Food Gift Guide for Craft Beer Lovers

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Craft breweries and their local partners turn brews into condiments, garnishes and snacks that craft beer lovers can take home to their kitchens. These beer-infused treats take the best of beer, from the malty flavors and citrus notes to the aromatic pungency of hops, and create foods with delicious, intriguing flavors. This food gift guide will help you find the perfect present for any beer fan on your list.

(MORE: ‘Twas the Beer After Christmas)


Anderson Valley Brewing Company MustardBarney Flats Oatmeal Stout Mustard from Anderson Valley Brewing Co.

Foods that pair well with beer tend to call for a good mustard. This brown mustard has the rich sweetness of the oatmeal stout that is used to make it. It’s an ideal spread for brats and it adds the perfect touch to leftover holiday ham sandwiches.


hopcheese2-2Hopyard Cheddar from Rogue Ales & Spirits and Rogue Creamery

This complex cheese uses Rogue Ale’s Freedom Hops from Chatoe Rogue Hop Farm to create a floral flavor that is blended with a sweetness of brown butter and hazelnuts. It’s a cheddar that shows how well hops can be used as an ingredient in things beyond beer to create balance in each bite.

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beer_gift_interior

Cascade Hop Salt from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

This salt shows off another culinary use for aromatic hops. It can be used while cooking or as a finishing salt to add a touch of hoppy flavor to everything from roasted vegetables to grilled meats, French fries, and salad dressings.

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chips_9oz_straight_on-1Beer Flavored Kettle Chips from Sprecher Brewing Company

Chips are a classic crispy snack to pair with any beer, but these kettle chips from Sprecher have the beer built right in. The beer creates a touch of malty sweetness that combines well with the expected salty crunch of a kettle chip.

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autumn_icecreamsHopped-Up Devil Ice Cream from Victory Brewing Company

Victory Brewing Company uses the wort from their brews to create innovative ice cream flavors. They combine the wort from their HopDevil IPA with cinnamon, cayenne, crushed coffee beans and chocolate flakes to create this deliciously wild flavor. Their ice creams are a product that comes full circle by blending the wort with milk from the local cows that feast on their spent grains.

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caramel-publicity-1024x713Salted Orange Wheat Beer Caramels from SunnysideLOCAL Produce and Nursery with Hangar 24 Craft Brewery

A 2015 Good Food Awards Winner, these caramels use Hangar 24 Orange Wheat Beer to complement the orange flavors from the fruit grown by SunnsideLOCAL Farm. The combination creates a soft candy that is balanced in sweetness with a touch of salty bite.

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beer-nutsBeer Peanuts from Sugar Plum Chocolates, Inc. with Susquehanna Brewing Co.

This snack redefines what it means to eat peanuts while drinking beer. The nuts are hand-roasted and kettle-cooked with one of two Susquehanna Brewing Company’s beers, Hopcellerator West Coast IPA or Pils Noir Schwarzbier. Can’t decide? Order the duo tin with both flavors.

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ruination-mustard-sauce-1Ruination Mustard Grill Sauce from Stone Brewing

With hoppy notes from the IPA paired with curry, this sauce adds an unexpected twist when brushed over grilled favorites like chicken and pork chops. It also makes a great post-grilling condiment for burgers and there is definitely no shame in stirring a bit into the potato salad.

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mamas-sauce_nobgMama’s Little Yella Pils Saaz Hoppin’ Honey Siracha Sauce from Oskar Blues Brewery

There are few foods that aren’t made better by a heavy dash of hot sauce. When that sauce is sweet, spicy and spiked with Mama’s Little Yella Pils, more than a heavy dash may be in order. This sauce is a win-win for craft beer lovers and diehard sriracha fans.

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pike_kilt_lifter_bbq_sauce_hires-1Pike Kilt Lifter BBQ Sauce from Pike Brewing Co.

Pulled pork and ribs taste better than when basted with the right barbecue sauce. This sauce blends the Pike Kilt Lifter ale with peated malt for a subtle smoky flavor. It leans more towards sweet and smoky than spicy, but the flavors are well balanced with seasonings like allspice, cayenne, and cloves.

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Lori Rice is a photographer, writer and nutritional scientist based in California's Central Valley. Over a decade ago in a biergarten in Vienna, she found a passion for travel, food culture and well-crafted beer which led to the publication of her cookbook "Food on Tap: Cooking with Craft Beer" (Countryman Press, 2017). When she’s not writing about food and drink and photographing the process, Lori can be found traveling with her husband to investigate all things food and beer in the U.S. and abroad.

CraftBeer.com is fully dedicated to small and independent U.S. breweries. We are published by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers. Stories and opinions shared on CraftBeer.com do not imply endorsement by or positions taken by the Brewers Association or its members.