Wondering what to get that special beer guzzling someone? Well, besides our wonderful one-size-fits-all Gift Certificate here are some practical (and some not so practical) gifts to throw under the tree.
For the Beer-Reader
For most beer-lovers, the only thing they ever read is “What’s on Tap”. Here are some suggestions to broaden their horizons and possibly give them even more of an excuse to drink.
- Bitter Brew – The biographical history of the world’s biggest beer: Budweiser.
- The Naked Pint – Written by LA’s own The Beer Chicks this book guides newbies and experts alike through all the details of the craft beer scene.
- Tasting Beer – The next best thing to going on an LA Beer Hop, this guide will walk you through all the experience and knowledge needed to taste beer.
- The Oxford Companion to Beer – Everything you ever needed to know about beer including 1,100 beer entries (and it’ll take you about that many to get through this tome).
For the Beer-Writer
Each beer is an adventure of sight and taste, unfortunately that adventure occasionally ends with the drinker having absolutely no recollection of it. This Moleskine Passions Beer Journal notebook is crafted specially for the craft-beer novice, enthusiast, home brewer, or casual observer.
For the Monthly Beer Drinker
Each month a package comes to your door in familiar packaging. Your stomach twists and you get butterflies. You’re so excited as to what exciting tastes can be held inside that box. Could it be a bitter adventure to the West Coast? Or perhaps a creamy, complex trip to the East. No, I’m not talking about the Jelly of the Month Club. It’s the BEER OF THE MONTH club – Craft Beer Connect. With multiple tiers to suit any budget and every flavor profile, this is the gift that keeps on giving!
For the Retro Beer Drinker
Want to drink like your grandfather did but without all the racism? Churchkey Beers have filled the market for that need – old fashioned pilsner in a can that’s next to impossible to open. A perfect gift for the ironic drinker in your family, Churchkey is canned beer that you have to open with a church key. Bring this to your next cocktail party along with a fruitcake and a healthy fear of communism.
For the Beer Pong Champ
Ten cup, one re-rack, balls back when you make it in the same cup, you can bounce if you want to, you may swat off a rebound, you may call for a gentlemen’s re-rack at any time, shoot-till-you-miss endings. These may not be professional rules, but they are the LA Beer Hop house rules. You may have your own. You may play NBA Jam rules. You may (incorrectly) call it “Beirut”. You may put a vodka shot in one cup and call it a bomb. Whatever you do, Beer Pong is the sport of kings. And here is how to properly dress your king for Christmas.
- Pong-Along Table – A portable, regulation size beer pong game. Bring one on a beer tour if you like. Or buy an inflated version and put it in your pool.
- Pong Beer – I can’t imagine it tastes good, but that’s not the point. It’s literally beer pong beer.
- Custom Balls – Get whatever you want written or printed on your balls.
- Official Beer Pong Book – I’m still a fan of creating your own house rules and sticking to them, but for easier access to game ending arguments, here’s the source.
For the Glass Nerd
Picking the right glass for your drink is no easy feat. I’m assuming your beer glass cabinet is made up of glasses that you have stolen from your not-so-favorite watering hole. That means there’s an odd assortment of pint glasses, tulips, and Sierra Nevada glasses. To become an adult beer drinker, and a good host, you should invest some time and money into having the proper glassware to serve your beers in. That being said, the first glass I’m listing is shaped like a horn.
- Das Horn – Useful for drinking any beer or the blood of your vanquished enemy.
- Beer & Shot Glass – Some days you can’t choose between beer and whiskey, those are good days. This is the glass for that.
- 6 Piece Beer Set – This should cover most of what you drink.
- Buy a glass from your local brewery.
For the Growler Guy
Everyone has their daily chores and none of them must be skipped. Gym –> work –> laundry –> mini-golf –> grocery shopping –> growler fill –> home. You can put your gym bag in your trunk. You can hang your laundry on a hook. And let’s be honest your grocery shopping is just a frozen pizza and paper towels. But where do you put your growler? The baby car-seat that your ex-wife left after she took the kids and left you because of your addiction to craft beer? No, it’s not safe, mostly because it won’t keep it cold, dummy! The geniuses over on the internet have invented the Growler on Board. Check it out and ensure a safe ride for your little cold one.
For the Hair Care Conscious
Have a beer drinking friend that’s really hairy? Guess what, we all do. That’s kind of the beer thing. If it’s not on top of their head, it’s on thir face, if not there, then on their back, and if not there… probably nowhere. They’re a hairless beer drinking wonder. But, for those who wish to wash that hair, there’s a beer product for that. Broo. They make shampoo and bodywash, so you can finally smell like beer without even having gone to a bar. It’s perfect.
For the Insanely Rich
I hide my beer in a shoe under my bed, so my fiancee doesn’t find it. Why, does she not like you to drink beer? No, she likes to drink my beer so I pour it in a shoe, so she’ll never find it. I call it cellar-ing, you call it disgusting, and the ants in my bedroom call it food. For a slightly smarter, more expensive option to store your beer, check out the Brewcave. It’s pretty much exactly what it says it is. Opening the door is like the beer equivalent of opening the boudoir to Narnia.