Drink Up

Make spirits bright this year with premium gifts made for festive sipping

'Tis that special time of the year, when you can ensure your loved ones can cheers with the best. And with all the holiday spirit in the air, what better gift to bring to family and friends than a bottle of premium liquor?

Help make spirits bright this season with these suggestions:

Bacardi Reserva Ocho | Shop here
Aged a minimum of eight years under the Caribbean sun, this Puerto Rican rum boasts warming notes of butterscotch, nutmeg, and dried apricots.

The rum's uncompromising quality rivals that of cognacs and older scotches, and is enjoyable on its own, on the rocks, or in a delicious Old Fashioned.

Grey Goose vodka | Shop here
Those who fill your life with joy deserve nothing but the finest: the finest French winter wheat from Picardie and the finest limestone-filtered spring water, all distilled only once to honor the flavors of these exquisite ingredients.

From the pop of the cork, you can give the gift of Grey Goose vodka knowing that every element is created and crafted in France to the highest standard.

And what better way to showcase the aroma and flavor than with vodka's most iconic cocktail, the Grey Goose vodka martini?

Simply add 2.5 oz of Grey Goose vodka, 0.5 oz of extra dry vermouth, and a dash of orange bitters to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir deliberately, and strain into a chilled martini cocktail glass. Finish by adding a twist of fresh lemon. Vive le Martini!

Bombay Sapphire | Shop here
Unwrap the festivities with a Bombay and tonic, the ultimate expression of the quintessentially classic cocktail.

Orris root and Angelica bring Bombay Sapphire its floral earthiness and enhance the bright, fresh flavors of citrus and juniper. Brilliantly straightforward and satisfying, this drink is always welcome at the party.

Cazadores tequila | Shop here
Cazadores Blanco starts in the agave fields, using 100-percent Blue Weber agave from the highland region of Jalisco. The agaves have a minimum maturity of six years to ensure high sugar content and excellent quality.

After a seven-day double fermentation process and two rounds of distillation, Cazadores Blanco is immediately filtered and bottled. The result? A tequila in its purest form, without aging, for intensity and real flavor of agave.

Citrus fruits, fragrant herbs, and the customary smooth finish make Cazadores Blanco excellent for cocktails or sipped neat.

Dewar's 12 year old | Shop here
Founded in 1846 by John Dewar, Dewar's has grown from a small wine and spirits merchant shop in Scotland to one of the largest Scotch whiskey brands in the world.

Best known for its iconic Dewar's White Label, it has expanded its family to create a portfolio of premium and super premium whiskies.

The signature Dewar's 12 is a luxuriously fruity and smooth blend that's perfect for the holidays. An approachable, premium trade-up for curious scotch drinkers, Dewar's 12 offers a richer profile, with fuller and more rounded aromas of honey dried fruits and vanilla.

This satisfying flavor results in Dewar's 12 being the ideal serve for any occasion: drink it on the rocks, neat, in an Old Fashioned, or an aromatic highball.

Angel's Envy bourbon | Shop here
The holidays are all about tradition, and this top-shelf whiskey puts a new spin on a Louisville classic.

Finished in port wine barrels, Angel's Envy is complex yet approachable and reinvigorates your favorite seasonal sips.

Aberfeldy 12yo single malt whisky | Shop here
Nestled within a lush valley in the foothills of the Central Highlands of Scotland, Aberfeldy Distillery is in the quaint village of Aberfeldy, Perthshire.

Aberfeldy whisky is known as the "Golden Dram." Golden for the distillery’s water source, which is the famous Pitilie Burn, renowned for its water quality and famed for its rich deposits of alluvial gold.

Golden, for Aberfeldy continues to be awarded gold and double gold medals in international spirits awards. Golden, for every sip laden with honey, spices, citrus, and hints of vanilla.

Aged for 12 years and scented with spices and honeyed plump fruits, with a taste that's syrupy with lots of vanilla and fudge and a whisper of smoke on the finish, the 12yo Aberfeldy is sure to be a treat for all.

Swap the snow for sunshine with Bacardi Ocho.

Photo courtesy of Bacardi

Swap the snow for sunshine with Bacardi Ocho.

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Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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