If you’re reading this, congratulations! It means that not only did you survive Thanksgiving, but you also managed to make it through Black Friday! This is no small feat, and we here at DCBeer.com want to make sure that you’re recognized for your considerable efforts. As the holiday season is upon us now, we’ve compiled this handy guide to what to get the craft beer lover in your life this holiday season. You can air your grievances with our list (or just add your own suggestions) in the comments! Away we go!
– Like taking notes about the beers you drink? Check out the Beer Head Pocket Journal ($25). This hand-bound journal has plenty of pages for you to record all of the aspects of a number of different beers, and its handy size will fit right into your back pocket. Even better, this is a locally-produced product and comes from an Etsy seller in Arlington!
– Check out the great products at Homebrew Soaps (one of our sponsors!) Bruce’s homebrew is the base for a variety of beer-related cosmetic products, including bar and liquid soaps. Try the 3-pack of bar soaps ($9.50) and try a bunch of his great varieties. Not into soap? There are also candles made from recycled beer bottles, including bottles from Founders, Bell’s, and other great craft breweries.
– Have a hophead in your life? Pick up the Hops Chart ($30) to add a technical aesthetic to their homebrew area or just a fun decoration for an office, living room, etc. If there’s information that this chart doesn’t tell you, we haven’t figured it out yet. A really great reference material, in addition to looking awesome.
– More from the world of Etsy! Here’s a pretty excellent Beer Lover Glassware Kitchen Towel ($14) that shows a whole bunch of different kinds of glassware and highlights some features of each of them. Have trouble remember which glassware is right for which beer styles? This handy towel is a solid reminder and a nice addition to any kitchen.
– Do you want someone in your life to be be more like editor Andrew Nations? If so, buy them the same bottle opener that he uses in his home. This Bottle Opener ($20) is hand-made from walnut and has a magnet embedded into its back so it’ll stick to your fridge (or, conveniently, any other metal object!) Why do you need a fancy bottle opener for your beers, you ask? You probably don’t, but maybe you do need a gift idea for somebody who has everything else. Here’s the link to buy it.
– What better way to spruce up a living space then to add some vintage beer signs to it? Slap a frame on one of these, and you’ve got something that’ll add some beery character to a room!
– BeerCards. Think “Magic: The Gathering” for the beer-geek set. BeerCards is a collectible card game in which the player’s goal is to gather the largest amount of cards, and each of these represents one specific beer with a list of characteristics and specificities. In each round, players must choose one feature depending on their strategy. The player who has the biggest feature value is declared the winner of the round. 2-6 players. Visit your local specialty games retailer, beer shop, or www.beercards.be for pricing and purchasing information.
– Combine your old-fashioned love of print with your near-obsessive anticipation for checking the mailbox, and the resulting perfect gift is a subscription DRAFT magazine (6 issues, $20). With a focus on homebrew, travel, beer reviews, and a number of other beer topics like beer pairings, each issue is cram packed with interesting content!
– Short on funds? Need an inexpensive stocking stuffer? For a mere $0.99 you can gift the “ultimate mobile beer app” – BeerCloud – to your beer-loving friends and family members using nearly any smart phone.
– Need a book for the craft beer bibliophile? Why not The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian or John Palmer’s How to Brew for the budding homebrewer? Or maybe a book for the S.O./wife/hubby just getting into craft beer? Seems like Randy Mosher’s Tasting Beer would fit the bill there. Or maybe you need a reference for the true zymurgist? Why not get Garrett Oliver’s The Oxford Companion to Beer?
– Help your fellow homebrewers keep doing what they love with a gift certificate to a homebrew supply shop. Not only will you be supporting a local, independent small business, but if you play your cards right, that gift certificate could turn into some tasty brew for you to sample. Who said it’s always better to give than receive? For retail options in your area, visit the B.U.R.P. (Brewers United for Real Potables) website. The closest homebrew shops to the DC metro area are MyLHBS and Maryland Homebrew.
– Looking to splurge? Have four figures you’re interested in dropping on a gift? Then pick up SABCO’s BrewMagic ($6,000), the same kind of system that Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione started the Dogfish line with. This 1/2 barrel system is the ultimate homebrew system and will almost certainly send any brewer into fits of drooling and sputtering.
Hopefully this is a good start for your beer gift shopping. Anything we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
