Pop The Works

New Year's Eve 1999. The last time the world partied this hard, Leif Eriksson had just discovered North America. Sure, your bar is stocked, but this is a night to embellish it with a few special bottlings pictured here. Consider Distillers' Masterpiece, a superb 18-year-old bourbon finished in cognac casks, saffron-flavored 110-proof Old Raj gin or an apple brandy that's smoother than silk. A lot of the noise you'll hear that night will be champagne corks popping from Anchorage to Zamboanga. For the occasion, we suggest Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1988 (a robust bubbly inspired by its namesake), iced in an electric Vin Chilla bucket that does the job in minutes once you've filled it with ice and water. A battery-powered Midnight Cocktail maker helps take the work out of mixing drinks, and Padrón's Millennium humidor filled with 100 individually numbered cigars will keep your stogie-loving friends puffing happily long past midnight.

Where & How to Buy on Page 266