I'm no expert on anything, that's for sure, but I do know a lot about beer. A decade of drinking craft brews from all corners of the world, surfing beer sites and reading magazines and books about beer will do that I guess. So if you have a beer lover on your Christmas list, I'm going to throw some suggestions at you sure to make them happy.
1. Beer... Well duh. But not just any beer but good craft beer. I'd suggest some of the delicious holiday brews that are available in most areas. My favorites at this time of the year that aren't too hard to find include:
* Sierra Nevada Celebration
* Delirium Noel
* Avery Old Jubilation
* New Belgium 2 Below Winter Ale
* Sam Adams Old Fezziwig
* Pyramid Sno Cap
* Samuel's Smith's Winter Welcome
* Rogue's Santa's Private Reserve
2. Beer Literature... not just reading the labels mind you but actual books! Here's a few good ones:
* "Christmas Beer: The Cheeriest, Tastiest, and Most Unusual Holiday Beers," by Don Russell
* "Three Sheets To The Wind: One Man's Quest for the Meaning of Beer" by Pete Brown
* "Great Beer Guide: The World's Best 500 Beers" by Michael Jackson (the late beer guru, not the child molester)
* "Ultimate Beer" by Michael Jackson
* "Brewmaster's Table : Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food" by Garrett Oliver
* "Extreme Brewing" by Sam Calagione
There are a lot of good books about beer out lately and you can't go wrong with anything by Michael Jackson or Garrett Oliver really.
3. Built NY Six Pack Tote... very cool wetsuit design that insulates six 12-to-20-ounce cans. They've got other sizes too and multiple colors. Check out the website here.
4. Inflatable Floating Cooler... surely you've been in the pool or lake and thought how great it would be to have your beer right there handy? This thing rules. Check it out here.
5. YouGotBeer.com... Here's how it works: You go to YouGotBeer.com and buy your beer lover a $5 gift certificate which can be redeemed for a beer at any of the growing number of participating restaurants, including brewpubs. This gift certificate is emailed to them in the form of a greeting card from YouGotBeer.com.
6. Magazines... seriously, there are some really good beer magazines out there now. Barnes and Noble has most of them. I have 4 that I get regularly myself that I'll recommend:
* All About Beer, US - Lots of industry news, articles that study beer in depth, and a ratings section that rates hundreds of beers.
* Draft, US - This magazine focuses beer drinking culture.
* Beers of the World, UK - This magazine covers every aspect of commercial beer from history and tastings to where readers can buy particular brands.
* Beer Advocate, US - This is the ultimate craft beer lover's publication from the owners of BeerAdvocate.com.
7. Personalized Beer Mugs... Great gift! An ex-girlfriend got me a set of 4 of these once and I'll never forget her for it. Well, actually I've forgotten her name but I still use the glasses all the time, so that's worth something.
8. NCAA Coola Can Refridgerator... no ice needed, these babies plug in. A mere $360 will land you one of these bad boys.
9. Kegerators... Not a cheap gift, if your beer buddy has a home bar this would make a perfect gift. These little refrigerators are designed specifically to hold and keep cool a whole keg of beer. Lots of different versions.
10. Beer Trips... sure, this one can get pretty expensive. I myself am looking at a charter trip to Germany next fall for Oktoberfest and trips like that can set you back into the thousands, but you can also keep it closer to home. Plan and book your loved beer lover a trip to a single brewery or map out a road trip and visit a bunch of breweries and brewpubs. Sure you can do a lot more stuff while on one of these trips, but the focal point can be the brewery tours and samplings and such. Go to BeerMapping.com and check out what's available in any area of the country, or the world for that matter. Or just email me, tell me where you want to take them, and I'll tell you some places to go. I'm like a free travel agent for beer.
11. Beer Scented Candles... so after the expensive stuff I thought I'd come up with a cheaper one for you. Fill your home with the intoxicating aroma of beer! This might only work for bachelors for the record.
12. Beer Pouch Hoodies... perfect for camping or tailgating, especially when it's cold enough out that you want to keep your hands warm. Not to mention how cool you'll look.
