Most families have one — the charming relative who's quick with a joke, generous with gifts and so cool and fun. Sure, he might have a few too many beers at the family reunion, or a few too many public-intoxication arrests, but you love the guy all the same. He's your Drunk Uncle, and you want him to feel special at the holidays with a gift from the heart. Or maybe the bar.
RETRO BAR GLASSES
Drunk Uncle keeps it classy, whether he's drinking alone or having friends over to the apartment in his folks' basement. And he more than likely enjoys his drinks old-school, in a proper glass. Presentation means a lot, and this mid-century glass set, complete with handy carrying tray, includes six cocktail glasses imprinted with cool global maps. It's perfect for an Old Fashioned, or anything on the rocks, really. Decorative and useful, this set will keep Drunk Uncle from drinking straight from the bottle and will impress his buddies, too. $29 • Boulevard Mercantile • 1905 N. Monroe
COFFEE
Sure, Drunk Uncle might get a little "hair of the dog" going with a Bloody Mary the morning after a binge, but the man still needs coffee! Help him out with a tasty seasonal, organic Ethiopian blend with hints of vanilla, chocolate and graham cracker, roasted by DOMA in Post Falls and available at Rocket Bakery outlets throughout the area. $13 • Rocket Bakery • 903 W. Garland and other locations
WHISKEY ELEMENT
Drunk Uncle might not be the most discerning imbiber, so give him an assist in the quality of the booze he drinks with a whiskey element. Simply drop this hunk of charred wood in a lower-end bottle of booze, and 24 hours later, that hooch should taste a little more like the barrel-aged, top-shelf stuff Drunk Uncle would never splurge on. $15 • Wollnick's General Store • 421 W. Main
ORANGE SAFETY VEST
We hope Drunk Uncle has the good sense not to drink and drive, but walking home from the bar can be dicey at night as drivers negotiate snow-strewn streets. Get him this oh-so-bright safety vest to make sure drivers can see him. Bonus: If Drunk Uncle is a hunter, he's ready for next deer season, too. $19 • White Elephant • 12614 E. Sprague
SOLITAIRE CHESS
When you're hammered consistently, you might regularly be the life of the party, but you're sometimes also going to be the guy no one wants to hang with. For those times when friends and family are avoiding him, this Solitaire Chess set gives Drunk Uncle a fun activity that will keep his brain working and his hands busy moving pawns and queens instead of pouring shots and lighting cigarettes. $20 • Uncle's Games • 404 W. Main ♦
