From Troye Sivan’s camera roll to Margot Robbie’s favourite gin, these gifts are too good to gatekeep.
There’s no sugar-coating or salt-rimming it: gifting can feel like a high-pressure task. First, you have to decipher the appropriate level of investment. Then, you have to try and recall everything your giftee’s ever said that might hint as to what they’d like. And finally, there’s balancing that fine, fine line between too much and not enough. Plus, if they’re the type to live by the words of Ariana Grande (“I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it”), there’s the greater task of finding something they don’t already have.
Our take? The drinks gift does it all: there’s a full spectrum of pricing, from a $6 vino to a $42,000 bottle (feeling generous?), with options galore in between, which means you can find something they’ll genuinely like and that sticks to your budget. It’s also incredibly low-pressure – these are gifts they can enjoy in the moment or sip over time, and not get stuck collecting dust in a corner.
We’ve scoured every slab, bottle and bag for our best, most non-generic gifts to make you look cultured, thoughtful and well-acquainted – and make them feel a million bucks.
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1. For the wine-bar friend
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz by Troye Sivan
They’re painfully trendy without even trying, work in a creative industry, wore Margiela Tabis before they were cool, take pride in their collection of bougie butters, and if they’re in Melbourne, are prone to a bit of Florian by day and Carnation Canteen by night. Bonus points (and all the confirmation you need that this is the perfect gift) if their signature scent is by Carlton-born fragrance house Tsu Lange Yor, the brand belonging to Penfolds’ newest creative partner, Troye Sivan.
The first chapter in a multi-year partnership, the brand’s iconic Bin 389 is reimagined by Troye and his collaborators over at TLY, with the dry, full-bodied wine hand-wrapped in tissue printed with images from Troye’s personal camera roll, boxed in a striking red design. Our take? This is the juice to pair with a candlelit steak frites dinner.
2. For the main-character minimalist
This is for the friend with the cream couch and golden retriever, and a wardrobe consisting mostly of crisp basics, tonal linens and matching activewear sets. They have their life together in the effortless, coastal-cool kind of way you typically only see in Nancy Meyers films. And they’re definitely doing Bondi to Bronte on a Sunday morning, followed by a cold plunge.
Created by a group of five best friends (one being Margot Robbie), Papa Salt is the ultimate IYKYK gin. It tastes best shared over a long lunch with mates, and every serve – tonic, soda, the rocks, et al – is surprisingly sessionable. The gin itself is zesty, a little zingy, celebrates its Australian roots with notes of wattleseed, and, as you’d expect by its name, is balanced by the perfect level of salinity. Everyone who tries it loves it (even the non-gin-inclined) and the beaut seafoam-coloured bottle doubles as a mantle-ready keepsake too.
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Click image to shop
3. For the chaotic good Sagittarian
We all have that one friend whose "Find My Friends" location is a daily game of roulette. One minute they’re at a warehouse sample sale, the next they’re at a bush doof in a postcode you never knew existed. They are the personification of Poco Vino; spontaneous, happy-go-lucky and inherently portable.
Since they’re likely a Sagittarius (or just embody that "here for a good time" energy), these single-serve pours are perfect for someone who lives out of their tote bag. Available in six different 187mL varieties (so you can treat them to a few), Poco Vino makes the ultimate grab-and-go gift for the person who treats life like one long aperitivo hour.
4. For the quiet-luxury style icon
They’re chic in a CBK kind of way, have a schmancy corporate gig but spare their friends the details, their LinkedIn headshot looks straight out of a magazine and they’ve graduated from house spirits and mixers to the ‘slow sip’ way of life. They’re practically destined to have a bottle of Solento’s Organic Añejo Tequila in their bar cart. This gift isn't one for kick-ons at 2am; this añejo is an award-winning, USDA-certified organic spirit made in small batches from a single estate in Jalisco, Mexico.
Aged in American Oak barrels for 18 months, Solento delivers truly delicious notes of buttery maple and toasted hazelnuts – perfect for sipping over a single large ice cube while picking at a cheese board. The bottle is architectural, the tequila itself is like liquid gold, and the vibe is ‘quiet luxury’ to a T.
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Click image to shop
5. For the ‘just because’ bestie
Sometimes it’s not a milestone birthday, engagement or long-awaited housewarming; sometimes you just want to brighten the day of the person who shows up, checks in and sends you the most ridiculously niche memes. Zonzo Estate’s spritz range is the low-fuss, day-making, high-reward answer. Whether it’s the cult-loved Zoncello Limoncello Spritz, the aperitivo-hour-ready RoRo or the Cicchio Pistachio Spritz (perfect for trend lords and pistachio obsessives alike), these are colorful, fizzy, and as instantly gratifying as a TikTok ‘For You’ page. It’s the perfect "saw this and thought of you" gesture that proves you don’t need a $42,000 bottle to make someone feel the love.