1. Beer... Well duh. But not just any beer but good craft beer. I'd suggest some of the delicious holiday brews that are available in most areas. My favorites at this time of the year that aren't too hard to find include:
* Sierra Nevada Celebration
* Delirium Noel
* Avery Old Jubilation
* New Belgium 2 Below Winter Ale
* Sam Adams Old Fezziwig
* Pyramid Sno Cap
* Samuel's Smith's Winter Welcome
* Rogue's Santa's Private Reserve
2. Beer Literature... not just reading the labels mind you but actual books! Here's a few good ones:
* "Christmas Beer: The Cheeriest, Tastiest, and Most Unusual Holiday Beers," by Don Russell
* "Three Sheets To The Wind: One Man's Quest for the Meaning of Beer" by Pete Brown
* "Great Beer Guide: The World's Best 500 Beers" by Michael Jackson (the late beer guru, not the child molester)
* "Ultimate Beer" by Michael Jackson
* "Brewmaster's Table : Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food" by Garrett Oliver
* "Extreme Brewing" by Sam Calagione
There are a lot of good books about beer out lately and you can't go wrong with anything by Michael Jackson or Garrett Oliver really.
3. Built NY Six Pack Tote... very cool wetsuit design that insulates six 12-to-20-ounce cans. They've got other sizes too and multiple colors. Check out the website here.
4. Inflatable Floating Cooler... surely you've been in the pool or lake and thought how great it would be to have your beer right there handy? This thing rules. Check it out here.
5. YouGotBeer.com... Here's how it works: You go to YouGotBeer.com and buy your beer lover a $5 gift certificate which can be redeemed for a beer at any of the growing number of participating restaurants, including brewpubs. This gift certificate is emailed to them in the form of a greeting card from YouGotBeer.com.
6. Magazines... seriously, there are some really good beer magazines out there now. Barnes and Noble has most of them. I have 4 that I get regularly myself that I'll recommend:
* All About Beer, US - Lots of industry news, articles that study beer in depth, and a ratings section that rates hundreds of beers.
* Draft, US - This magazine focuses beer drinking culture.
* Beers of the World, UK - This magazine covers every aspect of commercial beer from history and tastings to where readers can buy particular brands.
* Beer Advocate, US - This is the ultimate craft beer lover's publication from the owners of BeerAdvocate.com.
7. Personalized Beer Mugs... Great gift! An ex-girlfriend got me a set of 4 of these once and I'll never forget her for it. Well, actually I've forgotten her name but I still use the glasses all the time, so that's worth something.
8. NCAA Coola Can Refridgerator... no ice needed, these babies plug in. A mere $360 will land you one of these bad boys.
9. Kegerators... Not a cheap gift, if your beer buddy has a home bar this would make a perfect gift. These little refrigerators are designed specifically to hold and keep cool a whole keg of beer. Lots of different versions.
10. Beer Trips... sure, this one can get pretty expensive. I myself am looking at a charter trip to Germany next fall for Oktoberfest and trips like that can set you back into the thousands, but you can also keep it closer to home. Plan and book your loved beer lover a trip to a single brewery or map out a road trip and visit a bunch of breweries and brewpubs. Sure you can do a lot more stuff while on one of these trips, but the focal point can be the brewery tours and samplings and such. Go to BeerMapping.com and check out what's available in any area of the country, or the world for that matter. Or just email me, tell me where you want to take them, and I'll tell you some places to go. I'm like a free travel agent for beer.
11. Beer Scented Candles... so after the expensive stuff I thought I'd come up with a cheaper one for you. Fill your home with the intoxicating aroma of beer! This might only work for bachelors for the record.
12. Beer Pouch Hoodies... perfect for camping or tailgating, especially when it's cold enough out that you want to keep your hands warm. Not to mention how cool you'll look.
That is an EXCELLENT list of gifts for the beer-lover in your world. As a beer-lover, I hoping someone I know reads this!
ReplyDeleteYou could always drop a casual hint, like printing it out and leaving it laying around the house...
ReplyDelete