Cocktail Candles: From Espresso Martini to Old Monk
Most candles are bought to smell like something. These were made to look like something. Nine cocktails hand-poured in beeswax into real glassware, from Espresso Martini to Old Monk, and which drinker each one is for.
Most candles are bought to smell like something. These were made to look like something.
Wickory's cocktail candle line started as a joke between us, the way a lot of the good ones do. Somebody said a candle that looked like an espresso martini would be funny. Then the first one came out of the mould and it was not funny at all, it was genuinely good, and we kept going.
They are still candles: a natural beeswax blend with no paraffin, hand-poured into real glassware. But they solve a gifting problem that nothing else in our range does, which is what to give someone who is difficult to buy for and cannot stand anything that smells like a spa.
How to choose one
Match the drink, not the colour. People are loyal to their drink in a way they are not loyal to scents. Somebody who orders an old fashioned every time will notice that you noticed.
Think about where it will sit. These are bar cart and home bar objects first and candles second. Most people never light them, which is fine.
Price sits between ₹900 and ₹1,600. That is a real gift without being an occasion in itself, which makes cocktail candles useful for housewarmings, the upper end of Secret Santa (more on that in our Christmas and New Year gift guide), and birthdays where you do not want to overreach.
The picks
Espresso Martini: ₹900
Best for: the friend who orders one at every dinner.
Why: Deep coffee-toned beeswax layered under a poured foam swirl, finished with whole coffee beans set into the top. The lowest-priced in the line and the one people react to most. Coffee drinkers who prefer a jar will find more in Coffee Obsession.
Dirty Martini: ₹1,000
Best for: anyone with opinions about vermouth.
Why: Smooth ivory wax in a classic martini silhouette with hand-detailed olives. Restrained enough to sit on a desk rather than a bar cart.
Champagne Flute: ₹1,100
Best for: promotions, engagements, new flats.
Why: Pale golden wax in a slender flute with delicate gold detailing. The one to send when something has actually been achieved.
Jagerbomb: ₹1,100
Best for: a very specific kind of university friendship.
Why: Deep amber wax in a ribbed rocks glass with a mini bottle detail and candy citrus finish. Nobody buys this one seriously and that is the point.
Beer Mug: ₹1,200
Best for: fathers, uncles, the person who does not want a gift.
Why: Golden wheat-beer-toned wax in a glass mug with a foamy white head poured on top. Our most reliable gift for men who claim not to want anything.
Whiskey Sour: ₹1,300
Best for: the considered drinker.
Why: Rich amber beeswax in a ribbed rocks glass, finished with a sculpted orange wheel. The most grown-up piece in the line.
Kiwi Colada: ₹1,400
Best for: summer birthdays, housewarmings, anyone with a green kitchen.
Why: Soft green beeswax in a stemmed glass with hand-pressed kiwi slices and a coconut finish. The most technically difficult one we make.
Limoncello: ₹1,500
Best for: someone who has been to the Amalfi coast and mentions it.
Why: Bright citrus-yellow wax in a coupe glass on a tall stem with a whipped top. The most decorative piece in the line.
The Old Monk: from ₹1,300
Best for: anyone whose first drink was rum and coke, and every uncle at the party.
Why: Deep molasses-toned beeswax poured inside a real Old Monk rum bottle, finished with a poured amber top and hand-sculpted detailing. Two sizes: 375 ml at ₹1,300 and 560 ml at ₹1,600. The one Indian guests recognise from across the room, and once the candle is done the bottle is yours to keep.
See the full range in the Cocktail Candles collection.
On whether you are supposed to burn them
You can. They are functional candles in a natural beeswax blend with proper wicks.
Most people do not, and we have made peace with that. A cocktail candle on a bar cart is doing a job even unlit. If you do light one, trim the wick to about 5 mm first, keep it on a heat-safe surface, burn it for no more than two hours at a time, and expect the sculpted detail on top to soften and go before the body does. The full routine is in our candle care guide, and why beeswax behaves the way it does is in Beeswax Candles: What They Are and Why They Burn Differently.
A note on the glassware
These are poured into real glasses, not wax moulded to look like glass. That matters for two reasons. The piece has weight, which is most of what makes something feel expensive. And when the wax is gone you have a glass, which is a better ending than a jar you throw out.
What to pair them with
A single cocktail candle is a good gift. Two is a better one, and the pairings that work are the ones that tell a small story. Espresso Martini and Beer Mug for a couple who order completely differently. Whiskey Sour and Dirty Martini for someone setting up a first home bar. Kiwi Colada and Limoncello for a summer birthday. The Old Monk and Beer Mug for the friends who never moved on from college. Champagne Flute on its own, because it is a congratulations and congratulations should not be shared.
They also travel well as hosting gifts. The Espresso Martini and Whiskey Sour are both in Diwali Candle Gifts for Every Budget, and for a new flat, a cocktail candle sits alongside the other ideas in The Best Housewarming Gifts That Aren't Flowers or Wine.
FAQ
What are cocktail candles?
Candles hand-poured into real cocktail glassware and sculpted to look like the drink itself. Wickory's are made in a natural beeswax blend with no paraffin, and include Espresso Martini, Dirty Martini, Champagne Flute, Jagerbomb, Beer Mug, Whiskey Sour, Kiwi Colada, Limoncello and The Old Monk.
Can you actually burn a cocktail candle?
Yes. They are functional beeswax candles with proper wicks. Most owners keep them as décor instead. If you do burn one, trim the wick to about 5 mm, burn for up to two hours at a time, and place it on a heat-safe surface.
How much do cocktail candles cost in India?
Wickory's cocktail candles range from ₹900 for the Espresso Martini to ₹1,600 for the larger Old Monk.
Are cocktail candles a good gift for men?
They are one of the few candle formats that consistently work as a gift for men, because the appeal is the object and the drink reference rather than the fragrance. Beer Mug, Whiskey Sour and The Old Monk are the ones that land most often. See Gifts for Men Who Say They Don't Want Anything.
What is the glass made of?
Real glassware, not wax shaped to resemble glass. Once the wax has burned down the glass remains usable.
Related
- Cocktail Candles
- Coffee Obsession
- Housewarming
- Our Bestsellers
- Gifts for Men Who Say They Don't Want Anything
Last updated: October 2026
