Okay, Fine, I'll Do a Gift Guide!
Okay, Fine, I'll Do a Gift Guide!
You asked for it...
I planned for my next newsletter to be all about cannabis-infused drinks,* but it seems there’s a need for alcohol-free beverage-related holiday gift ideas:
And so here I am, offering up some ideas. They apply to any time of the year—personally, I made a pact with my family members to not exchange gifts around the winter holidays—so please return to this post whenever you might need to.
* Specifically THC-infused drinks, as (1) I welcome that form of intoxication from time to time (this is why I don’t tend to call myself “sober,” even though I don’t consume alcohol) and (2) based on the research I’ve done, I don’t really believe in CBD-infused drinks (and I’ll expand on this later)—but I’m interviewing some new makers in the coming weeks and am willing to be proven wrong.
First, friends of mine have already shared some great ideas. Derek Brown posted his Mindful Mixology Gift Guide to Twitter for all to see. (Thanks, Derek!) John deBary, Food52’s resident drinks expert and world-renowned lipstick connoisseur (we discussed the merits of Pat McGrath’s creamy formula just yesterday), recommended some alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, books, and gadgets here, and he also shared some ideas with Wirecutter. Booze makes up much of this list, but there are also some barware items (and one particularly great cookbook, IMHO).
Here are the drinks I would add:
Kombucha made from snow chrysanthemums found in and around northern China’s Kunlun Mountain range by the wonderfully geeky and passionate duo behind Unified Ferments. Its slightly oily texture is so seductive! You can read more about brewers Young Stowe and Graham Pirtle and other third-wave kombucha makers (yes, I’m typing that with a straight face) in this piece I wrote for The Wall Street Journal.
Also kombucha-related: Iridescent Moonbrew from Empress in Oslo, Norway, which you can buy in the U.S. via drinknolow.com. Here's what I wrote about the product in this piece on alcohol-free wine (and “wine”) for the Kitchn: “Empress owners Anna Karenina Anda Barron and Christer Andersson use a blend of sencha, jasmine, Yerba mate, and oolong teas to make kombucha, which provides the base for what they call their ‘wine alternatives.’ (Iridescent Moonbrew is one of these; there’s also Woodland Honey Wine and Ficus Honey Wine.) To that, they add fermented nectarines, apricot vinegar, elderflower, orange peels, and sea salt. ‘It fits well with seafood,’ says Anda Barron. ‘Also, we eat a lot of dim sum and it’s perfect for that.’”
The ultimate aprés-ski alcohol-free beer: Al’s. And yes, there’s also a piece for that.
For your friend who, like GQ culture writer Gabriella Paiella, is "a fancy bambino who simply must have his bitter little drink every night," grab some Sanbitter or Crodino. If there's an Italian grocer in your town, they're likely to carry these products, but if not, you will have to poke around online a bit in order to get hold of a ten-pack.
The bright and dry Riverine is its own thing, not a nonalcoholic version of _____. Like Seedlip, the company that makes Grove 42, Spice 94, and Garden 108, botanics company AMASS labels Riverine as a “spirit,” but while it’s inspired by gin in the sense that its flavor is driven by botanicals, it’s not gin—and it doesn’t say anywhere on the bottle that it’s trying to be. It’s Riverine.
I’ll share some more about these ready-to-drink alcohol-free cocktails in the next newsletter, but for now, just know that I highly recommend all three of Flyers Cocktail Co.’s products for flavor (even if I’m struggling with the CBD effectiveness thing, also to be explained further in the near future). The Flyers founders worked with star bartender Ivy Mix to create BKLN Gold (oak, vanilla), Sydney Spritz (bitters, mandarin), and Tokyo Marg (yuzu, bitter orange, chili). Balanced with a nice bitter edge, you’d do well to bring a variety pack to your holiday parties, but, for what it’s worth (hopefully something, considering that many of you subscribe to this newsletter!), my favorite is the BKLN Gold.
For those who want to go beyond beverages, I put together this list of tabletop and general home decor-related items (pictured below) for Food & Wine magazine. The story is also in print and is part of a package of gift ideas from chef Samantha Fore, actor and designer Waris Ahluwalia, and Giving Broadly founder Dana Cowin, so do pick up a hard copy if you want more.
I'm also newly obsessed with Flor de Barro Mexican folk art gallery in El Paso, Texas, which might have the largest collection of Mata Ortiz pottery in the country. I visited the family-owned gallery, which focuses on ceramics but also features hammered copper, beaded works, lithographies, and paper mâché, in person over Thanksgiving, and have also since ordered some items online. Everything arrived safely. (The protective packaging game is strong!)
Finally, my friend Daniela Galarza, staff writer for The Washington Post’s food section, put together this list of panettone, Italian sweet bread that’s, in her words, “golden as sunbeams and almost as light and feathery as goose down.” I trust her taste completely, because I know how seriously she takes these kinds of assignments, casting a wide net and systematically tasting through a lot, plus she used to be a pastry chef, so she has expertise in this particular area. Panettone is such a special treat that I think makes for a great present, but TBH I already bought myself a classic Olivieri 1882, which I’m actually eating as I type this.
By the way, do sign up for Daniela’s excellent newsletter, Eat Voraciously. Newsletters abound these days, I know, but you won’t regret this one taking up space in your inbox. I even have a folder in my Gmail dedicated to it, because I return to her recipes (charred cauliflower and halloumi pita pockets! crunchy, nutty tacos! a highly tweakable and forgiving orzo skillet dinner!) often.
Some housekeeping notes:
For those who used to be paying subscribers, you should have received reimbursements for material you paid for but won’t receive. Thank you for your patience; figuring this out with the team at Stripe, the financial services company that Substack works with, took some real doing.
Speaking of John deBary and general fabulousness and newsletters, subscribe to his.
I am engaged! I proposed to my boyfriend (with a necklace; no rings) a couple weeks ago, and he said YES. (Fingers crossed that Unified Ferments will cut me a deal when I buy cases upon cases of snow chrysanthemum kombucha for the wedding.)
That’s all for now, folks. Until we meet again in 2022, be well. <3