Gifts are good, right?  But beer is better!  So here’s a list that combines ’em both into the best beer-themed gifts for a holiday season tailgate party.  I’ve been on the prowl to look for new gadgets for this year and some of our old favorites are still popular.

My list is in no particular order.  I would not presume to rank anything to do with beer as there’s so much to love in every item. I have been thinking a lot about Holiday Gift Giving and this crosses the peak tailgate party season, of course. It goes on for months. So if you are going to a tailgate or home-gate party, take a nice hostess gift with you and one of these little beauties will bring a smile to the face of your buddies.

Beer goes way back to earliest history when yeast was found to make drinks fizz and seems to be related to testosterone. OK, I made that last bit up. But most men appreciate, nay, LOVE, beer. It is the one drink that charms the world no matter whether in snow or summer heat.

Ultimate Sonic Foamer: This beer-themed gift makes beer taste great

The Ultimate Sonic Foamer was originally featured on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno not long before he handed over the reins to Jimmy Fallon. It’s really easy to use except for getting the beer to the optimum temperature. but if you have a kegerator, that won’t be a problem. All you do is put the beer on the stand and press a button and a finely calibrated ultrasonic vibration creates the perfect foam head. This vibration activates the gases to create consistent sized bubbles for the perfect beer foam head. You can buy your beers by the pitcher when you are out, take this battery operated gadget along and perfect that beer in situ. To avoid mess, you need to use a larger glass (eg. 20 oz glass for a 12 oz beer) so that it doesn’t overflow. It uses a frequency above the level of human hearing, so you not going to hear any unpleasant noise from it, especially after a few beers. The aroma of beer is released as the bubbles in the head pop to create the perfect aromatic experience in that foamy head. A neon blue light indicator at the bottom section tells you when it is operating.   6 AA batteries run it (not included).

Beer Cap Map USA – The original 177 beer caps

Here is an inducement to drink not just more beer but more different brews. Who wouldn’t love to collect 177 of those caps and plug them in to the template on a wall?  Savor the lovely brews as you collect.  Play tailgate party games along the way to speed up the collection process. The beer map measures over 3 feet wide and is a great decoration for the man-cave.  Home-gaters and beer worshippers will adore these.  Ohhhh, I want one with the entire world on it.  Great way to learn your geography, no?

Menu Beer Foamer – a beer-themed gift for cool beeraholics

There’s a specific angle and technique to pouring a perfect beer. But sometimes, you miss and the beer comes out flat or with soapy, large bubbles. You want a tight foamy head. Good dense beer foam will increase the taste, aroma and mouth feeling of the beer and the appearance is better too. This tool separates the foaming process from the pouring process just like those cappuccino foamers do for coffee-making.

The Menu Beer Foamer creates a consistent, crisp, bubbly beer and soft, dense foam just like draft. The foam is created in the clear shatterproof container while the copper top holds the foaming device itself – reminds me of the breweries’ large copper boilers.

Here’s how it is done:

• Pour a 1/4″ – 1/2″ of beer into the container.
• Put the top in place and press the button.
• Pour the rest of your beer into your glass – gently and carefully in order to keep all those wonderful bubbles in the beer – and you will see the foam rising in the foamer’s glass beneath the copper top.
• Take the top off and gently pour the foam on top of your beer.

Makers: Norm Architects. Dimensions: 3″ x 6.9″

Materials: Copper-plated Plastic, Battery Driven Motor, Stainless Steel, Glass.

The Menu Beer Foamer is a great gift for the beer lover because it makes beer pouring fun and is definitely a conversation piece in the Man-Cave. But what about the taste? Well, in blind tests, users said it tasted better than the straight pour.  And I suppose, despite being blind drunk, we can all be very discriminating about the quality of our brewskis. I think it definitely deserves its place in our best beer-themed gifts for a holiday season tailgate party.

Corkcicle Chillsner Beer Chiller – beer-themed gift and great invention

 

A simple idea – a long, thin, sealed ice block that keeps your beer cold. Even in the winter, you will know that beer goes warm, flat and tasteless if you don’t drink it fast enough. While the latter is not a problem in my house, I have some demure friends who like to linger over their beverages.

Just toss the stainless steel Chillsner into the freezer for just under an hour, then place it into your already cold beer bottle.

The Chillsner lets you drink the beer right through the device without it slipping down your throat, won’t dilute or pollute the beer, and ensures that you won’t have to stomach a tasteless, warm brew.

The point of it is NOT to chill warm beer but you can put two in the bottle to cool it down a bit.

Note also that the diameter is too large to fit into a Newcastle, Stella, Peroni, Bohemia or Negro Modelo, Pyramid Hefewizen, Redhook ESB, A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ bottle. OK, all the cause of research I have tested these. I haven’t yet drunk my way through every brand LOL but will do so and report any more that are too small.

