Long, summer nights are beginning to come to a close, and the festivities of fall and winter are coming in quick. While we might not be sure exactly what those celebrations will look like this year, we do know there will be glasses of cheer at the ready. After a lot of testing, these are some of our favorite glasses, gadgets, and drinks essentials for people who love wine, beer, cocktails, and whiskey. Plus, if you use the code LABORDAY15 at checkout you’ll get 15 percent off your order.
Our Favorite Wine Picks
Wine Breather Decanter
As a wine lover, you likely already know that decanting a wine awakens it, bringing forward the aromatics and softening any harshness. But, the process can take a while and sometimes, you just want to get to the good stuff. That’s why we love the Wine Breather Decanter. Crafted from sleek lead-free crystal, this near-magical accessory decants and aerates wine in under 2 minutes, transforming it into the best version of itself. Serve the wine from the lovely carafe, if you’d like, or pour it back in the bottle. It holds 48 oz (a little under 2 bottles of wine) and will make your next wine night better than ever.
Iceberg Insulated Wine Tumbler
If you’re a white, bubbly, or rosé chilled red fan, you’ve probably had those nights where you’re sipping your wine long into the evening. It’s great. Until it’s not. After a while, you notice that it’s getting a little bit warm. But, there’s still more to drink. Blech.
That’s where the Iceberg Insulated Wine Tumbler comes in. Its double-walled, vacuum-insulated construction ensures that your drink is at the exact right temperature for as long as you’re enjoying it. There’s even a removable lid for insulation and to prevent spills. It holds 10oz and is perfect for outdoor drinking of any sort. And, it comes in five great colors, meaning there can be one for everyone in the family.
Adjustable Wine Aerator
Do you have a few hours to wait for your wine to properly decant? No? Simply grab your handy dandy Adjustable Wine Aerator. Set it for however long you wish you could have decanted the wine (up to six hours) and it will do the same work in mere minutes. Some similar gadgets have messy tubes or are hard to operate, but this features an integrated aeration intake system that takes all the fuss out of the process. Crafted with stainless steel and BPA-free plastic, you’ll wonder how you managed without it for so long.
Cooler than Cool Glacier Wine Glass
If you’re an outdoor wine drinker, listen up. Your picnics, barbecues, and long nights sipping away just got better. The Cooler than Cool Glacier Wine Glass, after spending two hours in your freezer, will keep your drink chilly for as long as you’re sipping or swilling. The proprietary gel blend and the silicone band (for insulation and a comfy gripping spot) will take care of the temperature, you just have to pick out something great to drink. Cheers to that!
Filter Wine Pour Spout
Drinking old wine can be a transcendent experience. Opening it is occasionally less so. All too often, the cork breaks or crumbles and everyone disperses to find some sort of filtration device. What was a lovely evening just turned into a circus.
Nip those annoyances in the bud with the Filter Wine Pour Spout, which filters, pours, and preserves your wine. Just pop it into your bottle and serve through the pour spout. It also softens any out-of-balance tannin or harshness in the wine, so you may find yourself pouring just about everything you drink through it. It’s also dishwasher safe—just throw it in and it’ll be ready for next time.
Our Favorite Beer Picks
Spiegelau Universal Tulip Beer Glass
A panel of master brewers convened to design their ideal beer glass, one that would show off the flavors and aromas of their favorite beers. The Spiegelau Universal Tulip Beer Glass is what they came up with, and it deserves a place on your bar. Whether you’re drinking a hazy IPA, a refreshing pilsner, or a stout with gravitas, this lead-free crystal glass will majorly upgrade your drinking experience. Plus, the glasses are certified dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
Beer Types of The World Poster
The styles and types of beer can be a complicated beast, that’s why every beer nerd needs this Beer Types of The World poster. printed at dazzling Giclée quality, is the perfect décor for the beer lover. Not only does it break down the styles and origins of beer styles in an easy-to-understand way, but it’s also just a great piece for your wall—a stunning matte poster on museum-quality paper.
Iceberg Insulated Can & Bottle Cooler
Koozies are for college kids. The rest of us need something a little more effective for our hard-won microbrews.
So, meet the Iceberg Insulated Can & Bottle Cooler, with double-wall, vacuumed insulation to keep your drink chilly until you’re finished. Just pop in your standard aluminum can or glass beer bottle, and keep sipping on your perfectly frosty beer.
Stainless Steel Credit Card Bottle Opener
We’ve all been there—you rustled up a beer and are ready to enjoy it. You reach around for your bottle opener. Somehow, it’s nowhere to be found. Desperation strikes. You pull out a spoon, a fork, a butter knife, hoping to do one of those cool opening tricks you’ve seen on the internet. Nothing’s working.
Stop that disaster in its tracks with the Stainless Steel Credit Card Bottle Opener. Cleverly designed to slip into any standard-size wallet, this sturdy but sleek little contraption will have your back whenever you’re hoping to crack a cold one.
