With the holiday season upon us, it’s almost inevitable that a beer aficionado or two will appear on your gift-giving list, or perhaps you’ll be looking for suggestions to offer others for yourself. Well, look no further, as the Beer Blog presents the best in beer for the holidays:
1) Beer – Well, duh, right? I mean, what right-minded person wouldn’t appreciate beer as a gift? But the key here is: What beer? Because sometimes a six-pack of the old favourite just won’t cut it.
My suggestion is to pick a theme, buy a basket and have some fun. Fill it up with single bottles of Belgian and Belgian-style ales, and top with a wedge or three of soft, stinky cheese. Or go with all pale ales and IPAs, adding in some barbecue rubs and curry pastes as a bonus. Or get all eclectic, buying bottles of beers you or your gift recipient has never heard of, while avoiding the trap of picking what’s effectively the same European-styled, blonde lager brewed in a half-dozen unusual places.
2) “Three Sheets to the Wind” – No, I don’t mean getting your older sister drunk, I mean the new book by British author Pete Brown. Highly entertaining and filled with interesting bits of beer lore and trivia, this paperback tomb will be a hit with any fancier of beerlit.
3) The Beer Gift Pack – Sure, these are becoming as ubiquitous as plastic, red-nosed reindeer, but that doesn’t mean unwrapping one will be any less of a pleasure, especially if said gift pack includes a stylish glass, as do the Chimay and several other packs this year.
4) A Beer Trip – If you’re really wanting to splash out for someone on your list, consider getting them the gift of beery exploration, via one of the many organizations around today specializing in beer-oriented travel. Google “beer travel” or try any of the following companies:
The Beer Lovers Tour Company
Great Belgian Beer Tours
Beer Trips
Maple Leaf Adventure
Magic Happens Tours
5) Local Brewery Tours – Okay, so you’re not willing to stretch to thousands of dollars for a beer trip. Well, then, how about a couple of bucks for a brewery tour? Most breweries are happy to welcome guests for an informative look around and the inevitable sampling at the wend, and many don’t even charge for the privilege. Call around, pick a brewery or two, and if the tour is free, then at least promise to spring for the cab home.