Ice Core Beer Pitcher

These are a must if you serve beer in pitchers keeping your amber nectar frosty for hours. Just fill the aluminum core with ice, screw the lid back on, and keep in freezer till ready to serve. Don’t fill with water and freeze as it will expand oh heck you did that experiment in middle school science class didn’t you? SO maybe you could fill half with water and freeze. It’s low tech and therefore, really cheap. 

It keeps beer cold for hours even in tropical conditions.

Specs: The pitcher is plastic, the core is aluminum and here is the size: Capacity: 60 oz. Dimensions: 7 5/8″L (with handle) x 9 1/8″H x 5 3/8″W.

TIP: Don’t cross thread the lid!

Growler On Board – this beer-themed gift will save beer

 

Growlers can spill so this neat piece of carrying equipment is essential if you are looking for a spill-proof way to get back from the filling station AKA bar to the tailgate party table.   This can buckle three ½ gallon growlers in to the car and won’t spill on the car ride home. Just remember that some states ban the transporting of open alcohol in the car except in the trunk so this gadget is great for stashing in there as well.  That long straw leading from the growler to the driver’s mouth is just not acceptable. #drinkingwhiledrivingnotgood

It holds three standard ½ gallon growlers on the go or two liter swing top style – the ones with handles – and then you can use it as a drying rack by inverting your growler and stashing upside down in the space.

It’s made of low density foam so that it doesn’t add weight but has the same insulation properties as a foam koozie. You can carry it on the seat, floor of the car or in the trunk.

It’s a nice inexpensive tailgate party accessory again for those who don’t bring their kegerators to the parking lot. It comes in black, red and blue so you can sort of match your team. Maybe get a team decal and plaster that on to show your love.

Now here’s where the beer-themed gifts can get cute…

EZ Drinker Vest 12 Can

 

 

This is one of the best beer-themed gifts for tailgate parties in holiday season as it is a hands-free drink dispenser. You can supervise the ribs cooking on the grill, play drinking games, and wave your pointer finger in the noses of the opposition without slowing down the drinking.

Not only does it hold up to twelve 12-ounce cans of beer, and can be worn around your shoulder or waist but it keeps them cold as well!  Each holster pocket is insulated and it is perfect for tailgate partying on the move. Take it with you as you do the rounds, calling in on all those friends whose acquaintance you only make at the game. The adjustable waist belt fits a normal husky man-waist which may be great at the start of a decent tailgate party but afterwards you may like an extension or just sling it over your shoulder.

You can be Ambo not Rambo, toting that amber fluid under or over your jacket depending on the drinking rules at your tailgate party site. Heck, get two and wear one on your back!

1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die

The very best tailgate party games involve drinking beer. Actually, the best game of all is drinking beer! And, this book makes it legitimate. There’s a list to follow. Protocols. Categories. Criteria. There’s a few days’ work in here to make your way through the entire book, sip by sip. But I’m thinking that at a tailgate party, this could be a center-point of festivities. You and your buddies can sip like snobs or swill like slobs in order to work through the whole roster of beers.

The layout features critical tasting notes and subjective assessments that will help match the right beer to the right occasion. Is this beer light, crisp, and refreshing (good for a picnic), or dry, bitter, and appetizing etc. etc..

You don’t have to take the dude’s word for which is the best beer either.

Like wine, beer is a vegetable product. Hops are veggies in their own way. I’ve been trying to talk our local farmers’ market guy into having beer tastings. When he says yes, you are all welcome!

Anyway, back to the book. It’s really well organized, you can write your own notes on the beers as you sample and really, this would be the greatest tailgate party activity ever. You would never run out of choices because as fast as you finish this book and the beers within, there would be other brews on the market. Thumbs up for the book even though it is a few years old. An updated version would be beneficial. A great gift for the beer lover!

The Krups and Heineken Beer Tender – a great beer-themed gift!

We’ve reviewed this before but I wanted to include it in this list. Imagine the look on your bro’s face if you gave him one of these for the Holidays!

For the tailgate party this one is very handy as it is possible to use it as a portable kegerator. Just make sure to keep it at a consistent exterior temperature and it will perform well. It is made by the team at Heineken specifically for their 5 liter Draught Keg, there are conversion kits available, allowing you to serve up any mini keg you’d like.  Follow the links at the bottom of the page and you will find a conversion kit for your preferred ale.