Cooler than Cool Glacier Beer Glass
Good news: with the Cooler than Cool Glacier Beer Glass, warm beer is officially uninvited to your future. Just pop the glasses into the freezer so they’re ready whenever you are. The proprietary gel inside the glass keeps your pint frosty, no matter how hot it is outside. The silicone band around the bottom helps keep the contents of the glass cold but also makes a comfortable spot to hold. Just fill it up and start sipping!
Our Favorite Cocktail Picks
Cocktail Codex Poster
Death & Co.’s Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, David Kaplan, and Devon Tarby had a hypothesis. They believed that in order to be an expert bartender, you really only have to know six drinks. They wrote a book on the subject. The book won a James Beard Award.
Bring the magic of those six cocktails into your home with this museum-quality poster, illustrating the cocktails and three variations on each. You’ll look the part of an expert bartender and, better yet, you’ll actually be one!
Professional Ice Cube Tray With Lid
Ice is perhaps the most underrated cocktail ingredient. Cocktails are at their best when they’re cold and a bit diluted (without being watery). Ensure that your cocktails are at their peak for longer with ice from this Professional Ice Cube Tray With Lid. The oversized ice cubes will keep your cocktail cold without watering it down, and the lid keeps the other flavors from your freezer from sneaking into your cocktail. The mold and lid are made with food-safe silicon and the whole thing is dishwasher safe.
The Classic Cocktail Barware Set
It’s not hard to make a great cocktail, but you do need the proper tools. This Classic Cocktail Barware Set is commercial-grade and will get you started on the right foot. Included is a lead-free crystal mixing glass, then a stainless steel hawthorne strainer, double jigger, and weighted barspoon. You’ll soon be whipping up top-notch martinis, negronis, and anything else you can dream of with the greatest of ease.
Spiegelau Coupette Glass
We firmly believe that a great cocktail is just as delicious out of a mason jar as it is from a proper glass. That said, your mason jar situation will never feel quite as elegant as a cocktail served from the proper glass, especially if it’s the Spiegelau Coupette Glass. Crafted from lead-free crystal in Germany, these glasses are perfectly balanced, with an etched base that perfectly refracts the light. They’re dishwasher safe, and will make you feel like you’re drinking at a fancy bar in Manhattan. Take that, mason jars.
Professional Shakers
If you’re a Margarita or daiquiri fan, listen up. Some of the most delightful cocktails—that is, the ones featuring fruit juice, simple syrup, cream liqueurs, dairy, and more—are shaken. Make sure you’re up to the task with these professional-grade shakers, one large, one small. You’ll be ready for tiki night, taco night, and any other mixology challenge that comes your way.
Our Favorite Whiskey Picks
Spiegelau Bourbon Tasting Glass
Bourbon drinkers, this one is for you. If you love the layered aromatics of vanilla, brown butter, and baking spice, why not buy a glass that accentuates them? The Spiegelau Bourbon Tasting Glass was designed to push those aromas towards your nose, ensuring that you get the most of your bourbon, whether it’s your everyday favorite or that fancy bottle that you’ve been saving for a special occasion. We tested these next to a traditional rocks glass and our minds were BLOWN.
Drink Rocks Geometric Shapes
Booze rookies think drinking whisky straight is impressive. The pros know that a little bit of water goes a long way in opening up flavor. In fact, real whisky lovers are more impressed by knowing the perfect amount of dilution.
Control your own dilution while making a statement with these striking Geometric Drink Rocks. Keep a few in your freezer so they’re properly frosty, then pop them into your glass when you’re ready for a cold glass of your favorite spirit. Add a few drops of water, and prepare for a sublime drinking experience. The hand-finished marble and soapstone shapes make a stylish addition to your bar when you’re not using them.
Cooler than Cool Chilled Smoked Whiskey Glass
If there’s anything worse than warm whiskey, it’s an overly diluted dram. Ensure chilled, perfectly diluted whiskey that you can enjoy at your own pace with this set of Cooler than Cool Chilled Smoked Whiskey Glasses. Just pop them in the freezer so they’re ready whenever you are. After just two hours of freezer time, the proprietary gel inside the BPA-free plastic glass will keep your beverage properly frosty for as long as you’re enjoying it. The silicone band acts as insulation and a comfy spot for holding. Now you can enjoy your favorite whiskey at its ideal temperature without worrying about it warming up or watering down.
The Houses of Bourbon Poster
If your spirit of choice is bourbon, your home should reflect that even beyond your bar. The Houses of Bourbon poster, printed at dazzling Giclée quality, is the perfect décor for the long-time whiskey lover. Not only does it break down the who’s who of bourbon in an easy-to-understand way, but it’s also just a great piece for your wall—a stunning matte poster on museum-quality paper.
Etched Glass Globe Whisky Decanter and Glasses Set
Whereas wine decanters play an important role in the flavor and textural experience of wine, spirits decanters are mostly for aesthetics. That’s why it’s important to find one that makes a statement, like this Etched Glass Globe Whisky Decanter and the glasses that come with it. The lead-free borosilicate glass of both the decanter and the glasses is etched with a map of the globe, and the decanter, which holds a little over a bottle of whisky, comes with a stand and spins as a globe would. Just remove it from its stand when you’re ready to pour and whatever you’re enjoying will feel even more remarkable.
