Beer Lover's Christmas Gift Guide

Six Geese a-Laying

Sometimes you need something solid to pair with that liquid gold you’re guzzling. While pairing food with beer has become an increasingly technical (and delectable) endeavor, there is one staple that will always go well with your favorite pint: pretzels.

Knotty Pretzels is based in Marietta, GA and features two extremely delightful flavors: Zesty Italian and, my personal favorite, Hot Wings. While other, lesser pretzel makers would rely on fake chemicals and additives, Knotty Pretzels uses natural spices and flavors almost exclusively.

The Hot Wings version is outrageously flavorful, with a perfect blend of sweet heat and zesty ranch sauce flavor. Both flavors are available in 6-packs as well as mammoth 15-lb. party bags.

“He’s making a list, checking it twice, gonna found out who’s Knotty or nice…”

Five Golden Rings

Delaware’s Dogfish Head Craft Brewing has an extremely robust “store” section on their website, with many interesting beer-themed items available for purchase including posters, clothing and edible goodies along with lots of other breweriana.

One of the most interesting products, however, is a miniature replica of Sam Calagione’s famed Randall the Enamel Animal called Randall Jr.

Instead of the large, rather unwieldy contraption that the original Randall is, Randall Jr. is no bigger than a thermos and allows you to flavor any can or bottle of beer with whatever adjuncts you want to. Simply twist off the top and filter, pour in the beer, then add whatever you’d like. It’s that easy!

Four Calling Birds

Another product that’s available at Dogfish Head’s store is all-natural soap made with that brewery’s flagship 60-Minute IPA. Numerous other breweries make beer soap, but there’s one company that focuses solely on making you clean with some of your favorite brews: fittingly called The Beer Soap Co.

Their website is loaded with beery soap options, including a number of fruit beer, stout, and seasonal release beer soaps. Even less flavorful options such as pilsners and lagers are given the sudsy treatment.