Gift baskets can be a fun way to give the gift of cocktails this holiday season. The idea is simple: Pick a cocktail your recipient will love, then get the ingredients and package them in a gift box or basket … along with copy of DIY Cocktails, of course.

The level of DIY-ness is up to you. You can create your own recipe and print it on a decorative card, include a bottle of your own homemade liqueur or jar of DIY cocktail cherries. The price range is also up to you. For a big gift, include glassware and bar tools. And for a smaller gift, just stick to the basics and include some homemade items.

Here are some kits that I would be thrilled to get as a gift. Admittedly, they’re a bit fancy-pants. (What can I say? My pants, they are fancy.) Hopefully they inspire your gift giving!

Manhattan

• Black Maple Hill bourbon
• Carpana Antica sweet vermouth
• The Bitter Truth Orange Bitters
• Luxardo Gourmet Maraschino Cherries
• Rocks Glasses

Martini

• Tru2 Organic Gin
• Dry Vermouth
• cocktail olives
• Fun set of martini picks
• Cubist Martini Glass set

Champagne Cocktail

• Roederer Estate Brut
• Demerara Sugar Cubes
• Hennessy VSOP Cognac
• Angostura Bitters
• Riedel Champagne Flute

I got this idea from the fabulous baskets by Bar Keeper in Silverlake. Seeing these was definitely a “Why didn’t I think of this?” moment.

Photo by Andrea Nguyen

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