They say “it’s the thought that counts,” but only people who don’t get really awesome gifts say that. Here are some damn awesome one-of-a-kind experience gifts for your favorite beer, wine or spirit lover so you can get a “hell yeah” instead of a “how thoughtful.”
Brew your own beer at North High
Whether your intended receipient is a seasoned homebrewer or a complete n00b, any beer lover will appreciate the chance to brew their own batch of beer on pro equipment – with the help of a pro brewer. The North High brewing experience begins with crushing grains and measuring hops all the way through bottling and labeling your finished beer.
A brew (6-7 cases of beer) costs between $170-$220, depending on the recipe. You can either book the brew date on the North High website, or stop in to purchase a gift card so the receipient can choose their own date.
Make your own wine at Camelot Cellars
Your giftee doesn’t dig beer? That’s ok, you can give the gift of winemaking in Columbus, too. Sample wines to determine your preffered style and Camelot will help you mix it all together. Come back in 6-12 weeks for bottling, corking, capping and labeling.
Wine making at Camelot starts at $199 for 15 or 30 bottle orders, visit Camelot Cellars to purchase.
Age your own whiskey
There’s no where in Columbus to make your own spirits (except maybe your bathtub) but you can gift the end of the liquor-making experience with a micro-barrel whiskey aging kit from Middle West Spirits. Soak the barrel in water, pour in the whiskey, add any special ingredients to enhance desired flavor profiles (a vanilla bean, a cinnamon stick, etc) and then rotate that bad boy once a week for a couple months.
The Micro-Barrel Whiskey Kit is $99 and available at Middle West Spirits.
Go on a Columbus Brew Adventure
Nothing says “beer geek” quite like taking a brewery tour – unfortunately, most of the Columbus breweries aren’t big enough to offer regular brewery tours on their own. Fortunately, Columbus Brew Adventures is connecting the dots by organizing tours of 4-5 area breweries in one trip.
They offer several different tours, from downtown and Grandview breweries to Licking County and Southeast Ohio breweries, plus a distillery tour.
Prices start at $55 per person per tour, and tickets/gift certificates can be purchased online.
Tour a local distillery
While none of the local breweries offer regular tours of their own, both of our amazing local distilleries, Middle West Spirits and Watershed Distillery, do.
Both tours will walk you through the process of crafting a spirit and the origins stories behind the business – with some time for tasting, too.
Middle West Spirits Tour: $15, offered every Friday
Watershed Distillery Tour: $10, offered regularly
Drink your way through Columbus Winter Beerfest
What craft beer lover wouldn’t want the chance to sample over 300 beers in one setting?
I mean, hopefully they won’t actually TRY to drink all 300 beers, but I guess you can’t control what they do with your gift. Unless you go with them. Then it’s a gift for you, too.
Tickets are available online for the Janauary 17-18 Winter Beerfest, and they’re discounted until Decembet 26, so you have extra incentive to buy this one as a gift.
See also – Gift Guide: Glassware
