2018 Holiday Gift Guide

 

‘Tis the season … to start freaking out about what to buy for family and friends this holiday season. Black Friday and the ridiculous mobs of people, usually only those born without any sense of manners or decorum, descend on WalMart, Target, and basically anything else that isn’t tied down in order to find THE ‘it’ gift of the season. Eschewing sleep in the hopes of saving 2% on the latest techno-gadget … that will be forgotten by February.

We buy gifts to show we care. For those of us with beer-lovers in our lives, it can become increasingly difficult to find something that they will not only appreciate but that they will actually use and enjoy. So, here we are again with a list of the top beer-themed gifts for the holiday season. If there are 12 days of Christmas, why not list the top 12 gift ideas?

1. Beer of the Month Club (price varies)

With apologies to Cousin Eddie, THIS is truly the gift that keeps giving the whole year. There are several options out there, but we prefer the folks at Belgian Style Ales. For the bargain price of just $516, the recipient will enjoy a monthly shipment of Belgium’s finest for a full year (shorter subscriptions available as well). Hint: I really want this. If you want to support your local beer blogger – this is an awesome way!

2. Shower Beer Holder ($12.97)

Shower time … relaxation time. What could make it better than having some delicious beer with you to further the relaxation? The problem comes when finding a place to rest the beer while you’re in there. The folks at Shakoolie have you covered, with lots of styles and sayings.

3. State Map Bottle Cap Holder ($25-75)

You’ve got an endless sea of bottle caps that you’d like to display with pride. Rather than putting them in a box, why not use them as decoration for the mancave or home bar? Sizes, materials, etc can vary.

4. Fizzics ($90/ $150)

Yes, please. These guys went on Shary Tank and wowed everyone there. This system turns a can/ bottle/ crowler/ growler into beer more like it’s straight from the tap. I’m not going to get all science-y but they use sound waves to ‘inject’ the beer with bubbles that they say bring out the true flavor of the beer, mimicking what you’d taste straight from the wall at the brewery. And yes, there are brewers out there giving it a thumbs up. Me want.

5. Underground Beer Storage ($100)

Imagine if you will that we’re nearing the end of the Zombie Apocalypse. And now that you’re safe from becoming dinner for the undead, you’d like to pop open a vold one. Luckily, you had stored some of your favorites underground and now have easy access to delicious beer that has remained aat a nice cellar-ish temperature because it’s been protected by Mother Earth. Thank you, Biersafe.

6. Beer Soap ($5.00)

Continuing the theme of beer-in-shower … Because, who doesn’t want to have that IPA smell on them all day? Our friends at Dogfish Head have created a soap using their 60-Minute IPA.

7. Printable Beer Labels ($15)

A company called Neato has produced a template for you to print your beer labels at home. Homebrewing and need labels? Check. Or maybe you want to fool your friends who only drink Ultra and slap an Ultra label on a bottle of Russian Imperial Stout. (If you do this, please video the hilarity and post it on the BGB Facebook page.)

8. Plinko Bottle Cap Opener ($76.50)

Bob Barker says the Price is Right for this one. There are a lot of varieties of this concept out there. We particularly like this one from BlankCanvasByBrandon because of the chalkboard at the bottom … you can get very creative with what happens in each slot.

9. Sofa Drink Holder (25.00)

I’m sitting on the couch, with a cold beer. There isn’t a table or ledge nearby. What on earth am I to do on the off times I need to set my beer down? Enter CouchCoaster. It’s a very simplistic yet engenius little device that turns any armrest into a drink holder. Well played, CouchCoaster.

10. Goodnight Brew book ($13.42)

Because why not get the kiddos involved, right? Karla Oceanak penned this parody of Goodnight Moon, and it is certain to send you off to sleep with pleasant thoughts of porters and dubbels and IPAs.

11. Pico Brew ($399.00)

This thing is for real. Brew your own beer at home with a very modern and user-friendly process. This countertop system allows you to purchase ‘PicoPaks’ – pods of ingredients – in order to be able to create certain beers or styles. It’s clean, it’s simple, and it creates some pretty fantastic beer without all of the mess and hassle. It’s not foolproof, but it’s absolutely the simplest way to brew at home.

12. BabyGotBeer Beertasting Party (and Swag!) ($25/person)

Reserve your BGB tasting party today and score some sweet car/fridge swag! (Or I can sell you one of these bad boys for the bargain price of $4.)