With the holiday season upon us, it’s time for the annual Beer Town Gifts for Beer Lovers Guide.
I always encourage everyone to support Georgia breweries by buying beer lovers what they love most — beer.
Every year, that gets easier, as a steady stream of new breweries open around metro Atlanta and beyond, and not only quickly get into distribution, but offer limited-edition, seasonal and one-off beers during special release days and tasting room events.
Some of the notable new breweries that debuted in 2019 include Best End, Bold Monk, Halfway Crooks, the Lost Druid Brewery, Reformation Brewery Canton, Scepter Brewing Arts, Schoolhouse Brewing, Steady Hand, Stillfire, and Wild Heaven at Lee + White.
Of course, almost every local brewery has merchandise for sale, so shop local for everything from koozies, glassware and tap handles to hats, T-shirts, and sweatshirts. And now, many taprooms make it easy to sample beers and have lunch or dinner before or after you browse.
Personally, books about beer and brewing are among my favorite gifts to give and receive during the holidays. Look for these six published in 2019:
• Call it a guide for the perplexed. “Drink Better Beer” (Sterling Epicure, $24.95) by Brooklyn-based writer Joshua M. Bernstein gleans opinions and wisdom from more than 100 experts, including brewmasters, scientists, bar owners, and sensory specialists, who help him unravel what he calls the “increasingly complicated universe of beer.”
• “The Bucket List: Beer: 1000 Adventures, Pubs, Breweries, Festivals” (Universe, $35) by Justin Kennedy is a fully illustrated, 416-page hardcover book that won’t fit into your back pocket, but will give you the scoop on where to go, what to see, and what to drink at beer destinations from Portland, Oregon, to Portland, Maine, and Munich’s Oktoberfest.
• “The Ultimate Guide to Homebrewing: Techniques and Recipes to Get Brewing Today” (Harvard Common Press, $27.99) by the editors of the Harvard Common Press isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but as a brewing primer it boasts easy-to-follow instructions with photo illustrations, and recipes from craft breweries such as Allagash and the Bruery.
• A how-to book for brewing beginners, “Artisanal Small-Batch Brewing: Easy Homemade Wines, Beers, Meads and Ciders” ($21.99, Page Street) by North Carolina herbalist Amber Shehan is filled with recipes for 1-gallon batches to make at home, including the likes of Root Beer Brown Ale, Wildflower Mead, and Dry-hopped Cider.
• For experienced homebrewers who favor hoppy-hazy beers, “The New IPA: A Scientific Guide to Hop Aroma and Flavor” (scottjanish.com, $19.99) by Scott Janish of Sapwood Cellars is a research project “for those who want to push the limits of hop flavor and aroma.” It cites academic studies, lab tests, and interviews with commercial brewers.
• Not exactly a book, the “Year of Good Beer Page-A-Day Calendar 2020” (Workman Calendars, $9.99) by Amahl Turczyn will give you something to read about beer for every day in 2020, with trivia, history, famous quotes, reviews and recommendations for beers to try, beer pairings, and even info on new hop varieties.
For something a little more personal, or even a little out there, the online store, Uncommon Goods (https://www.uncommongoods.com), is a fun place to land for beer gift shopping, with unique pint glasses, coasters, bottle openers, and even beer-flavored snacks and simple homebrew kits.
Right now, I’m looking at the Custom Chalkboard Beer Taps ($58), which are tap handles handmade in Eugene, Oregon, with text and/or graphics of your choice, and chalkboards for writing the name of the beer you’re pouring on draft.
But for a gag gift, check out the photo of the dude wearing the Reclaimed Rope Beer Lanyard ($12) “for hands-free beer drinking.”
Happy Holidays!
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