Get your shoppin' on! These gifts are kickass!
Hoppy Holidays!
It’s that time again and I wanted to make sure your
Holiday shopping goes that much easier, so look no further than my annual Cruisin’ For A Brewsin’ Last Minute Gift
Guide! I am launching this one a little bit earlier than usual so that you
have time to receive deliveries on all of these cool gift ideas that were either pitched to me, I used, I came across on the Net, or just thought you—my
cherished readers—would consider.
I get a lot of love for doing these gift guides (plus I
tremendously enjoy doing them) over the years, so here is 2014’s Holiday edition featuring everything from inventive beer paraphernalia to original gift certificate ideas, travel hot spots, books, gadgets, clothing and more! Did I mention beer?
Anyway, hook up your friends, family, that special
someone…or yourself!
Cheers!
Ale
*I will be updating this site until it is hitting the last second so look for my announcements of additions on my Twitter account (@alesharpton).
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As promised above, I said I would add gifts periodically leading up to Christmas Day so here ya go!:
*I will be updating this site until it is hitting the last second so look for my announcements of additions on my Twitter account (@alesharpton).
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As promised above, I said I would add gifts periodically leading up to Christmas Day so here ya go!:
Northern
Brewing Gift Card
Want a Christmas buzzer beater? Here it is!
To really make things last minute, I added another awesome gift that can
be bought even on the day of Christmas (or whatever Holiday you celebrate)!
We have what they boast to be the largest homebrew supplier in the country
(which I truly believe)—Northern Brewer—providing the opportunity to buy an Email Gift Card for beer brewing supplies that’s delivered
directly to the recipient’s email
address. These great folks also have wine and cheesemaking kits in case you
really want to turn your pinky up, so go for it!
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Mountain Top Cabins in Blue Ridge, Georgia
Head for the mountains!
At the top of my list for favorite getaways is Blue Ridge,
Georgia and staying at one of the luxurious cabins Mountain Top provides. You should certainly consider getting one
and taking people you can tolerate and enjoy for a weekend (or week) of woosah!
Indoors, you can do everything from play pool, watch
satellite television, start a fire, roast marshmallows outdoors at a fire pit,
release stress in a hot tub, make an extravagant meal in a gourmet kitchen,
play board games…basically do the things you never get the chance to do during your regular hustle and bustle life. Plus, the fresh air will prompt you to explore the
outdoors and visit Blue Ridge’s gorgeous environs, its charming downtown
(especially hit up the Blue Ridge
Brewery, the Irish pub called Boro
Inn, score growlers at Out Of The Blue, and dine at the delicious Harvest On Main); also take the family to the nationally renowned Mercier Orchards (the turnovers are to
die for). The best way to do this is to get a gift certificate (see above) so that you or your
recipient can plan trips accordingly. They have great deals at Mountain Top so
this is the perfect present for anyone including yourself!
Visit Mountaintopcabinrentals.com for more info.
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Zippo Hand Warmer
Show Old Man Winter who’s boss!
Show Old Man Winter who’s boss!
Speaking of camping in the mountains, the longtime Zippo lighter and accessory company would certainly enhance the trip and ensure you can literally handle this chrome Hand Warmer. Fitting into virtually any pocket, it comes with a filler cup, warming bag, and up to 12 hours of function time, so anyone can brave the outdoors that much easier for only $19.95. www.zippo.com
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Buy someone
some ‘Uncommon Goods’!
The
UncommonGoods.com website has something for even the most finicky individual.
I go hunting for sites that sell extra cool items and this is one of them! Uncommon Goods features extraordinary, yet often practical
gifts created by a community of artists, craftsmen and makers. They really got me with
their collection of beer paraphernalia. From brew kits to glasses
that come with an opener at its base, there is a gang of gifts to choose from.
They even acknowledge the creators of practically every item they sell.
The All About Beer Card Deck aka Ace of Brews is one of my faves that they have to offer because I love me some spades and everyone playing gets an insightful beer fact on every card! This is chump change at $15.95.
The All About Beer Card Deck aka Ace of Brews is one of my faves that they have to offer because I love me some spades and everyone playing gets an insightful beer fact on every card! This is chump change at $15.95.
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World Bottled Beers: 50 Classic Brews to
Sip and Savour
Drinking…err, reading is fundamental.
How about a hardcover beer book that's die-cut to the
actual size of a bottle featuring 50 of the best tasty ales and lagers the
world has to offer? World Bottled Beers:
50 Classic Brews to Sip and Savour is a gangster page turner for your
tabletop; it promises to consistently spark up good conversation and earn you cool
points on the regular. Award-winning Beer Writer Adrien Tierney-Jones, Art
Director Sarah Rock, and Photographer Simon Murrell feature the country of
origin, alcohol by volume, and an expert review makes this a no-brainer for
any beer enthusiast. MSRP at $14.99, but there are great deals here.
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Filson 72-Hour Bag
A bag equipped with a charging station? Bag it!
I truly dig cool
bags that are both fashionable and practical, so this Filson
72-hour bag is certainly up my alley. Besides its rugged-meets-hipster
look, it boasts a waxed exterior to weather inclement environs, and get this:
It comes with a concealed Joey charging system in the front pocket for your gadgets to save you from searching for wall outlets like an electrician! ($425)
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The Hublot Big
Bang Ferrari Ceramic Carbon Watch
For the
true ballers who want to know what time it is…
I have received a little feedback from some gents with a heavy wallet asking me to post
some items in future gift guides that are, shall we say, lavish? Well here you
go! Hublot watches are at the top of the game when it comes to timepieces. (I
mean come on, they are getting numerous shout outs in rap songs now so there
you go!) Anyway, there are only 100 of these Big Bang Ferrari Ceramic Carbon watches available on the market for
a mere $29,800. What do you get?
