It’s that holly jolly, manicky panicky time of year again. At this point, with just less than a week to finish up your holiday shopping, it’s a little late to be puttering about on the Internet. But have no fear, there are other options when buying for the beer lover on your Secret Santa list. First and foremost, there is the option of going to an actual physical store to buy something (gasp!).

Number one on our list would be the Publick House Provisions store in Brookline. The lineup of American Craft beer and Belgians is intimidatingly long but would make any beer drinker salivate. Pick up something your giftee hasn’t tried yet, or mix a six-pack of their favorites. The Provisions store is full of fun food to pair with beer or cook with it, including an impressive cheese list, most of which we can’t pronounce, which is always a good sign. Finally, if you really can’t decide, they sell both gift baskets and gift certificates.

You can always check out the local bookstores as well, as there is more written about beer than you can possibly imagine. A classic choice would be something written by the late beer expert, Michael Jackson, who wrote seemingly dozens of books on both beer and whisky. Newer books that could be of interest include The Naked Pint, a book about everything you need to know about craft beer. Also last year’s The Beer Book, pornography for beer lovers. Another favorite is Sam Calagione and Marnie Old’s He said Beer, She Said Wine, about pairing food with drinks. (Although here, she says beer.)

More gift suggestions after the jump!

Photo courtesy AndyFitz on Flickr using Creative Commons License

Then there’s always the perennial favorite of giving a magazine subscription. There are a number out there and many can be found in bookstores so you have something physical to hand the beer lover. Check out Draft Magazine or All About Beer Magazine for general beer mags, or Brew Your Own for the home brewer. And of course, don’t forget about BeerAdvocate Magazine.

But speaking of home brewing, if your beery gift-getter has expressed interest in brewing their own, head over to Modern Homebrew Emporium. The Emporium houses everything you need to brew your own beer. For a new-to-brewing person, you could buy the brewing kit and even a box of pre-measured ingredients (in all different styles) to use as a starter for their first go at it. If you already have an experienced brewer on your hands, go for the gift certificate.

Lastly, the ever popular gift of promise, in which you buy someone something online but have to explain what it is as it hasn’t arrived yet. (For these we recommend hand-made gift cards with lots of glitter.) Our favorite gift in this category would be tickets to the Extreme Beer Fest this February put on by BeerAdvocate. Because nothing says love like the promise of Imperial Stouts and Double IPAs.

Merry Christmas and happy shopping!

Filed in Food and tagged beer, BeerAdvocate, christmas gift ideas, drinking in boston, Publick House

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