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The Best Beer Gifts for the Holidays 2024
On the first night of the holidays my beer lover gave to me...
Photography courtesy of Ross Cummins
Looking for More Gifts for the Holidays?
Do you love beer? Silly question, right? You’re reading Hop Culture, so you obviously enjoy beer to some degree. But let’s dig a little further. Have you checked off a beer resolution in 2024? We…went to a hop harvest ✅ Visited ten new breweries in our home state from Sonoma to Oakland to Los Angeles ✅ Wrote about beer styles new to us—like XPA and Umqombothi ✅ Took a beer trip outside the U.S. and drank real ale in England ✅, to name a few.
Did you also take a trip somewhere in the world just for beer? Like how we went to (Manchester, London, the Czech Republic, Denver, Bellevue, and Yakima, WA). Do you constantly check which beers onUntappd are hitting five stars and try to track them down to drink? Well, then, maybe you’re a beer lover, too. For 365 days, all we think about is beer, all we drink is beer, and all we dream about is beer. We’re beer lovers through and through. So if that sounds like you, one of your friends, or someone in your family, you probably ask yourself: What should I get them for the holidays? Have no fear; Hop Culture’s guide to the best beer gifts for the holidays is here!
We’ve already covered the Best Beer Glasses to Buy in 2024, the best beer fridges, and the Best Brewery Merch of 2024, so here we’re giving you everything from an expertly curated coffee holiday bundle and our newest t-shirt (shameless plug!) to a tapster toolkit and a box of those highest-rated beers of the year.
Last year, we took a different approach to our gift guide, highlighting items specifically from breweries. During a time when breweries continue to grapple with the effects of a plateauing industry and a struggling economy, we highly encourage you to spend your hard-earned dollars on the best beer gifts where it will matter most—at the breweries themselves.
So, without further ado…
Hop Culture’s Favorite Beer Gifts for the Holidays
Wild Year in Beer Box
Graphic courtesy of Derek Campos, Senior Graphic Designer, Next Glass
Are you ready for an epic adventure? Untappd teamed up with YETI to curate an incredibly wild collection of twelve beers based on the top styles of the year from twelve of the best breweries in the world.
This ‘peak’ beer box will take you across the Ale Trail, up Palate Peak, into the Dark Desert, and through Craft Crossing.
Packed with the highest-rated beers from the likes of Side Project, Trillium, Other Half, Revolution, Equilibrium, Mortalis, and more, some might just call this the Mt. Everest of beer boxes.
Are you built for our wild, new adventure? Get ready to summit our Wild Year in Beer Box.
🆓🚨Hurry! The first 100 boxes get a FREE YETI Colster, so grab one for a friend (or yourself) before they disappear into the night.
Best Beer Books of the Year
Curling up on the couch with a good book and a pint of beer, now that’s our ideal Friday night. Here are a few of our top picks for the best books we saw come across our desk this year. Literally, all of these are currently sitting on our desks.
Manchester’s Best Beer Pubs and Bars – Matthew Curtis
Photography courtesy of Ross Cummins
The idea for this award-winning book, as author and Pellicle Founder Matthew Curtis told us over a pint of Cloudwater’s SoCal at the Manchester taproom, came while running. Hey, some of us do our best thinking then. Curtis would use his daily excursions to run to beer pubs and bars he’d read about, and inevitably, along the way, he’d pass five or ten more that he wanted to visit.
Many a jog, visit, and downed pint later, Curtis wrote Manchester’s Best Beer Pubs and Bars, featuring nearly 200 must-visit places to drink in Manchester.
From traditional cask-ale pubs to trendy bottle shops to contemporary taprooms, Curtis covers a lot of ground. We should know because he gave us a mini tour during our time there. No, we didn’t have time to get to all 200 places in the book, but we did our best to hit a few of the top spots.
If you needed any more proof that this book is worth your time: The North American Guild of Beer Writers recently named Manchester’s Best Beer Pubs and Bars the best beer book for 2024.
Run, don’t walk, to grab this book. If you ever visit Manchester, you will most certainly need it.
Hidden Beers of Belgium – Breandán Kearney
Mockup provided by Breandán Kearney
We have this book—Hidden Beers of Belgium—recently released by Breandán Kearney, founder of the Belgian-inspired award-winning publication and podcast Belgian Smaak, sitting right on our desk.
We’ve traveled to Belgium, but we admit that spending seven days there only scratched the surface. Beneath all the well-known names like Orval and Westvleteren, you’ll find a whole world waiting to be discovered.
Which Kearney did brilliantly in his new book.
“Under the hood of Belgium’s famous beer scene, beyond the big-name brands, exists a trove of breweries and blenderies producing lesser-known but extraordinary beers,” writes Kearney. “But for beer enthusiasts, these hidden beers are often difficult to discover because of language barriers, Belgian beer’s complex culture, and just the overwhelming number of beers in Belgium. That is, until now.”
