Holiday Gift Guide for the Beer Lover 2019

By Colorado Beer Girl @colobeergirl

It’s holiday shopping time! If you have a craft beer lover on your list, I have a variety of awesome ideas for you. This list features gifts for all budgets: from $10 and less, up to $349. Here you’ll find beer, beer-related products, memberships, and even the gift of local spirits.

Thanks for stopping by. Have fun shopping, and Happy Holidays!

Tavour Gift Card (starts at $25)

Tavour Mixed Beer Gift Box Set ($35-$99)

This holiday season, send a Tavour gift card, or send a box of beer!

What is Tavour? Tavour gets you amazing beer from around the world. Based in Seattle, they get fresh, unique craft beers from Independent breweries to discerning fans across the United States. From delicious local secrets to hard-to-find gems from far off places, get amazing beers you want right to your door. Cheers!

Tavour is exclusive to its members and is simple to use. It is not a beer of the month club. You only pay for the beer you chose over the course of the month. Accessing the lineup of delicious member-only beers is free. Just create an account.

This year, Tavour has come up with several awesome options for their Gift Box Sets, in a range of sizes/prices and varieties. Choose from sample or full-size box of mixed beers, stouts, IPAs, or sours.

Hand curated per order by Tavour, each box includes a sampling of the best beers on hand, directly from small independent craft breweries around the world, complete with a custom message from you.

At this time, Tavour ships to the following states: Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Wisconsin, New York, Nebraska, Idaho, Florida, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Kansas, Texas, Indiana, and Washington DC.

Note: I’ve been using Tavour for the past 3 years, and I LOVE it! Excellent selection, so easy to use. If you live in a state where it’s available, I highly recommend it.

Lush: A Season-by-Season Celebration of Craft Beer and Produce ($25)

From Jacquelyn Dodd―the woman behind the award-winning website The Beeroness—comes Lush, a celebration of fruit, vegetables, and craft beer. After all, beer is as seasonal as produce; its ingredients come from the soil and are harvested at peak freshness, just like the offerings at your local farmers’ market. It’s no surprise that the flavors of seasonal craft beers pair perfectly with the food we’re eating at the moment.

This cookbook features 80 creative, produce-forward recipes—all of which are made with seasonal craft beer. From Gochujang ISA Shakshuka to Grilled Apricot Saison Shortcakes to Doppelbock Rutabaga Mash, make no mistake: this isn’t your drunk uncle’s beer chili.

Whether your Saturdays are spent at the farmers’ market or your favorite local craft brewery (or both!), Dodd’s creative use of produce and beer opens the door to deliciously complex flavors that evolve with the seasons.

Note: I also have her other two cookbooks: The Craft Beer Bites Cookbook: 100 Recipes For Sliders, Skewers, Mini Desserts All Made with Beer and The Craft Beer Cookbook: 100 Artisan Recipes for Cooking with Craft Beer. All three of these cookbooks are amazing!

The Guide to Craft Beer ($12.95)

The Guide to Craft Beer, the latest release from Brewers Publications®, is a pocket guide to understanding, appreciating, and exploring the community of craft beer.  This resource includes the basics of beer, beer style descriptions, recommended food pairings and suggestions for an enhanced sensory experience, and a tasting log for readers to record their personal craft beer journey. The Guide to Craft Beer is a perfect holiday gift whether your readers are on their way to becoming a craft beer expert or just want to learn more before trying their first craft beer.

American Homebrewers Association Membership ($38-$43)

Give the gift of savings and medal-winning homebrew recipes this holiday season with a one-year membership to the American Homebrewers Association. An AHA membership provides many benefits for the homebrewer and beyond and through December 17, giving the gift of membership will also come with your choice of a free book from Brewers Publications®. Benefits of an AHA membership include:

    • 2,300+ AHA Member Deal locations with savings on beer, food, and merch at taprooms, brewpubs, and homebrew shops
    • 1,100+ clone and medal-winning recipes on HomebrewersAssociation.org
    • Subscription to Zymurgy® magazine (six issues/year)
    • All-access Brew Guru® app with AHA Member Deal locator, digital membership card, and news
    • Exclusive invitation to members-only events such as the National Homebrew Competition and Homebrew Con
    • And even more benefits!
    • Membership Pricing: one-year: $43 Print and Digital, $38 Digital Only
Photo courtesy of New Belgium

New Belgium Cellar Club ($199-$349)

New Beer, Every Month

Cellar Club gives members access to the ultimate beer experience from New Belgium Brewing. Choose from subscriptions that give you our latest small-batch wood cellar release, pilot brewery innovation, or combine them for the best of both. Pick up your beer every month at the brewery, where you’ll mingle with our team of blenders and R&D brewers.

Choose From:

  • The Blender’s Pack: A small-batch beer every month from our world-renowned wood cellar. The beer inside contains the longest, continuous souring culture in America and will develop in the bottle for up to five years. Each month you’ll get 750 mL of beer, typically one 750mL bottle or two 375mL bottles. Less than $17 a month with a 12-month subscription.
  • The Brewer’s Pack: A brewery-only release from our innovative R&D brewers. You won’t find these beers anywhere else. They’re brewed just for Cellar Club and typically served up in a 4-pack of 16-oz cans or a format equal to that. Less than $17 a month with a 12-month subscription.
  • The Connoisseur’s Pack: Combines the Brewer’s Pack and Blender’s pack so you don’t have to make tough choices. Never miss out on the best our brewers and blenders have to offer. About $29 a month with a 12-month subscription.
Every Membership Includes:
  • Monthly pickup at the brewery with a chance to talk beer with our blenders and wood cellar team, as well as our R&D brewing team. Can’t make it to the event? We’ll hold your beer for a month, or you can let a friend pick up for you.
  • 10% off beer to go and merchandise in our tasting room.
  • First access to additional beer releases from our R&D brewers.
  • Starter box at first pickup including:
    • Custom Cellar Club glassware.
    • Membership card for discounts and perks.
    • Special release beer.

