It seems that every blogger and online news publication puts out one of these lists and many are very similar. Still, I do not want to be left out! Here are five great gifts that any passionate beer fan will appreciate, myself included.
5) Brewery related clothing, tap handles, bottle openers, signs and other memorabilia: Every beer nerd needs clothes, many of the ones I have me need them badly! I love wearing my Cigar City or Cantillon shirt to beer related functions or any function really. Almost any decent brewery will have a merchandise section on their website and by hanging out at the right bars and events one can usually score free swag. Anyway, it is always a simple and flexible option.
4) Beer Literature: Anyone who is really into beer is probably interested in learning about it. Often beer related books are inexpensive and easy to acquire as well. Amazon.com will have the largest selection but even the local Barnes and Noble should have a fairly substantial selection beer related literature. Some noteable titles include “Tasting Beer: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink” by Randy Mosher, anything written by Michael Jackson (the beer critic of course, not the singer), “The Oxford Companion to Beer” by Garrett Oliver and Tom Colicchio, “Brewing Up a Business: Adventures in Beer from the Founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery”, Revised and Updated by Sam Calagione, “The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance” by Greg Koch, Steve Wagner and Randy Clemens, “Brew Like a Monk: Trappist, Abbey, and Strong Belgian Ales and How to Brew Them by Stan Hieronymus” and a book I plan to read soon, “LambicLand: A Journey Round the Most Unusual Beers in the World” by Tim Webb, Chris Pollard and Siobhan McGinn. Of course, this list is by no means comprehensive and there are many fantastic books about nearly every aspect of beer out there.
3) Beer Related Travel: Beer nerds love to travel, therefore tickets to Portland, Denver, San Diego and so on are always welcome. Other ideas such as tickets to the Great American Beer Fest, World Beer Fest, any Oktoberfest in Germany and the American Craft Beer Fest. Those are just some of the biggest names, nearly every city has a major beer related event, Springfield alone has 3-4! Even a bad beer fest is a lot of fun! Another beer travel related idea is brewery tours, which are a blast and always worth the time and or money.
2) Glassware: The proper glass is essential to enjoying beer. Ok, that is not entirely true, I have enjoyed many great beers in inappropriate containers. Still, a beer nerd should always try and use the correct glassware as it really does make a difference. Furthermore, I believe that one can never have enough beer glasses. I am particularly fond of my New Belgium snifter and Spiegelau tulips and think that any beer nerd needs at least one of each.
1) Rare Beers: This is perhaps the most important and obvious answer. Nothing associated with beer is more important to the beer nerd than well, beer itself. The more sought after the better the taste. While that is not true at all, I enjoy finding and drinking rare or hard to get beers. Now with the grey market on Ebay (selling “collectable containers, any “contents” are incidental….) this is not as difficult as much as expensive. It is still a fun hobby. For the rarest beers, homework is often required. To get some of these, inquire at your local liquor stores, get your name placed on lists, search Google, simple ask questions, most beers can be traded for or purchased with a little effort. As I have previously mentioned, the Michael Jackson’s Rare Beer Club is a great way to get limited and exclusive beers delivered to your home. For instance, this month’s selections are both exclusives (or so I have read) to the rare beer club and one of them was created by Mikkeller!
Anyway, I hope that was at least a little helpful, I just received a Rogue collaboration with Voodoo Donuts, that is simply screaming for me to try it!
