By Mike Billy – Mid West Beer Blog
It’s no secret that craft beer drinkers can sometimes be a finicky bunch. Each has his or her own favorite beer, brewery and style. But that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult to find gifts for each of them
Whether the craft beer fans in your life love stouts, IPAs, or lagers, here are a few gift ideas that are sure to win them over.
Glassware
There’s no easier way to up your beer-drinking game than by drinking from the proper glassware. Spiegelau, which is renowned for manufacturing a quality product, makes getting that glassware easy with their craft beer kit. The four-piece set features an IPA, tall Pilsner, lager, and wheat beer glass. The company sells a variety of other craft beer glassware including sniftersand styles specifically made for stouts and American wheats.
If the gift getter has a few favorite breweries check their websites, too. Most breweries sell branded glassware that could make a good addition to any collection.
Beer-making kits
So you know a craft beer fan who has always talked about brewing his or her own batch of beer. As I’ve written before, getting started with the homebrewing hobby doesn’t have to break the bank. In fact, you can get started relatively cheaply and the smaller sized kits can make a good gift for a novice brewer.
Brooklyn Brew Shop, which ships nationwide, sells starter kits that include just about everything you need to brew a 1-gallon batch of beer for around $40. More complicated 5-gallon starter kits can be purchased for around $90.
Beer books
Craft beer books come in a variety of flavors. Perhaps the most common are recipe books that are inspired by craft beer or feature recipes that incorporate craft beers. “The American Craft Beer Cookbook” features 155 recipes that pair well with beer from brew pubs and breweries across the country. That’s not to be confused with the “Craft Beer Cookbook,” which has 100 recipes that incorporate craft beer into the food.
Another route you can go is a book written about a specific brewery. Dogfish Head’s founder Sam Calagione has penned “Brewing Up a Business,” which highlights the brewery’s rise to fame and includes anecdotes that could be useful for any businessperson. “The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.” gives a history of the California brewery, includes homebrew recipes for some of the brewery’s beers, and throws in some food recipes from the infamous World Bistro and Gardens for good measure. “Mikkeller’s Book of Beer” and Lagunitas’ “So You Want to Start a Brewery”also are options, among dozens of others.
If the beer lover in your life is more interested in the overall history of brewing you might pick up “The Comic Book History of Beer,” which tracks the bubbly beverage’s history from 7,000 B.C. to present day — in graphic novel form.
Stocking stuffers
If nothing above fits your liking or budget, there are other gift options.
Society might find it unacceptable to crack open a brew at the start of the day instead of your morning coffee. But if you enjoy the smell of hops and barley and want to kick start your day with that particular aroma you are in luck. The Beer Soap Company makes a variety of soap products that are beer-based. They even list the beer used in each product description.
For more craft beer aroma therapy, check out this “Hoppy IPA” candle from Swag Brewery. The website also features their own line of beer soaps.
You also can throw in a craft beer lip balm to help keep their lips protected during the cold, bitter winters. Check out Founders Brewing’s online store for a few options. Oskar Blues also hasone.
And if none of those options fit your fancy you can always stop at your local beer store and grab a six-pack of quality craft beer. I’m sure it will be appreciated.
Photo: Cambridge Brewing Co. / flickr. Some rights reserved.