Pickup begins the month following membership purchase. For example, memberships purchased in September will be ready for pickup in October. Currently available at our Fort Collins brewery. Coming soon to Asheville and Denver.

Ska True Blonde Honey Mustard ($7.95)

Two Durango local companies teamed up (Ska Brewing and Durango Artisan Foods) to make honey mustard crafted with Ska’s True Blonde Ale. True Blonde is made with locally sourced honey from Honeyville.

The Rare Beer Club ($37.95-$72.95/month+s&h)

The World’s Best Hand-Selected Rare Beers

Our tasting panel, once headed by Michael Jackson, is a tough lot to impress. Collectively, they have over 100 years of experience in the brewing industry, from heading brewing operations at BJ’s Brewhouse, a 100+ location brewpub chain, to judging at the Great American Beer Festival. They rate each prospective selection only knowing its style and not where it was brewed. Our blind-tasting format assures no prejudices sway our goal of identifying extraordinary beers.

Never Receive a Beer You Don’t Want to Get!

Our Personalized Shipment Program ensures that as a personal member of The Rare Beer Club® you’ll receive only the beers you want to get. (Also available to gift recipients upon request.) Each month prior to receiving your shipment, you will be sent an email detailing the two upcoming beer selections and given the ability to customize what you will receive. You can:

  • Add more bottles of either or both of the upcoming featured beers
  • Add more of your favorite past selections
  • Replace one or both of the featured beers with your favorite past selections
  • Choose not to receive one of the featured beers
  • Skip the entire shipment altogether

You’re in complete control of what you receive every month and can rest easy knowing you’ll never get a beer you didn’t want to get. No other beer club offers that kind of flexibility.

Enjoy Unmatched Variety

Members receive two different styles in each shipment. We strive to offer variety between those two styles as well as from month to month. Variety to us means not only by style but also by country of origin, so rest assured that both domestic US craft brewers as well as time-honored international breweries will be represented.

NewAir 126 Can Freestanding Beverage Fridge ($245.95)

The NewAir 126 Can Beverage Fridge is our best seller for a reason! This powerful fridge chills drinks to 34 degrees for icy refreshment. Adjustable shelves let you create customized storage for different sized cans and bottles, and the roomy design stores over 20 full six-packs to keep you fully stocked. Top it off with an onyx black design, and this fridge is sure to please.

  • Powerful refrigeration chills drinks down to 34 degrees.
  • Roomy design holds 126 cans in a sleek onyx black design.
  • Removable storage racks create space for cans, bottles and more.
  • Set-and-forget-it thermostat comes with 7 custom settings.
  • Quiet 35dB compressor is ideal for homes, offices, dorm rooms and more.
  • Safety lock and key for peace of mind.

And now, a few Colorado local deals. These items are not available for shipping and must be purchased/picked up in Colorado.

2020 Mug Club at Seedstock Brewery ($250)

Seedstock Brewery has the gift that keeps on giving until December 2020 – 12 crowlers to be exact. Seedstock’s new 2020 Mug Club makes the perfect gift this holiday season for the craft beer lover in your life and includes year-round specials including:

  • Your first beer is always half-price for the entire year (maximum 1 ‘half-price’ beer per day)
  • Free crowler every month
  • Larger beer pours – in a special Mug Club mug
  • Three exclusive Mug Club parties per year with free food
  • Mug Club keychain
  • Sign up early and get a free mug (while supplies last)

Membership is limited. So interested members should sign up online or in the taproom today.

Photo credit: Dry Land Distillers

Local Eggnog Kit ($120)

While these last two aren’t beer-related, I thought this was a really cool idea so I wanted to share. Dry Land Distillers (located in Longmont, CO) is offering two fun products this holiday.

Dry Land Distillers and Longmont Dairy are teaming up to offer a limited number of eggnog kits for the holiday season. The eggnog kits come with everything you’ll need to make the quintessential holiday treat. The distillery’s recipes have been fine-tuned over the years to create a rich and creamy ‘nog unlike anything you’d find in the stores.

Each kit contains:

  • One 375 ml Bottle Dry Land Distillers Wheat Whiskey
  • One 375 ml Bottle Dry Land Limited Release Holiday Cane Rum
  • One Bottle Longmont Dairy Heavy Whipping Cream
  • One Bottle Longmont Dairy Whole Milk
  • One Dozen Colorado Farm-Fresh Eggs
  • Raw Sugar
  • Organic Vanilla Beans and Fresh Whole Nutmeg
  • Recipe Cards and Instructions

Each kit comes in a holiday gift basket. You’ll have plenty of ingredients to host a holiday party for up to 15 people. Note: These baskets must be refrigerated and must be picked up at the distillery.

Photo credit: Dry Land Distillers

Cocktail Bitters Kit ($85)

Cocktail bitters are the key ingredient in making spectacular, hand-crafted cocktails. Create your own cocktail bitters with our complete Cocktail Bitters Kit from Dry Land Distillers.

**Please note that this item must be picked up at the distillery.**

Each kit contains:

  • One 375 ml Bottle Dry Land Bitter Base Spirit
  • Six Bitters Dropper Bottles
  • All the Botanicals (Excluding fresh ingredients, such as citrus peel)
  • Instructions and Recipes
  • One Handmade Oak Aging Lid and Seal from Longmont-Based TippleGoods LTD

Each kit comes in a holiday gift basket, and it’s the perfect gift for anyone who might be feeling a tad bitter about the holidays. Note: this kit requires a wide-mouth mason jar to use with the aging lid.