Top shelf all the way

Never cut corners on liquor--always go top shelf. With that in mind, and the fact that 'Tis Almost the Season for holiday celebrations--we zeroed in on a couple of gift sets designed to enhance America's favorite cocktail--the martini.

From Stockholm, Sweden's Absolut Spirits Company, Inc., comes the Level Vodka gift set, complete with the company's newest super premium vodka (750 ml for $30 or 1.75 liters for $59) and martini glasses. Level, its tall, lean frosted bottle sure to stand out in your Bombay Sapphire home bar, gets its smooth taste from the combination of two distillation methods: continuous and batch.

For those who prefer a gin martini--now we're talkin'--look no further than the Bombay Spirits Company U.S.A., Miami, Fla., makers of Bombay Sapphire. Its co-pack gift set ($19.99) includes a 750 ml bottle of Sapphire gin and a collector's edition martini glass designed with a graceful silhouette and cool blue detail. Glass and bottle are housed in a wide, cylindrical-shaped case of translucent plastic with a silver starburst design overlay and metallic blue accents. In other words, there's no need to wrap this present.

Finally, what's Christmas without eggnog? And what good is eggnog unless it's imported directly from Dublin, Ireland, by McCormick Distilling Company, Weston, Mo., the oldest (since 1856) producer of alcohol beverages products west of the Mississippi. McCormick's, too, has a gift pack for this festive season, containing a 750 ml bottle and two cocktail glasses.

So, no matter what you're drinking ... Cheers!

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

COPYRIGHT 2004 Society for the Advancement of Education
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group