Ho, ho, hops! Merrrry Christmas!
It’s the twelfth of December. THE TWELFTH OF DECEMBER. Twelfth is a funny old word isn’t it? Anyway, my point is that you’d better buy some gifts, stat. Or, if you’re super organised and you’ve already bought all your gifts, why not treat yourself! Below are just a few beer related gift ideas that I’ve spotted during my own panic buying frenzy well planned shopping:
BEER
Okay, it’s a bit obvious, but if someone loves beer – get them beer. Still, there are some beautiful sets around at the moment like this set of 3 imperial stouts from Chiltern Brewery, this Black Cab christmas pudding gift set from Fuller’s, or this Soundwave IPA gift set by Siren Craft Brew. At only £12 the Fuller’s and Friends box could be a good option for a Secret Santa gift too.
Alternatively you could get a selection together via Ales by Mail, Honest Brew, or Eebria; all of whom have also curated their own Christmassy selections.
TOURS
A tour is always a good bet for a beer lover. I can’t possibly list them all, but here are some of my favourites: Five Points, Meantime, Fullers, Badger, Cloudwater, Cromarty, Skinners. Oh, and if you’re feeling flush: Pilsner Urquell.
Alternatively you could give them gift vouchers for a guided tour; Brewtown Brewery Tours is based in Yorkshire and will take you to not 1, not 2, but 3 breweries, all in the toasty comfort and safety of their own transportation. You can also pick up vouchers from London Brewery Tours which do what they say on the tin alongside other beer and food pairing events.
EXPERIENCES and EVENTS
Perhaps the person you’re buying for is looking for new ways to experience beer; well perhaps a UBREW brewing course would be up their street? Suitable for complete novices and intermediate brewers alike, a gift certificate could give them a full day of brewing plus 18 bottles at the end (because no gift is truly altruistic).
A good stocking filler is a gift voucher to Five Point’s Saturday Sessions at Mason & Co. Just £10 will get you a tutored tasting and an oral history of the brewery and its beers. The January theme is ‘winter warmers’ so expect some strong and dark delights.
Other ideas include tickets to GBBF Winter, Craft Beer Rising or a pass to London Beer Week.
BOOKS and MERCH
Not everyone will want to go around sporting the clothing of their favourite breweries, but for those that do there’s certainly plenty to choose from: FourPure is always subtly recognisable, Windsor & Eton have their own cycling shirt (but not the shorts thank goodness), Brewdog knickers are available for those that desire them and Beavertown continue to clothe the coolest of the cool. Myself? I can’t get enough of Beatnikz Republic; you don’t even need to be a beer drinker to appreciate the beauty of their design.
If your giftee is a reader then there have certainly been a lot of beer-related books published this year: Melissa Cole’s The Little Book of Craft Beer has had great reviews and also promises to look good on the shelf; Boak and Bailey’s 20th Century Pub is a must for beer/pub history buffs – you can even grab an extra special signed copy here and, for my final recommendation, Pete Brown’s Miracle Brew is a daring adventure into the 4 ingredients that make beer: water, barley, yeast and hops.
I hope this gives you a few ideas for your loved ones (or that person at work you’ve been forced to buy a gift for). If you come across any other great beery gifts do pop them down in the comments. Happy shopping!
The Crafty Beeress 