Kearney has literally done all the work for you…and trust us, we spoke with him, and he did A LOT of work.
If you’re planning to travel to Belgium or want to do so in the near future, this book is a must-have.
Pairing Beer & Chocolate – David Nilsen
Advanced Cicerone© and host of the popular beer and chocolate podcast Bean to Barstool, David Nilsen, takes us on a journey…from bean to barstool in his book Pairing Beer & Chocolate.
You may not immediately think that beer and chocolate go together, but unwrap the layers, and you’ll find a surprising and delightful synergy.
If you think, “I don’t even know where to start,” get this award-winning book.
Nilsen expertly walks you through how to pair beer and chocolate, which styles work best, and even shows you how to host your own beer and chocolate pairing with others.
Consider this book your ultimate guide and introduction to pairing beer and chocolate together.
Samuel Adams Our American Dream Cookbook
Started by Boston Beer Company founder Jim Koch as a way to provide resources and coaching to small businesses, Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream (BTAD) program has, for the last sixteen years, partnered with the Accion Opportunity Fund to provide loans totaling $100 million to food and beverage businesses in thirty-nine states. Additionally, the program has helped these businesses create over 11,000 jobs and provided free business coaching to over 15,000 entrepreneurs.
To celebrate the spirit of ingenuity and empowerment of the BTAD, Samuel Adams recently released the Our American Dream Cookbook. Among this book’s gorgeously displayed recipes, you’ll find inspiring stories from eighty culinary trailblazers. “Together, they have filled these pages with over one hundred recipes—from legendary lunches and enterprising mains to dynamic desserts and festive drinks—that are testimony to their daring, passion, and vision,” writes Boston Beer. “But this richly illustrated volume is more than just an exciting new cookbook. It’s also an invitation to fill your dining table with inspiration, diversity, and the abundance of flavors that make up the tapestry of our community. Join us as we celebrate the spirit of innovation and the pursuit of the American dream one delicious dish at a time.”
Everywhere Hot Sauce
Photography courtesy of Everywhere
If you’re like us, you put hot sauce on everything, even beer. Just kidding. However, we do enjoy a pepper or two in some of our stouts. Made in collaboration with Infinity Sauces, Everywhere’s hot sauce includes peaches, onion, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and those hot-as-hell Carolina Reapers. It’s a sweet heat, thanks also to aging in one of Everywhere’s vanilla stout barrels. One of our “Best New Breweries of 2022,” Everywhere continues to impress us with its lagers, West Coast hoppy stuff, and good vibes. Now, we can add hot sauce to that list!
Night Shift Flagship Holiday Coffee Bundle
Photography courtesy of Night Shift Brewing
Did you know that Hop Culture once entertained starting another magazine called Bean Culture? That’s just how much we love coffee. Our day doesn’t even begin until we’ve made some Joe in a French press. Night Shift got into the coffee game several years ago. They roast craft coffee beans weekly, offering a variety of blends from single-origin blends from Peru and Guatemala to an espresso blend called Darkling. But suppose you just want to get a taste. In that case, we recommend Night Shift’s Flagship Holiday Coffee Bundle, featuring the brewery’s three flagship coffee blends, including Lovejoy dark roast, Chelsea medium roast, and Everett light roast. Plus, they throw in a bag of their seasonal winter blend aptly called Snow Day. Roasted and shipped fresh to your door, these blends make for a fun and tasty holiday gift.
Humble Sea x Revelry – The Rolling Kit
Photography courtesy of Humble Sea Brewing Co.
Did you know that Hop Culture once considered starting a magazine called High Culture? Just kidding, that never happened. But we have been known to throw a festival or two around 420. If you know someone who drinks beers and would have read that theoretical magazine, then Humble Sea’s Rolling Kit might be for them. Made of brown leather, marine canvas, and brass hardware, this beautiful kit comes with a hemp rolling tray, two smell-proof pockets, a two-piece hemp grinder, and a lighter holder. Plus, it’s lockable, and with a waterproof zipper, it might even be okay to take to the beach. High times at high tide! Well, actually, that would be pretty dumb.
Untappd Dog Merch
Photography courtesy of Untappd
We know all our furry friends can’t actually drink beer, but they still seem like our dearest drinking buddies. How often have they curled up by our toes as we cracked a cold one? Or sat by our feet while we hung out with friends at our favorite taproom? Our four-legged pals were right by our side when we checked in our 100th badge. They may have even licked up a little liquid we spilled on the floor once (shh, we won’t tell!). That’s why Untappd created a whole line of items just for the pets in your life.
