The 12 Bottles of Christmas

5.) The "Beer" Bottle: Samuel Adams Utopias ($140)

When is beer more like liquor? When it's this highly potent (27% alcohol content by volume) noncarbonated offering from the beloved craft brewer. The taste is vaguely reminiscent of beer -- the malty flavor is definitely pronounced -- but the syrupy richness makes this beer closer to a first-rate port.

6.) The Non-Bottle Bottle: ShotPak ($6 to $9 for a six-pack).

Who says booze comes only in glass bottles? The clever folks behind ShotPak have packaged both spirits (vodka, rum, etc.) and premixed cocktails (Lemon Drop, Purple Hooter, etc.) in soft, highly portable pouches containing shot-size servings. A bit of a gag, to be sure, but it's definitely something we could see as a stocking stuffer.

7.) The Forbidden Bottle: Lucid Absinthe ($60).

Absinthe was once the most verboten of spirits, known for its hallucinogenic powers. And that's the reason why it wasn't sold in this country for years. But the drink, generally made from wormwood, a kind of herb, is on the comeback trail. Lucid is a version full of that bracing licorice taste that is a signature absinthe characteristic.

8.) The Price-Be-Damned Bottle: The Macallan in Lalique decanter ($12,000).

What makes this bottle so expensive? It's both the physical bottle, handcrafted by legendary glass maker Lalique at its factory in France, and the beverage, a single-malt Scotch aged for 55 years. Another option: Limited Edition Hennessy X.O. Exclusive Collection ($200) -- a reputable Cognac in an attractive decanter; it's expensive, but at least not outrageously so.

9.) The Bottle Beautiful: U'Luvka Vodka ($80 to $85 suggested retail price).

Granted, this Polish vodka, made from rye, wheat and barley, comes packaged with two stemless glasses. But the bottle, with its long, curvy neck, is such a work of art, we'd be hard-pressed to open it and drink what's inside. The vodka is also available without the glasses for $50 to $55.

10.) The Bottle of Something Sweet: St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur ($33).

Sweet in a curious way, that is. This liqueur is made with elderflowers picked in the Alps; the taste has hints of everything from pears to lychees, but it's definitely one of a kind. Though it's positioned as a unique mixer, we think St Germain makes a sweet after-dinner drink -- literally -- on its own.

Another option: Godiva Caramel Milk Chocolate Liqueur ($27) -- it tastes just like it sounds, for better or worse. (But definitely for better, if you have a Godiva lover on your gift list.)

11.) The Bottle as Gift Set: Patron Gift Pack ($84): Make that bottles. This is like a crash course in tequila and an incredibly cool gift all in one. You get four tequilas (in 375 ml bottles), representing four distinct styles and level of aging, including gold (anejo) and silver. But the nifty part is how they come packaged in a James Bond-worthy see-through suitcase.

12.) The Nostalgic Bottle: Canadian Club Classic 12 ($20)

It's easy to take an old favorite like Canadian Club for granted. But the blended, mild-flavored whisky is still one of the best in our book -- great as a mixer, great over some crushed ice. And it recalls an era when folks didn't worry about single-malt this or that, a point the distiller is picking up on in its new manly promotional campaign ("Your dad was not a metrosexual," declares one ad.)

The Book About Bottles: Noah Rothbaum's "The Business of Spirits" (Kaplan Publishing; $25).

We're including this 13th "bottle" as a bonus because it would make a fine companion gift to any of the aforementioned bottles. Rothbaum carefully explores how booze became big business and how it's gone upscale in recent decades.

In other words, this tome will explain why we're all searching for that perfect bottle.