Under $15, under $20, or under $30 – we’ve got you. Just hope your co-workers read this list, too.
Kris Kringle – Santa’s thrifty alter ego. While Mr Claus sends those premium oh-you-shouldn’t-have Chrissy gifts straight from the North Pole to your stocking, KK opts for something a little more affordable and approachable. He’s a man of the people, y’know?
It goes like this: whether it’s destined for a co-worker, cousin or close friend, KK gifts likely have a spend limit (probably for the best at this time of the year, honestly) and might even be given out at random. It means that if you’re thinking of gift-wrapping a bottle of something nice for your Secret Santa (and we recommend it), you’ll need price and quality to shake hands and play nice.
From dead-set crowd-pleasers to satisfying a picky wine lover on a budget, we’ve collected 14 of the very best KK options in beer, wine, spirits and everything else – all under $30.
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Gifts under $15
1. Mount Langi Ghiran Billi Billi Shiraz
It’s a bit of an open secret, but we’ll come out and say it: Billi Billi Shiraz is unbeatable for its price. Mount Langi’s ever-popular red is medium-bodied, packed with red fruit flavours and rounded off with juicy acidity and some soft tannins. It’s a weekend-worthy wine at mid-week prices and, for the red-wine-loving KK recipients out there, it’ll be like Christmas came early.
2. Absolut Vodka (50mL)
Tiny spirits are the stocking-stuffers we all secretly cross our fingers for. What they lack in size – this bottle of Absolut Vodka is just 50mL – they make up for in both cuteness and useability. Single serve Vodka Martini? Sure. Souped-up glass of OJ as a last-minute aperitif? You bet. A delicious nightcap before bed? Oh, most definitely.
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3. Patrón Silver Tequila (50mL)
In Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge (played only by Michael Caine in our hearts) remarks to his first ghostly visitor, “Are you the spirit whose coming was foretold to me?” Similar sentiments are generally uttered by KK recipients, whose fondness for miniature bottles of spirits is well known. What we (and your KK) love about this Patrón Silver Tequila is the bottle, which is a perfectly shrunk version of the full-size Patrón, and the fact that it makes the best one-off Margarita or Paloma around.
4. The Kraken Black Spiced Rum (50mL)
It’s the richness and complexity of The Kraken that has made it a back-bar staple. Whether it’s jazzing up a bowl of tropical punch, adding a whack of cinnamon and clove to your Dark ‘n’ Stormy or just a little splash on the rocks, this spiced-packed black rum is perfect. Plus, with its iconic bottle design miniaturised, your KK will be chuffed to have this one in the liquor cabinet.
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Gifts under $20
5. Largo Clean Lager
According to Oli Leimbach, one of the indie pop legends behind Lime Cordiale, “it’s every kid’s dream to grow up to have their own beer.” Well, Santa won’t have that in his sack (a brewery is more of a birthday present, anyway), but someone will definitely be stoked to grab a six-pack of one of the band’s new brews, Largo Clean Lager. A smooth and crisp lager that’s certified carbon neutral, Largo is a warm-season winner, whether your KK is a Lime Cordiale fan or not.
6. Alpha Domus Beatrix Sparkling Rosé
There’s something uniquely Christmassy about sparkling rosé, and it’s not just the colour (which reminds us of Santa putting his red and white outfit in the wash and the colours running together, if you must know). Really, it’s the combination of fun fizz, crispy acidity and strawberries-and-cream flavours, all of which you’ll find in the whimsical Beatrix Sparkling Rosé from New Zealand’s Alpha Domus. Made from soft and fruity Hawke’s Bay merlot, anyone would be glad to have this on hand during the festive season.
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7. Sidewood Adelaide Hills Sparkling NV
A Kris Kringle gift has to say a lot without using any words, so let’s translate for this Sidewood Sparkling NV. Handing it over, it might be heard to claim: “You and I know that the Adelaide Hills is one of Australia’s best up-and-coming wine regions, and Sidewood is a producer that can do no wrong. Pinot noir and chardonnay offer some complex citrus and stone fruit flavours in this sparkling wine, while time on lees adds complexity and richness.” If wine could talk, hey?
8. Tim Adams Pinot Gris
The best KK is the one that’s more than just a gift. What we love about the Tim Adams Pinot Gris is that it just works so well in the context of Christmas. Sure, your KK might drink it that night (a fine choice, if we may say so) but when Mum pops around with a platter of soft cheeses or the prawns come out on Christmas afternoon, the racy acidity, dry finish and peach and lychee flavours are coming straight to the rescue.
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9. Zonzo Bellini Di Cristina
If you’ve ever travelled to Venice (or a boozy brunch), you’ll have fond memories of the Bellini. The deceptively simple drink is a blend of peach nectar and prosecco, best served with a few salty snacks as the sun dips on a hot summer day. Here, Yarra Valley winery Zonzo has made it even easier for your KK, doing all the work in their pre-bottled Bellini Di Cristina. It’s full of sweet peach aromas, a light fizz and subtle creaminess that’s perfect for those warm Christmas arvos.
Gifts under $30
10. Better Beer Ginger Beer
Beer lovers will already know Better Beer, the range from social media larrikins Matt Ford and Jack Steele (aka The Inspired Unemployed), and their Zero Carb Lager that shot to number six on the GABS Hottest 100 last year. For KK recipients not so into beer but keen on the Better Beer action, we present the boys’ new Better Beer Ginger Beer. It’s slightly sweet and slightly spicy (read: crowd-pleaser) and contains just 4g sugar per 100mL. We’d all be stoked with a sixer of this guy, wouldn’t we?
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11. Amply’s Whisky and Ginger Beer
There’s no shortcut to a killer KK, but the right balance of novelty and great flavour will get you most of the way there. The Amply’s Whisky and Ginger Beer has a healthy dose of both, blending a traditionally cloudy, spicy ginger beer with a whack of whisky for a novel edge. The result is a classic ginger beer rounded off with subtle vanilla and oak flavours that ought to excite adventurous palates.
12. The Craft Collection 6 Pack
Commitment-phobia isn’t just for sitcom boyfriends – it’s a real condition for beer lovers, too. Experience tells us the cure is a curated selection like the Craft Collection 6 Pack (for beer enthusiasts – sitcom boyfriends, you’re on your own). This mixed six-pack flits between styles like the hazy, tropical Kaiju Pleazure Kruze, Colossal Brewing’s hopped-up Hopmosphere IPA and the subtle citrus flavours of the Initial Brewing XPA. It means your KK can pick and choose between different flavours rather than committing to the same thing over and over.
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13. Rabbit Ranch Central Otago Pinot Noir
One for the light red lovers. The story goes that, before it was a winery, Rabbit Ranch was a sheep farm overrun with rabbits. Where sheep were driven off by the bunnies, vines now thrive (as do the rabbits), producing classic Central Otago pinot noir. This Rabbit Ranch Pinot is light enough to suit both the aficionados and newbies, with red fruit flavours, barely-there tannins and soft acidity. Would be great with a bit of turkey, too.
14. Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côtes du Rhône Organic
If buying your KK a trip to France isn’t on the cards, a très chic bottle from the Rhone Valley is a consolation prize they won’t be sad about. This certified organic Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côtes du Rhône is a blend of stylish French grapes – grenache, mourvèdre, carignan and syrah – that’s dark, spicy and fruity in all the best ways. And given Paul Jaboulet Aîné has been at it since 1843, you can rest assured they know what they’re doing.
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