Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Gifts: Stocking Stuffers!

Yesterday we brought you some ideas for some great books to get for your favorite beer geek.  Today we're moving to something a bit smaller, but possibly even more important... Stocking Stuffers! 

Whatever holiday you celebrate, you are probably in need of some small gifts for coworkers, distant relatives and and your favorite brew masters...ahem...ahem...  So we've collected a few ideas to inspire your shopping for stocking stuffers and knickknacks this holiday season.

Beer Soap! You want your beer loving friend to be clean, right? Why not get them some beer soap! One spot to find it is here: http://www.thebeersoapcompany.com/

Bottle stoppers! Beer geeks are always itching to crack open the newest 22oz or 750ml bottle that they got at the store, but they don't always have someone to share it with. These bottle stoppers fit in any bottle and can let someone spread their drinking over a couple of nights. http://amzn.to/twwsMw


Awesome bottle openers! Everyone has that old plastic bottle opener that they picked up free at a bar or from the floor at a college frat party, but the true beer geek needs a special, unique, bottle opener. We recently spotted these interesting ones, but there are tons more on the web, just start googling! http://bit.ly/vXZanS


ETSY!! If you haven't visited etsy before, head over there today. It's an entire community of handmade products for sale and if you simply type in the word "beer" in their search bar, you'll find hundreds of amazing products from towels to earings to coasters. www.etsy.com


A fridge magnet bottle opener! Everyone keeps their beer in the fridge, right? And how many times have you had to scour your kitchen for an opener? A few companies are making openers like this one that stick on your fridge and easily open bottles. Very handy tool!http://bit.ly/vXZanS

Gift Cards! Duh. But you often forget that you can get a gift card from major liqour store chains and even some smaller shops like The Bruery Provisions! Stop on by our store for a gift card in any denomination!


Beer notebook! Want to become a true beer connoisseur? You'll never get there if you don't keep track of tasting notes and details about beers that you've tried. Your true beer geek friends will love a cool notebook to scribble their drunken ramblings after their 10th taste of the night. http://etsy.me/thVmU9


Upcycled beer products! Wallets made from beer boxes, earrings made from bottlecaps, glasses made from bottles. Tons of pieces of beer culture are being used on a secondary market to create cool products. Search around and you're bound to find something cool like these wallets! http://etsy.me/sixUAc


BEER! What fits better in a stocking or puts a bigger smile on your friend's face than a bottle of high quality craft beer! Look for something new and interesting that they might not have yet, like The Bruery's Smoking Wood which is hitting shelves at The Bruery Provisions the week leading up to Christmas!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Gifts: Beer Books!

The holidays are upon us and we know how hard it can be to think of the perfect gift for your friends and family.  We'll be posting some ideas for beer lovers' gifts this week to help you get through the holiday season!


Today we're featuring some great books about beer and all the encompasses it.  We've got some of these books available at The Bruery Provisions and others are available through Amazon or other book stores. 


If you are looking for something a bit more special, this Thursday, 12/8, we'll have Joshua Bernstein, author of Brewed Awakening, in for a book signing!  Plus, we'll have a special 'Brewed Awakening' flight featuring some rare beers that people usually have to wait in line for!


For the novice beer geek! This brand new book is perfect for your friend who is trying to track down all the 'must have' beers. Loads of craft examples of different styles and hard to find treasures. 


For the novice beer chick (or dude). Written by "The Beer Chicks", The Naked Pint is a great book for the beer novice looking to learn the basics of beer styles and history be they a chick or a dude.



For the novice know-it-all. Tasting Beer is one of the unofficial textbooks for the Cicerone certification and is an easy read full of information from history to styles to how beer is made. One of the most comprehensive beer books out there without being too complex.


For the novice beer traveler. This new book is a great look at the different breweries across this great country of ours. A fantastic read for your friend who likes to visit breweries while cross the USA.


For the foodie! Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery penned this lengthy book that gives an extremely comprehensive look at how to pair beer with food and food with beer.

For the beginning home brewer! Cooked up by a craft beer couple who has spent years brewing out of their compact San Francisco apartment, this is a great start for someone who is just getting into homebrewing and needs some inpiration.


For the novice homebrewer! This book is one of the standards for learning to homebrew. Concepts on recipe formulation and everything involved in the process.


For the crazy homebrewer! Radical Brewing is just that. Does your friend need some inspiration to become the next head brewer for The Bruery? This book will lead them on the path to craziness.


For the homebrew (or professional brewing) expert. Is your friend an incredible homebrewer? They'd probably enjoy this guide on yeast :)


Another one for the homebrew expert. While some of the other books teach you the fundamentals of brewing a beer, this one gets down to the nitty gritty. We still sift through it on occasion ourselves.


And last but not least... for the expert brewer who loves sour and funky ales! Another guide on yeast, but this one focussing on the funky stuff. One of the hardest forms of brewing to perfect, this book at least gives a brewer a leg up on nature.


For the entrepreneur! Schmaltz brewing has been around for 13 years and Jeremy Cowan shares his stories of the beer world between the He'Brew and Coney Island brands which have both been influential on the retail shelf.


Another for the entrepreneur! Inspire your favorite homebrewer to go pro with this book by Sam C of Dogfish Head Brewery (whom we recently collaborated with on a beer!)