Fyxation Leather Bicycle Carrier (6-Pack)

Just as well Bono didn’t have this on the back of his bike when he came a tumble a while back. He would have added ‘glass cuts and smelling of beer’ to his injuries. This is a coooooool item if you are one of those hipster, new-age bods who likes to ride a bike to the tailgate party. Actually, sometimes, I put the bike on a rack at the back of the truck and use it to do the rounds of my tailgate party parking lot friends. Long ago, we established a tradition of visiting with them all through the course of the day and I generally take a 6 or 12 pack with me. Nice to be able to carry it on the bike in this smart container. It’s made of leather and has a handcrafted look. Made in Milwaukee. Support local beer industries!  This is certainly a great beer-themed gift for the holidays and really, you don’t need to have a beanie and a lumberjack beard, especially the ladies.

Moleskine Passion Journal – Beer, Large, Hard Cover

This is the journal for recording, organizing and describing your passion for beer, whether it’s lager, ale or stout. It has five themed sections and five tabbed sections which organize your beer glossary, pouring tips, glass types, tasting notes, home brewing log, space for your recipes, your cellar and your favorite addresses. There are also blank pages for your comments and 202 white and colored adhesive labels to personalize your journal. Cover and spine with glossy black embossing. Double expandable inner pocket.

It does not include beer goggles nor a cure for bleary eyes so write carefully.  The statement ‘I love you bro’ should not be used in this serious book.

Use this in conjunction with the 1001 beers book ….

It is a very classy gift for the serious beerophile.

BEER THEMED GIFT BONUS ROUND!

Gold Complete Beer Equipment Kit (K6) with 6 Gallon Glass Carboy

Some of you are home brew dudes.  If you are new to the game and interested in brewing your own beer and have the space and sanity to see the job through from start to finish, this is a good starter kit.   It makes 5 gallons of beer for around 50 cents a bottle or less. Full instructions are included.  I think this is an awesome beer-themed gift but you need to be sure that the recipient has the tenacity to brew. And it is CHEAP at the moment.

The Gold Homebrew Kit has all you need to get brewing and adds a glass carboy for secondary fermentation resulting in a cleaner finished brew and the kit contains True Brew Handbook & Kit Instructions, 7.8 Gallon Fermenting Bucket, 1 Lid Drilled & Grommet, True Brew Rack & Fill kit, 6 Gallon Glass Carboy, Fermometer Fermentation Thermometer, Small Buon Vino Drilled Stopper, Hydrometer, Bottling Spigot, Emily Double Lever Capper, 3 Piece Airlock, Bottle Brush, C-Brite Sanitizer 8-Pack. You need to supply your own bottles, caps, Jet Carboy/Bottle washer, a stand capper and a large stainless steel cook-pot for the brew. The hand capping process is a pain.

The kit also can be used to make wine.

I’m not a brew expert but have watched friends weep when their lack of scrupulous cleanliness has seen their brew ruin in a flash on a summer’s day. You need to read up on the process before committing. Or reserve this punishing gift for someone you really hate. Buy ‘The Complete Joy of Homebrewing’.  Note, if your brew is totally ruined, you can convert it into shampoo apparently.  Beer rinses were very fashionable once.  That must have smelled amazing.  Nuzzling up to the neck of a gal who rinses her hair in beer? Count me in. Don’t forget to grab a copy of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing to go with this awesome beer-themed gift.

It’s a very cheap kit and a good way to start and will make a great gift for the beer lover.

If you want to complete the package, get them a decent stainless steel stock-pot such as the Bayou Classic.

Stockpile your beer bottles (the brown ones are best) and buy new caps. And make sure you sterilize them well with weak Clorox (a cup to a gallon) and then rinse well.

Anyway, it’s just a thought – your own beer may be the hit of the tailgate party or you’ll be labeling it ‘Panther’s Piss’ and drinking it for the alcohol rather than the taste.

Periodic Table of Beer T-Shirt

OK, so this is a nice looking T-shirt with a very witty bit of art work on the front.

It’s 100% cotton, imported with USA embellishments (the artwork).

Sizes will fit women as well as men.

Socksmith Novelty Crew Socks – Beer Taps, Beer mugs and others.

If you are the type who likes to give socks, check out this site and you will see beer-themed gifts a-plenty.  I think these are pretty cool as the wearing of colored socks is very popular for all ages.  Check’em out as they would be a good tailgate party uniform.

Kurt Adler Beer Mug Light Set

A  4 foot string of 10 light-up beer mugs, these could be fun for the beer-lover.

I will continually add to this list so keep reading.  As for me, I can’t go past the old triumvirate of kegerator, grill and smoker.  Or a new cooler with heavy duty wheels. So scroll through our other articles and I will hunt for some more fun beer-themed gifts.

 

Shop now for the Tailgate Party/Holiday Season style!

It is never too early to start shopping for the holidays and with tailgating season, you always need to think of the witty or clever gift.  A beer-themed gift is both. Stay tuned for more gift ideas for the beer lover in this long lead-up to Holiday gift giving (which is valid all year round through tailgating season). After all, a tailgate party, in itself, is the gift that never stops giving.

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