8 Beer Gear Items for Brew Nerds
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You just don’t know what kind of beer to get that craft beer nerd in your inner circle. Hey, it’s cool – I don’t know what Super Smash Brothers games my girlfriend’s son has either. But you know your craft beer enthusiast would grin from ear to ear if he or she opened a cool brew-centric gift. But what to get? It isn’t any easy question to answer, given that person probably already has t-shirts from their favorite breweries in their closet and hundreds of pint glasses in the cupboard.
Thankfully, capitalism has an answer. Anytime something gets as hot as craft beer, someone not in the beer business is going to see an opportunity, and that means an easier shopping season for you. In that spirit, here are our top eight beer gear gift ideas for your favorite beer aficionado:
Beer Makes Me Happy T-shirt: From TeeSpring.com comes one of many craft beer t-shirts now on the market. This one, however, has a nice flavor of snark. “Beer Makes Me Happy,” it reads. “You, Not So Much.” It says, “Greetings, I’m a beer connoisseur,” while also saying, “Don’t bother me. Can’t you see I’m drinking craft beer?”
Personalized Growler Set: I sort of hope my girlfriend is reading this, because a personalized growler and pint glass set is a pretty cool gift idea for a beer fan such as myself. Sure, I have a collection of growlers from breweries from Louisville, Ky., to Nashville to Detroit, but I don’t have one with my own name on it. And this set is designed to look, well, like it’s your own damn brewery. It’s the stuff of dreams. Oh, and hey, beer.
Personalized Coasters: In the same vein, here’s a neat gift idea from PersonalCreations.com that lets you make personalized bar coasters. And it doesn’t just stop at memorializing your faux fantasy brewery, it actually delves into different beer styles – they look like labels lifted right off the bottles as they roll off your imaginary bottling line. I sure hope that pale ale is dry-hopped.
Wooden Brewfest Six-Pack Holder: This is more than just a six-pack holder – this cool gift idea from PorterHouseCrafts.com enables the beer lover on your list to do a private sampling for him or herself or for others at a social gathering. You get the beer caddy, two paddles and six five-ounce tasting glasses. Get a mix-and-match six-pack at the nearest beer store and go to town.
Chalkboard Tap Handles: You probably know the couple with the kegerator in their basement, right? Every time you go to their house, they have a new home brew for you to try. Well, here’s an ideal gift for those friends, courtesy of HomeWetBar.com: Chalkboard tap handles. Whenever they tap a new brew, they can simply scribble the name of it on the tap handle and start pouring. Everyone wants to write “Brad’s Bad-Ass IPA” on a tap handle, don’t they?
Joe Sixpack Beer Belt: Laugh all you want about a belt made for canned beer, but canning craft beer is very much in vogue. In fact, IPAs taste pretty darn good when poured from a can – or, heck, even quaffed straight. And with this contraption from GroomStand.com, the beer geek on your list can pack six of any quality wherever he or she pleases.
Everyday IPA Beer Making Kit: Everyone can’t be a gung-ho homebrewer, but with this Brooklyn Brew Shop Kit, brewing a nice, drinkable IPA in your own home is within reach. Hopped with Columbus and Cascade hops, this easy-to-use kit will make your favorite beer nerd a merry one. (Comes in other styles as well.)
Merry Craftsmas Shirt: Yes, one more shirt from TeeSpring.com. This one is part tee, part ugly sweater, bearing the greeting, “Merry Craftsmas and a Hoppy Brew Year.” Seriously, what better way to enjoy the holidays than wearing this monstrosity with pride?