You know how you feel when someone gives you an edible gift for the holidays. You’re all about it. So obviously it makes sense that you might want to give the foodie in your life something distinctive, delicious, and memorable. But you’ve long moved past the usual suspects. There’s no room for standard chocolate boxes and chocolate chip cookies, mouthwatering as they might all be.
Nope. This is the time for a little upgrade. If ever there was a year to do something extra special for someone on your list, it’s now. We’ve rounded up a few of the most coveted food and drink gifts of the moment, all priced at under $200. Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind — feel free to hang onto something for yourself, too. Don’t you deserve a treat?
Flaviar Club Membership
Drink connoisseurs aren’t easily pleased, which means it falls into your capable hands to turn that around. Enter the Flaviar Club Membership, which, according to the company, “brings the distillery tasting experience home.” Themed Tasting Boxes include rare spirits that are likely new to the recipient. Also included is a free premium bottle, free shipping on future orders, access to exclusive beverages, and virtual tasting events so your recipient can finally be with his people.
Brightland The Artist Capsule
Ask your foodie pal — go on, we’ll wait. What makes an olive oil variety truly great? Odds are it isn’t found within the store-brand stuff that’s hastily shoved into the basket at the last minute. Brightland The Artist Capsule offers a distinctly different experience. The collection includes a trio of the brand’s best: Lucid lemon olive oil, Ardor chili olive oil, and Arise basil olive oil. Each is packaged in beautiful glass bottles that are coated to prevent ultraviolet damage that could otherwise alter the potency and taste of the oils. You’ll also receive a blank holiday card so you can include your best wishes.
Tipsy Scoop Boozy Ice Cream – 6 Pints
Spirits. Ice cream. Yes. It’s not every day you run across these types of flavors at the store, which makes Tipsy Scoop Boozy Ice Cream Choose Your Own Boozy Ice Cream Pints an epic gift idea indeed. For the dessert lover in your universe comes this sextet of booze-infused frozen desserts from Tipsy Scoop in New York City. Take your pick of flavors, including Spiked Hazelnut Coffee, Dark Chocolate Whiskey Salted Caramel, Raspberry Limoncello Sorbet, Cake Batter Vodka Martini, Strawberry White Sangria Sorbet, Mango Margarita Sorbet, and Vanilla Bean Bourbon.
A beautiful addition to any at-home bar setup, the Anna Karlin Handblown Decanter is an exquisite accessory worthy of a second glance. Sturdy and heavyweight, it boasts a distinctive shape and crisp, clear glass that allows the liquid within to seemingly glow from all angles. The rounded silhouette is timeless, but it’s the brass stopper keeping everything contained that truly makes this eye-catching accessory such a notable standout. For the beverage enthusiast in your life, there’s nothing more sophisticated.
Fuego Box Small-Batch Quarterly Hot Sauce Subscription
For some people, there can never be too much hot sauce. There’s simply no such thing. For those folks who aren’t content with the nearest bottle of the standard stuff comes the Fuego Box Small-Batch Quarterly Hot Sauce Subscription. These are just fiery enough to delight heat seekers without overwhelming the palate. Each quarterly shipment includes a trio of five-ounce bottles. In the welcome box, your recipient will receive a tasting notebook, along with sample packages to test. Twelve bottles in a year is a great way to show someone how much you care!
Jasper Hill Farm Cheese Tasting Box
“That’s just too much cheese,” said no one ever. Because people are all about this stuff, you can kind of bet the house on success when you give the Jasper Hill Farm Cheese Tasting Box to any foodie you know. Every single variety is sourced from Greensboro, Vermont, where a seven-vault cellar is dedicated to the fine art of aging blues and cheddars. Choose from five different variety boxes, each filled to the brim with Seriously Good Cheese — think Landaff, a creamy cheese containing hints of savory brown butter; Harbison, wrapped in tree bark and so soft it can be spooned right up; Alpha Tolman, an Alpine-like cheese that boasts a fruity, nutty taste; and Cabot Clothbound, a nutty, crowd-pleasing cheddar.
Our Place Always Pan
Talk about dedicated. The Our Place Always Pan is designed to do everything — everything. It fills the role of eight different pieces, serving as a substitute for a fry pan, saute pan, skillet, steamer, saucier, non-stick pan, saucepan, spatula, and spoon rest. All in one? Yes, entirely possible. It’s useful for all manner of cooking techniques, from boiling and frying to straining and steaming. Use it to store meals in waiting, or to serve to impressed guests. Your favorite culinary enthusiast is bound to be thrilled.