THE GIFT GUIDE:  WHAT TO GET FOR THE HARD TO GET FOR

One Part offers a nearly endless set of variations for at-home infusions. photo courtesy of the brand)

Cocktails of yore featured a mixture of three basic ingredients: spirits, citrus, and sugar. But the cocktail revolution of the past decade-plus has broadened the flavor palette significantly. Today’s drinks often involve an average of six different, and often exotic, ingredients. Three-year-old startup  1 pt is built to allow home cocktail-makers to achieve greater variety and depth of flavor. 

Here’s how it works: Whatever your spirit of choice, 1 pt amps-up the flavor with its 19 proprietary infusions of all natural, multi-ingredient gourmet blends of dried herbs, botanicals, florals, and spices. Think ‘tea’ for your tipple. The spirit specific blends come in single packs, the ingredients of which you steep for several hours in your spirit of choice. Whiskey selections, for instance, include ‘ginger,’ ‘barrel,’ and ‘spiced vanilla.’ Tequila choices include ‘chili,’ ‘smoky,’ and ‘lime.’ 

In just a few hours, all of the complex gourmet flavor of your favorite and perhaps elaborately-made cocktail is now inherent in the spirit. Cocktail recipes included with your infusions are typically comprised of three ingredients (just add fresh juices and sweetener) but the flavor combos now pack as good a punch as any bar-ordered libation.

Infusion variety packs ($30) include six packs of three different flavors. Two packets infuse a standard 750ml bottle of spirits. The 1 pt Master Kit ($75) includes an infusion bottle, infusion basket, and stainless steel tasting straw. It’s fun, it’s delicious, and it’s just the sort of entertaining diversion that we all need right about now.