If you run with anything resembling the right kind of crowd, you likely have at least one bottom-shelf drinker on your holiday shopping list. At first blush, this breed of boozer might seem easy to impress—What do you get the man who has nothing? Well, a six-pack of tube socks and a plastic jug of rum is a good start—but the bottom-shelf lifestyle is about so much more than a simple lack of shame, resources, or discernment.

We bottom-shelfers don't choose this path because we lack the means or sophistication to aim higher, but rather because we appreciate the subtle beauty of the more accessible liquors. It's easy to derive pleasure from vintage Champagnes, trophy bourbons, and extra-virgin IPAs. If you want to give your bottom-shelfer a gift he'll enjoy, go right ahead with the magnum of Double Imperial Pappy Van Krug. Everyone with a tongue likes that stuff. But if you want to give a bottom-shelfer something that says you understand and respect his world view, that you realize he has not just a tongue but also a heart and maybe even a soul, you might consider these options.

Take a peek at The Complete Will Gordon Last Minute Gift Guide for the Bottom Shelf Drinker »

About the author: Will Gordon loves life and has made peace with mayonnaise. You can eat and drink with him in Boston or follow him on twitter @WillGordonAgain.