11 Clever Gift Ideas For Bartenders

October 1, 2022 Alex Kinejara

From a perfectly stirred negroni to cold beer from the tap, bartenders pour a little extra joy into our lives. This holiday season, they deserve to receive a little of that love back.

If you’re looking to make your favorite home (or professional) bartender smile, there’s nothing better than a thoughtful gift.

Luckily, we have the perfect gift guide that you can “pour” over. Whether you know a budding mixologist or a pubhouse pro, we’ve rounded up the 11 best gifts for bartenders in your life.

Gifts for Mixing and Fixing

The difference between a good bartender and a great bartender? Technique. And the key to developing the right technique is having the right tools.

Help your favorite bartender ignite or elevate their skills with some essential (and not-so-essential) bartending tools:

A cocktail kits – Shaken or stirred? Two ice cubes or one? One shot or a double?For the perfect cocktail, you need the right tools to please someone’s palette—which is why every bartender needs a cocktail shaker kit. An essential bar tool, a cocktail shaker kit is every bartender’s starter pack. These matching sets have all the essential tools needed to make nearly any mixed drink, from martinis to margaritas:

Shaker (18 ounces or 24 ounces)
Strainer whisk
Bottle opener
Stirring spoon
Double-sided jigger
Cocktail muddles

A bar cart – There’s a reason the bar cart has stayed in fashion for decades. These organized shelf units make cocktail hour a breeze (and give a professional edge to any home bartender). Look for spacious carts with at least two shelves for liquor and bar tool storage. Undershelf racks for hanging glassware is an excellent touch.
A blender – Frosé, anyone? When summer hits, a blender adds an entirely new class of drinks to any bartender’s menu. Give them a blender to make frozen cocktails like bellinis, margaritas, and piña coladas.¹
An ice cube mold – These aren’t your average ice cubes. The right ice cube shape not only looks cool, but it also can change the flavor and drinking experience of a cocktail.² Look for large spherical or cube-shaped ice molds to elevate any old fashioned.

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Gifts for Taste and Flavor

In many ways, mixology is a lot like cooking. Both professional and amateur bartenders create an edible experience that’s pleasing to the senses—particularly to your taste buds.

To craft a memorable cocktail, you need the right ingredients and a solid recipe. Inspire your favorite mixologist with these flavor-boosting gifts for bartenders:

A cocktail recipe book – Whether your friend or loved one is just getting the basics down as a beginner bartender, or ready to explore new worlds of flavor, this gift is golden. Give a cocktail recipe book to any home bartender to nail the gold standards—negronis, martinis, old fashioneds, etc. For old pros, branch out to inventive and niche cocktail recipe books like Japanese cocktails, mezcal cocktails, and more.
An alcohol subscription box –The perfect cocktail starts with excellent liquor. For a bartender gift that keeps on giving, choose an alcohol subscription box that pleases their palette. Variety boxes are a safe bet, but you can also choose specific liquor types or locales for a specialty gift idea.
Bitters –An underrated ingredient, bitters add that je ne sais quois to a classic cocktail. Make a small gift feel special with a unique or high quality bitters set.
Liquor mini bottles –Got a friend who loves to mix drinks and travel? Stuff their stocking with travel-friendly mini liquor bottles. From whiskey to Kahlua, there’s a flavor for every cocktail enthusiast on the road.

Gifts for Self-Care and Self-Love

Bartending may seem all fun and games. But if you’ve worked in the service industry, you know that a busy shift can leave you more drained than an empty cocktail glass.

To help them stay in shape, give your favorite bartender these soothing self-care gifts:

Hand cream – From contact with alcohol to constant hand washing, every bartender’s hands need a little love. Give them a nourishing hand cream that’ll protect their precious fingers from any drying environment.
Work-friendly shoes – Behind a bar, liquid is bound to end up on the floor. Help your friend avoid some of the most common restaurant injuries with non-slip restaurant shoes. Our Spacefloud sneakers keep workers from sliding in style, while also cushioning feet to withstand multi-hour shifts.
Massage gun – Between lugging bottles and standing on their feet all day, bartenders need to take care of their bodies. For a close bartender friend, give a massage gun to help them unwind and recharge for the next shift.

Give Support from the Ground Up with Snibbs

When it comes to holiday or Christmas gifts for bartenders, just about any liquor-related item gift will do. But for your professional bartender friends, don’t be afraid to walk the extra mile. This holiday season, help your favorite mixologists find their footing with Snibbs.

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