It’s that time of the year. Well, actually, it’s past that time of year given that Hanukkah already passed (sorry about that, folks). But we’re in the middle of the holidays, and people ostensibly need to purchase gifts. For those of you looking for craft beer-related gifts, and we know that you’re out there, here’s a handy list that hopefully you can take advantage of in the next 10 days. Best wishes to you and yours during the holiday season!
Looking for Gifts That Promote a Craft Beer Aesthetic?
- Posters from the Single Hop Project – These posters are abstract, but simple, presenations of different kinds of hop varietals. Not only do they look great, they’re also also informative.
- Hop Pedigree Poster – Confused about the family tree of Humulus lupulus? This resource from Northern Brewer will help clarify things for you quickly.
Looking for Leather-Bound Gifts That Will Make Enhance Your Apartment’s Rich Mahogany Aroma?
- The Complete Joy of Homebrewing (Third Edition) by Charlie Papazian – An absolute homebrew bible, and a must-read and fantastic place to start for homebrewing novices. After all these years and through the growth of the craft beer movement, this book is still one of the finest resources out there. (To be even more complete, also check out Papazian’s Companion book.)
- Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher – Trying to refine your palate? Looking to try and figure out what you’re actually tasting in all of these newfangled craft beers? Mosher’s book is a tremendous resource on all things craft beer sensory.
- Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher – Half recipe book, half resource on craft beer culture, Mosher’s entertaining resource isn’t for beginning brewers, but it is a good source of inspiration.
- The Audacity of Hops by Tom Acitelli – Acitelli tells the story of the American craft beer revolution. It’s a fun romp that he documents through interviews with the folks who were on the ground making what we all enjoy now happen.
- He Said Beer, She Said Wine: Impassioned Food Pairings to Debate and Enjoy: from Burgers to Brie and Beyond by Sam Calagione and Marnie Old – This thing is like the Rosetta Stone for beer and wine lovers. Finding that you can’t quite find common ground with your wine-loving relatives or friends? Ditch them, I say. Or if you’re determined to keep them around, this is a fine primer on the taste profiles of various beers and wines and a crosswalk of what kinds of food to serve with each.
- The Oxford Companion to Beer by Garrett Oliver – In a last, but certainly not least, kind of situation, the Oxford Companion is a treasure trove of knowledge about beer. From chemistry to history to culture, this book has it all. The best way to read through it is to open to a random page, read everything on it, and then do the same thing. Yes, I know you just spent eight hours of your life randomly flipping between pages, but now you’re ready to take your Cicerone, probably.
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Looking for New Homebrew Toys for That Special Someone?
- 5 Gallon “Big Mouth Bubbler” – Not only can you store a BUNCH of snack mix in this thing, you can also ferment in it and clean it out more easily than a carboy. It has the benefits of a brew bucket while adding the transparency of a carboy. Because not being able to see fermentation isn’t fun; that trub aesthetic isn’t something you want to miss out on, especially around the holiday season.
- American Homebrewers’ Association Gift Membership – For the homebrewer who has everything…except an official membership to the national organization representing homebrewers. There’s a bunch of benefits to joining the AHA, all of which are handily listed at the provided link.
Looking for Something to Burn Money On This Holiday Season and You Don’t Just Want to Send Us a Check Made Out to “Cash”?
- Brew Cave – You’ve all seen the videos of people with insane beer cellars (literal cellars, not collections they keep next to their tie racks), and while the Brew Cave isn’t quite that, it is damn close. It pours beer. It stores beer. It probably doubles as a sweet fallout shelter (or could, I don’t know). No idea what one of these costs, but if you find out, please let us know.
- BrewMagic by SABCO – Have your own production brewery-quality pilot system…at home! Brew five gallons at a time in an automated, highly futuristic way that will make you feel like you’re the zymugical version of Rick Deckard. Yes, you are also a replicant.
Looking for Beer Accoutremets?
- Spiegelau Craft Beer Glass Kit – Contains one each of the following glasses: IPA- 19 oz., Lager- 17 oz., Tall Pilsner- 11-2/3-oz., Wheat Beer- 17 oz. This is temporarily sold out on Amazon, but hopefully you can find another outlet for it! Or just start next year’s holiday shopping list early.
- Hermetus Bottle Opener & Resealer – A handy tool for opening beer and then keeping the rest mostly fresh.
- Beer Saver Reusable Silicone Bottle Caps – One more way to keep your beer fresh once it has been opened. This set of six is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