·
The Case: 45 mm. Polished and Satin-finished
Black Ceramic
·
The Bezel: Yellow Composite Resin Lower Bezel
with six H-shaped Black Titanium Screws
·
The Dial and Hands: Sapphire Dial. Yellow
Appliques Satin-finished Black-plated Hands with Yellow Luminescent Black and
Yellow Chronograph Second and Minute Counter Hands
·
The Movement: UNICO Manufacture Self-winding
Chronograph Flyback Movement with Column Wheel
·
The Power Reserve: 72 hours
·
The Straps and Clasp: Black Rubber and Black
Schedoni Leather Straps with Yellow Stitching. Black PVD Titanium with Carbon
Insert Deployant Buckle Clasp
Lavish enough for ya? Hit up this site for details...and drooling.
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The Innis &
Gunn Scotch Whisky Porter
From their seasonal
Porter to some recipes with their original, I&G does it big in Scotland!
Spice up your holidays with the new Scotch Whisky Porter
straight out of the
Edinburgh, Scotland-based brewing headquarters of Innis
& Gunn. These guys have always received accolades for the barrel-aged
concoctions that pair well with just about anything (especially cigars), so now
it’s time for this tasty Porter that’s matured over oak infused with a Scotch
Whisky at a warming 7.4% ABV. Aroma and tasting notes include caramel, toffee, roasted
coffee beans and a porter must—cocoa. I dig it and so will your recipient of
this gift! More info on Innis & Gunn can be found here.
Oh! And if you are a fan of the Original Innis & Gunn
brew, grab a few bottles and get your mixology on with these two delicious recipes
below:
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American Born Moonshine
The only time you
would want to be mooned!
Presented in slick, patented mason jars topped with a
cork-like closure and filled with the pure ingredients of true moonshine—corn,
sugar and water—here comes a line of award-winning spirits straight from
Nashville, Tennessee. Just entering the Atlanta market, American Born
brilliantly pays homage to the unaged corn whiskey and rum recipes from way
back in American history boasting three flavors—Original (103 proof), Apple Pie
(83 proof) and Dixie Sweet Tea (83). Find out where these potent winter warmers
are on their website, www.americanbornmoonshine.com. Now
let’s get mooned, American Born style!
Prep Sportswear
Represent with
these old school gear!
Being a sports fanatic, I came across Prep Sportswear who
boast how they offer “the largest array of custom fan apparel” representing all
the major sports including baseball, hockey, football, basketball, soccer, and others.
Well I had fun going through all the squads they had available from all over
the world, so I thought you would too. I also like how they give you the
opportunity to customize it down to the color, size and of course, team. So
find a city, college, sport and squad you want to rep and order a shirt, towel, hoodie,
or whatever and rock it! PrepSportswear.com is the official website and you can find some great deals on especially college t-shirts here. Go team!
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The “Can-Era” Lens Drink Cooler
This has a shot of being the coolest koozie
ever!
Okay, back to reality for those who may be a few dollars
short of buying that $30,000 Hublot watch above. this “Can-Era” Lens Drink Cooler
from is one of the coolest koozies I have seen, period. Keeping our hands warms
while holding a cold brew for events like tailgating or whatever, this will
certainly get some looks your way. Especially from needy photographers who will
try to steal it when you put it down. It looks that real. Cop this and other
kooky paraphernalia at BigMouthToys.com. You have to register in their site to get the prices for some reason, but go old school and call 'em:
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The Unibroue Éphémère Canneberge
Cranberries in brew? Hell yeah!
Chambly,
Quebec’s Unibroue, the maker of one
of my favorite beers in the world—La Fin du Monde—now presents their
latest seasonal release, Éphémère Canneberge, a delicately spiced
white ale brewed with ripe cranberries at 5.5 percent ABV.
“I'm
especially proud to say that we are one of the few breweries in the world to
referment 100 percent of our ales directly in the keg, one keg at a time. This
is also the case for our Cranberry Éphémère,” Brewmaster Jerry Vietz boasts.
“This festive version of the Éphémère is a white ale flavored with fruit and spices,
with fine bubbles and a white lacy head. It has a delicate cranberry flavor,
with just the right balance of sweetness and acidity.”
As its
name suggests, Éphémère is a series of fruit ales that started
in the spring of 2001, featuring apple, blackcurrant, peach, and raspberry. Now
it’s cranberry’s turn. And the bottle art is kickass. Here’s Unibroue’s Beer
Sommelier presenting
their Cranberry Éphémère and their Éphémère beercocktail. For
more info, hit up www.unibroue.com.
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Kick it in these fly stockings, ya heard?
I love socks. These are hot. I want them. Period. Straight
from Sweden for $12 a pair, you will go bowling or try on shoes in random stores just to show these babies off. They have some pretty slick underwear too! Check 'em out here and if you are in Atlanta, hit up the slick boutique store on 1048 North Highland, William Wren.
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2015 SweetWater 420 Fest
Grab some early bird special tickets to see
the legendary Snoop Dogg!
Now this is one helluva gift you can get while the gettin’
is good. Do you see this lineup? Go here for details and to cop some early bird
special tickets for this jam on April 17th through the 19th.
