Every year my intention is to publish the gift guide earlier, but seriously…what happened to the fall of 2016? Whooosh….it’s prime time Christmas season. At least Hanukkah is later in the month (beings Dec. 24). Once again, I think I’ve found some pretty unique gifts and none totally break the bank. Links are in the item names.
Grilling & Tailgating
Butter Mill
An easy solution to spreadable chilled butter. Simply place your cold butter in the column-shaped mill. With a few twists of the wrist the butter is grated onto the top and is spreadable for your corn on the cob, breads, etc.
$19.99
Cedar Grilling & Cooking Wraps
A set of 20 paper-thin sheets of cedar wood infuse the wonderful flavor and scent into foods. Size of the sheets are 7.25” x 8”. Simply soak the sheets in water, then wrap around your food and either grill or bake. Western red cedar and handmade. Also available is an alderwood and cedar variety pack for $2 more.
$15.99
Bison Airlighter
Get lit, quick! No…I mean your charcoal or fire, without the use of lighter fluid or chemical starters. This heavy-duty tool shoots a 4-inch, 2600-degree air-propelled flame onto your wood or charcoal. In less than 5 minutes you’re ready to cook. The Airlighter is cordless and rechargeable (standard USB connectivity) and has a refillable butane fuel tank. Added perks: an LED flashlight, adjustable, stay-cool handle, safety locks, hook (for hanging) and bottle opener.
$99.99
ManGrate Gift Set
Hand-selected and unique items. Individually these retail for much more. And the heavy-duty bag can hold 41 pounds, so it’s perfect to haul ManGrates tailgating and camping (or for long-term storage of the grates in wet areas when you don’t grill that often). The gift pack comes with 2 ManGrates, a grill brush with durable stainless steel bristles, Acala Farms Cottonseed oil (with spray nozzle) and the durable bag.
PROMO: $84.99 (retails for $153.97, no coupon needed)
ALSO: All ManGrates and brushes 50% off with code 16hoho through Dec. 31.
Brew & Beverages
Wine2go and Flask2go
Genius! Foldable, unbreakable, lightweight (and discreet) solutions to carry your favorite wine or spirit camping, hiking, at the beach, tailgating, etc. When the flask is empty, just fold it up and either bring home to use again or toss it into the recycling bin. BPA free, leak-proof cap. They also make silicone wine glasses too.
$12.99 – Wine2go (available in red or blue)
$9.99 – Flask2go (available in colors, sold in pairs)
Beer Layering Tool
This is really interesting. Layered beers allow you to have a drink with a little more complexity and a variety of taste profiles, such as a Guinness and Bass Black & Tan or a Guinness and Abita Purple Haze. This accessory gets placed on top of your pint glass, allowing you to pour the perfect layered drink.
$9.95
Beer Soap
Beer is good! Not just for your taste buds but it has benefits for skin, too. Hops contain amino acids, which moisturize skin; brewer’s yeast is an antibacterial agent and can help improve the symptoms of acne; spent grains are great exfoliants. Beer also provides a great lather. Simplí is Gaelic for simple and straightforward, so these are small batch, artisan soaps made from scratch using quality ingredients. Also offering hops-infused hemp seed beard oil and other body items. (This is my side venture—I hand-make all of these items)
$6.00
Whiskey Soaked Campfire Jerky
ManReady Mercantile has a lot of unique, upscale items (whiskey-soaked granola, custom rings, vintage hatchet and knife sets, apparel….). Knocked it out of the park with this one. Beef is soaked overnight in Bulleit Bourbon, then slow-smoked in a vintage smokehouse using Texas pecan wood. Each piece is hand cut, and orders are delivered sealed then packed into a burlap bag. Available in 4-oz or 8-oz bags.
$16-30.00
Wood’s Specialty Syrups
While I’m on a bourbon-themed roll, I discovered Wood’s Maple Syrup, in Vermont (of course). Wood’s has been in the maple syrup biz since 1920, but about seven years ago decided to focus on specialty syrups. They make bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup as well as rum barrel-aged, smoked and ghost pepper extract syrups. All of these would be amazing with more than just flapjacks: in marinades, grilling sauces, cocktails…. Wood’s offers recipes on their website.
$18-$19.00
Socks with a Message
What a great stocking stuffer….socks! FairySeason offers a variety of socks with messages (including “Beer me” and “If you can read this bring me a glass of wine”). Besides various saying, there are color options. Polyester.
$6.00 (average)
Music
JBL Clip 2 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
If you’re like me, I like having music on the go or outside (patio, camping, tailgating). This ultra light, rugged and powerful portable speaker streams music via bluetooth or with direct connectivity to your device via an integrated 3.5mm audio cable. This speaker has durable fabric material and rubber housing, an IPX7 Waterproof rating, mic for speakerphone calls, and comes in a variety of colors. Battery charge time is approximately 2.5 hours providing up to 8 hours of music time.
$59.95
Vibes Ear Plugs
OK…I need these. Until I get in-ear monitors, I need something to lower the volume of amps and drums on stage. But these would be great for anyone who wants to protect their hearing when they are at concerts, sport events, or dance clubs. They are 3-D printed and offer filters that lower volume without affecting sound fidelity. Thus, the sound is clear…not muffled. And they are small, discreet and come with a storage case and three different sized ear tips.
$23.99
Instrument Key Ring
The musician in your life may not want to lay their keys just anywhere when they are attached to one of these. Handmade pewter construction with a variety of instruments available: drums, banjo, Fender bass, Gibson doubleneck, french horn, sax, etc.
$12.99
