry and sweet Vermouth; as well as Triple Sec, are essential ingredients for any novice you wish to initiate into the joys of cocktail making. What could be a better present than that?