They say to give is better than to receive. Nice thought. But there's no reason you can't enjoy both giving and receiving with equal enthusiasm, fervor and maybe a little merriment. So we've put together a list that'll bring you (and yours) ample amounts of cheer. Enjoy...
In a generous move, the bartenders at Rye are mixing their legendary ingredient-driven cocktails—like the signature Basil Gimlet—to order, bottling them in re-sealable flip-top bottles and hand-delivering them to wherever you and your friends are. Which means your apartment, office, boat, or the corner of Leavenworth and Pine just turned into a party.
She introduced you to the genius of Humphry Slocombe's Secret Breakfast ice cream (hello, corn flakes and bourbon), so bring her a pint or two along with HS's house-made sundae topper kit. With the likes of Boccalone lard caramels, bacon peanut brittle and bourbon caramel sauce, she's bound to need some help. In our book, lard + caramel = holiday.
Food, holiday and sport all make a man thirsty, which is where this 10-ounce flask by local, family-run Mulholland Brothers comes in. The Swiss Army knife of drink carriers, MB's leather cover snaps over to hold two stainless-steel shot glasses and the very-critical-but-often-overlooked filling funnel.
This is where you come to pick up anything from a Filson log carrier or a Pendleton fedora to Il Bisonte's wallets or maybe the striped, super soft Begg of Scotland wool scarves. We won't blame you if you happen to leave with a pair of Alden shoes or the red Hill-Side Tie for yourself…or the fedora, scarf and wallet, too.
The holidays are all about befriending neighbors, such as the local bison in Golden Gate Park. So we've found a way to have samplers of buffalo rib-eyes, filets and even hot dogs and burgers come right to your doorstep. Since it's just as tasty as beef, only leaner, consider your "eat healthier" resolution taken care of.
If you're going for the grand gesture of slaying open a bottle of bubbly, you'll need a weapon worthy of the task. Enter the Laguiole Champagne Saber from France, a hand-forged sword with a rosewood handle that'll behead any bottle that crosses its path. If you're concerned about your ROI on this baby, we've heard it does a number on beer bottles, too.
