2014 Beer Lover’s Gift Guide

If you’re looking for some unique and local gifts for your favorite beer lover, look no further. (Though to be perfectly honest, you’re probably set if you just get them some actual beer.)

Christmas Ale Candle
Given the popularity of craft brewing and holiday beers, The Candle Lab decided to debut a Christmas Ale candle this year. It has a good balance of hops and malt and a big hit of the flavors that brewers use to “holiday up” their beer – orange peel, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and honey. Pair it with a 6-pack of the real deal for the perfect gift.
Cost: $15 |


Gambrinus / Brewers Union Tee
Did you know there’s a statue in the Brewery District of Gambrinus, the Patron Saint of Beer? I didn’t either until the folks at Outfit Good put him on a t-shirt and told me about him. Now I wear my Gambrinus with pride. They’ve also got a cool Brewers Union short, and proceeds from both are donated to The Grandview Craft Beer Alliance to help them put on fun festivals like the High Gravity Hullabaloo.
Cost: $28 | Buy Gambrinus | Buy Union


Beer Festival Tickets
What craft beer lover wouldn’t want the chance to sample dozens, or hundreds, or beers in one setting? Two great beer events are coming up right after the holiday: Columbus Winter Beerfest, January & 31 – early admission tickets to this event, which featured over 350 beers, are on sale through Christmas day. The High Gravity Hullabaloo is happening February 7, featuring big beers and smoked meats.
Cost: Varies | Winter Beerfest | Hullabaloo


Brewery and Bar Tours
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. The Pedal Wagon also offers a unique bar crawl experience on their eye-catching bicycle-built-for-fifteen.
Cost: Varies | Columbus Brew | Pedal Wagon


Specialty beer glassware
My love for the IPA glass is well-documented, but that’s SO 2013. Since then, Spiegelau has come out with two new specialty glasses: a stout glass, a collaboration with Left Hand Brewing and Rogue Ales; and the wheat glass, made in partnership with Bell’s Brewery. (Note: the witbier glass is not yet available without Bell’s branding.)
Cost: $9-$20 | Wheat | Stout | IPA


Ohio Breweries book
Journalist and beer blogger Rick Armon chronicled the Buckeye State’s breweries in his 2011 book, Ohio Breweries. While several more have opened since, this book is a great starting guide for those who want to learn more about the more established breweries across the state.
Cost: $17.54 | Buy online



Custom six-pack carrier
Crafted Drafts, aka Beer Bottle Heaven, has some sweet laser-etched six-pack carriers your recipient will love to use again and again. The store did have these incredible beer advent calendars, but unfortunately they are all sold out. HOWEVER, owner Mike Troy tells me there are special 12-bottle carriers coming next week for the 12 Days of Christmas! Price TBD.
Cost: $25 | In-store only


Badass Bottle Opener
Unique meets functional with this hand crafted bottle opener from the Columbus Barrel Company. Its simple aesthetic features a built in magnet to hold onto the bottle cap after popping one open.
Cost: $20 | Buy online



Drink Up Columbus gear
cough shameless plug cough. We have a stupid limited supply of Drink Up gear left. Stupid as in 3 t-shirts (M, XXL) and 4 hoodies (M, L) – lol. The shirts are $12 and hoodies are $30 if you pick ’em up from our Grandview office (we can ship ’em, too). Email me to reserve one. We also have a few of our anniversary party iPhone 5 smartphone wallets left for $3.
Cost: $12-$30 | Email to order