OBSESSIONS
DEL MAGUEY
TOBALA SINGLE
VILLAGE MEZCAL
“Tobala has a special
place in my heart: It’s
truly my ‘stranded on
a desert island’ bottle,
with this wonderful bal-
ance of floral, mineral,
and smoke. The time
and attention it’s made
with shine through in
every sip.”
—Charles Joly, Craft-
house Cocktails,
Chicago. ($125;
delmaguey.com)MATTHIASSON NO. 3
NAPA VALLEY SWEET
VERMOUTH
“This vermouth is so
sexy. It’s 100 percent
Flora (a Sémillon and
Gewürztraminer cross),
fermented whole clus-
ter to produce rich,
dried fruit flavors, and
bottled unfiltered. I love
to drink it over ice.”
—LeNell Camacho
Santa Ana, LeNell’s
Beverage Boutique,
Birmingham, Alabama.
($35; matthiasson.com)ST. GEORGE SPICED
PEAR LIQUEUR
“With hints of spices
like clove and cinna-
mon, this liqueur is
perfect around the hol-
idays. The Bartlett pear
really shines through
without being too
cloying or sweet. It’s
super-versatile
and a perfect addition
to a toddy or Cham-
pagne cocktail.”
—Angel Teta, Ataula,
Portland, Oregon. ($35;
stgeorgespirits.com)COPAL TREE
COPALLI WHITE RUM
“This new organic rum
has a beautiful, grassy
freshness on the nose.
The crisp finish makes
it a great choice for a
classic daiquiri. The
bottle is simple but
beautiful, and the
distillery provides
educational grants to
benefit communities in
Southern Belize.”
—Devon Tarby, The
Walker Inn, Los Angeles.
($29; copallirum.com)Holiday Spirits For the perfect bottles
to gift, we asked—who else?—some of our
favorite bartenders for their picks.
22 DECEMBER 2018
PHOTOGRAPHY: VICTOR PROTASIO; FOOD STYLING: MARGARET DICKEY; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINE KEELY