“How do I buy beer for my son/daughter/husband/cousin for Christmas? She/he loves ability beer.”
It’s the best accepted catechism I get in my email every December. The blow of the year the best accepted catechism is, “Where can I buy helium beer?” The answer: You can’t. Please stop asking. Read actuality to acquisition out why. #ScroogeMoment
Back to giving beer as a allowance . . .
If ability beer is adopted to you, don’t worry. We asked some cool beer geeks (a.k.a. brewery employees) for their advice. Actuality are seven abundant tips to admonition you boutique accent free.
(SEASONALS: 12 Beers of Christmas)
Skip arcade at the grocery abundance or big box food and arch to a abate mom and pop beer store. You’ll get one-on-one admonition from advisers at your bounded beer abundance that’ll admonition adviser you.
Grant Pauly from 3 Sheeps Brewing in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, tells me he’s “gotten some absolutely bad beer” from bodies who were aggravating to accomplish a acceptable consequence on him. “They about ability for a name they know, not acumen that in the ability beer world, those about are not the beers we get aflame about. I would acclaim they ask addition that works in the store. Hopefully, with a brace of questions, they can at atomic acclaim a brace of absorbing brews,” Grant explains.
Kelly Hanseth fields the beer allowance catechism a lot at Flagstaff’s Lumberyard Brewing. She suggests award out which beer styles your friend/family affiliate likes.
“For alms for beer, aboriginal and foremost I ask them if they apperceive what affectionate of beers that they commonly alcohol or like. That way I can beacon them abroad from any beers that the giftee would not be blessed to get,” Kelly says. “I usually acclaim they get a array of beers to try from our brewery. I usually go for a mix of our approved flagships and a few of our melancholia beers. I accord them what they would like — the beer they commonly alcohol — again I consistently bandy in a few that ability fit their beer contour to get them to try article new.”
(READ: Awesomely Affordable Christmas Gifts for Ability Beer Fans)
If there’s one affair that excites ability beer lovers, it’s aggravating article new. Alike if it’s not a appearance they’d consistently choose, bodies who adulation beer adulation new beers.
“Go for article that’s abreast to you to accomplish it added absorbing and special,” says Jon Mansfield from War Horse Brewing in Geneva, New York.
Use the CraftBeer.com Brewery Finder to acquisition breweries nearby.
Gift cards to breweries and beer food won’t sit about acrimonious up lint in a chiffonier drawer — we promise. A allowance agenda will be gone faster than the accolade you’re abrogation for Santa.
“Another abundant abstraction is giving them article abroad to go with the absolute beer,” Kelly Hanseth says. “Pick a hat, t-shirt, or pint bottle to go forth with the beer so that they accept article that lasts best than aloof the beer.”
(RECIPES: Cook with Beer)
Speaking of abiding longer, if you’re affairs beer as a gift, accomplish abiding it hasn’t been sitting on the shelf back aftermost Christmas. While some styles age bigger than others, breweries absolution beer back it’s accessible to drink, and bank on old beer is a accident bet.
“It stinks accepting acceptable beer that’s too old or has been mishandled. Either analysis for dates on the amalgamation or go for a winter seasonal,” Jon Mansfield explains. Acceptable advice.
Higher prices can sometimes arresting a appropriate absolution that your beer lover can’t buy year-round. As Mansfield additionally credibility out, alike beer with bigger amount tags is almost affordable back you analyze it to liquor, a accepted stocking stuffer.
“There’s a acceptable adventitious the best expensive, exclusive, high-end beer in the collective is like, $25, compared to wine or whiskey. It’s a budget-friendly way to brawl out,” he says.
If you’re still not abiding which beer allowance you appetite to give, our poll beneath could accord you clues into what best beer lovers want. Blessed hunting!
Jess Baker is the editor in arch of CraftBeer.com. After 15 years in agenda and advertisement journalism, she’s now bringing you belief about America’s baby and absolute breweries. She’s a runner, an aunt, and a die-hard Springsteen fan.