Untappd Pet Water Bowl
Honestly, our canine companions have probably spilled even more water on the floor from their old water bowl, right!? Since hydration is just as essential for them as you, the Untappd Pet Water Bowl will keep your pup drinking H20 while you drink…whatever you want.
Untappd Dog Collar
Love beer and dogs? Go ahead and buy your dog something special, like this Untappd Dog Collar. Who said dogs can’t check in beer?
Untappd Dog Leash
Lastly, let’s toast to the tail-waggers who you love as much as your ales and lagers with the Untappd Dog Leash.
Brooklyn Brewery Lauren Martin Pulp Art Nalgene Bottle
Photography courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery
We remember when Nalgenes were all the rage—stuck into every summer camper’s backpack. Somehow, this nineties treasure has become a darling of brewers far and wide. To celebrate the release of its Pulp Art Imperial IPA, Brooklyn Brewery teamed up with NYC-based artist and illustrator Lauren Martin to make this limited-edition Pulp Art Nalgene. Splashed across this water bottle’s surface is a colorful patchwork of the iconic Pulp Art designs to “make your hydration game a little brighter,” according to Brooklyn Brewery. “Fill it with 32oz of water (or beer!) using the convenient wide mouth design and take this famously tough and pleasantly flashy bottle anywhere.”
Evil Twin Harvest Series Seaweed Crafted Spirits
Photography courtesy of Evil Twin
A project from the NYC-based beer brand known for its crazy fruited sours and adjunct-filled imperial stouts, Evil Twin’s Harvest Series Seaweed Craft Spirits is a neutral grain spirit infused with fresh sugar kelp sourced from Atlantic Sea Farms. “Bright and briny with a gentle hint of saltiness, this spirit captures the essence of the sea,” writes Evil Twin, “but without the fish.” Evil Twin’s brand offers something just a little different for a spirit lover.
In the spirit of sustainability, Evil Twin even took the leftover seaweed and partnered with Brooklyn restaurant Doublé to dehydrate the marine plant into a salt.
LUKR Tapster Toolkit
Photography courtesy of LUKR
If you’ve followed us over the past few years, you’ll know how obsessed we’ve become with Czech beer styles and culture. And we’re not the only ones. We dubbed 2023 “The Year of the Czech Lager,” and we think we nailed that, noticing breweries across the country tried their hand at brewing Czech beer styles—pilsner, pale lager, Czech dark lager. We even got to live our wildest dreams this year when we joined the Czech Ministry of Agriculture on a seven-day mission trip around the Czech Republic.
One of the stops included LUKR, whose side-pull faucet has become something of a darling among American brewers.
This pouring device includes a screen inside the tip that filters out any larger bubbles and promotes smaller, finer ones. Combined with a ball valve (as opposed to a plunger valve) that lets you better control the beer flow, it helps create this wet, dense foam.
We’re not really sure if these have made their way into homebrewers’ set-ups yet, but we imagine if they haven’t, they will soon.
With that in mind, this is probably more of a next-level gift, but for someone in your life who loves Czech beer or immediately goes giddy when they notice a side-pull faucet at their favorite taproom, LUKR’s Tapster Toolkit might just hit a home run.
The kit includes everything a professional tapster would use to keep their taps and draught system top-notch. If your beer lover wants the perfect pour from their side-pull faucet every time, they need this essential kit.
Wolverine’s Trade Wedge Moc Toe Boot
Photography courtesy of Wolverine
“Built to work as hard as you do,” according to Wolverine, the Trade Wedge Moc Toe Boot is your go-to boot for long homebrew days in the garage or basement. But it can also just be a stylish choice if you’re packing up a cooler of beer for a hike or hitting the trail for a camping trip.
We had a chance to test these bad boys out during an epic sixteen-hour brew day at Hanabi Lager in the spring (read all about that incredible experience in the latest issue of Final Gravity here).
Imagine standing on your feet for sixteen hours straight while unhooking hoses, lifting fifty-five-pound grain bags into a mill, and cleaning the lauter tun of a massive amount of spent grain. You’d need something comfortable and sturdy on your feet.
Wolverine’s Trade Wedge Moc Toe is like Cinderella’s slipper, a perfectly fitting boot that is equal parts durable, comfortable, and, if we’re honest, ruggedly classy. Yeah, we look pretty cool in these boots, and we’re not ashamed to say it.
Made with premium waterproof full-grain leather, moisture-managing mesh lining, and a lightweight rubber wedge outsole for flexibility and added cushioning, these Wolverine boots made brew day a breeze.
We highly recommend these boots for your beer-loving homebrewer.
Wayfinder Beer Print
Illustration courtesy of Orion Landau
Don’t just drink beer…drink it in. Not every brewery lets you capture the beautiful artwork on its labels to display at home, but at Wayfinder, you can. Last year, Hop Culture Social Media Manager Magic Muncie named Wayfinder’s Infinite Hotel one of his “Favorite Beer Labels of 2023.”
“Frankly, I like all of Wayfinder’s labels, so I asked myself which stood out from the crowd,” wrote Munice. “Infinite Hotel did.”
“It reminds me of this mix of vivid rock ’n roll, but at the same time, it has a much softer side with pops of pastel pink. It’s kind of in a vein of metal meets magnificence.”
According to Wayfinder’s Art Director, Orion Landau, who designed the artwork, the label takes inspiration from Hilbert’s paradox of the Grand Hotel. The thought experiment states that a fully occupied hotel with an infinite number of rooms can always accommodate new guests, creating a sort of Penrose Stairs loop that never ends.
“We loved the concept and were trying to illustrate multiple spaces going on at the same time, so I just created all these little worlds,” Landau wrote to us in an email.
Safe to say, this label blew our minds, and we’d love to hang the actual artwork up in our office. Wayfinder has Infinite Hotel and many other labels available to buy as prints, so even if you disagree with us about Infinite Hotel, you can probably find your favorite.
Tripping Animals Cottonmouth Skateboard Deck
Photography courtesy of Tripping Animals
Yes, we know this one is a little silly. But is it? 🙋 if your favorite events to watch during the Paris Summer Olympics were the Men’s and Women’s Park Finals? Hey, even if you don’t lace up your knee pads anymore, you could just hang this deck in your den. Yeah, it’s that cool.
Side Project Topps Garbage Pail Kids Trading Cards
Photography courtesy of Topps
Well, gosh darn, if we don’t wish that we didn’t throw away our entire sports card (and Pokémon) collection when our parents sold our house. Sports collectibles have become a hot cultural topic over the past few years. Seen King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch on Netflix? Read any of The Athletic’s coverage on sports memorabilia, a new vertical they just started this summer?
Apparently, a couple of years ago, top trading card company Topps commissioned a few breweries to get in on the fun. Those like Side Project, Oxbow, Sante Adairius, Jester King, Other Half, Firestone Walker, Half Acre, Bierstadt Lagerhaus, Bissel Brothers, Highland Park, and Monkish, among others, made it into a series of exclusive, limited-edition sets.
While most have sold out, you can find a few from Half Acre and Side Project floating around.
These are just pure nostalgic fun. But who knows, maybe they’ll have some crazy value someday.
The Tree House Chemex
Photography courtesy of Tree House
Like we said, we love coffee and think it goes hand-in-hand with craft beer. There must be something in the water in Massachusetts because the famed local brewery Tree House also started its own coffee brand—Tree House Coffee Company.
This limited-edition Chemex collab is actually a piece specially designed for Tree House. That’s right, this is no regular Chemex. Calling this a coffee brewer, the Tree House Chemex has unique defining features, such as amber-tinted glass and a dark brown hand-turned mahogany collar.
You won’t find these details on any other Chemex; they’re unique to Tree House.
A tinge of modern and vintage simultaneously, this Chemex is one-of-a-kind and will make a statement piece on any beer- or coffee-lover’s afternoon or morning bar, if you know what we mean!
The Drowned Lands Road Trip Blanket
Photography courtesy of The Drowned Lands
Packable, stylish, and warm, this picnic blanket from The Drowned Lands is perfect to throw in the car for a road trip or take to the lake for your late-summer family reunion. We’re a big fan of things that fold in on themselves, making them easy to pack and carry around. Also, we’re a sucker for plaid.
Half Acre Pocket Notebook
Image courtesy of Half Acre Beer Co.
As journalists and writers, notebooks are our bread and butter, full of interviews and story ideas. You should see the collection we have sitting in our desk drawer! While we fully admit we’ve become fans of the .70-cent spiral flip ones you can find at Walgreens, it’s always nice to treat ourselves occasionally with something a little more special. And what are the holidays for if not to treat yourself? We’ve been eyeing this colorful one from Half Acre for a while; it just makes us feel happy inside.
Angry Chair Cooler
Photography courtesy of Angry Chair
The perfect tailgate companion, this soft-sided, insulated Angry Chair Cooler will keep your drinks cold for up to twenty-four hours (with ice). We like how this cooler looks more like a backpack than something to store your cans.
Balter Premium Beer Duffle
Photography courtesy of Balter
Iconic Australian brewery Balter calls this a “sweet little cooler,” custom-built with all the features they’d want in something to put beer into.
Part bag and part cooler, this duffle has a durable canvas with a water-resistant base that allows it to travel to many outdoor places. Inside, the sealed bladder “avoids embarrassing leaks” and holds up to sixteen tinnies (essentially the Australian word for “can of beer”).
This is just a peach of a travel case that can carry a case of beer whenever you want to go somewhere and look good doing it.
