Great Gift Ideas for the Beer Connoisseur

Finding the perfect gift for a beer connoisseur may be easier than you think if you shop online. After searching literally hundreds of websites, I've come up with a top ten list for gift ideas, along with my personal recommendations. I put them in order from sweet-and-simple to the lavish and generous, though there should be ideas here for all tastes and price ranges.

1. Gift Certificates. Gift certificates to a restaurant or a brewery are a simple present for any beer expert. A clever website called YouGotBeer.com actually enables you to buy someone a beer online. The site will send the recipient a $5 gift certificate in an e-mail greeting card that is redeemable for a beer at any of the participating restaurants, which includes breweries and pubs all over the Unites States. You can even arrange to have the certificate e-mailed on a certain date, making sure you don't forget someone's special day.

2. Beer Books. Books are a great gift for any occasion, and what better gift for the beer connoisseur than books about beer! You can find hundreds of books on Amazon.com, though I would recommend "The Brewmaster's Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food". The book is a guide for beers that go best with certain foods. I would also recommend Michael Jackson's "Great Beer Guide". It covers everything about beer, including the history of beer, different types, and different ways to make beer. Each beer listed comes with a description of the taste and how it can be best served, along with many more interesting facts.

3. Beer Games. Though a connoisseur may or may not enjoy a good drinking game, he or she will be sure to love the Beer Smarts Game. Beer Smarts is a beer trivia game, that asks such questions as the difference between a porter and a stout, and what makes beer skunky? It also includes a Beer Tips guide that gives information about steps to making beer as well as other great beer facts. You can find it for $16.99 at HomeWetBar.com.

4. Beer Kits. What beer expert never thought about brewing his or her own beer? Well now you can provide the opportunity with a Microbrewery Kit. Mr. Beer Home Microbrewery Kit includes a brew keg with tap, pale ale beer mix, and brewing yeast to brew two gallons. It also has 8 plastic bottles with caps, that you can fill with your brew, and labels. Though Mr. Beer may look a little cheesy, this is a great gift that turns the beer specialist into an amateur brewer. You can get the entire kit for $44.95 at Gevalia.com, along with a 3-mix variety pack for $32.95. The second best option to brewing your own beer is making it seem like you did, and that makes the Personalized Birthday Beer 6-pack Labels a great gift as well. On LastLaughGifts.com, you send a friend's photo, age, year of birth, first and last name, hometown, along with a personalized "warning" for the back label, and they will send you beer labels for your personalized gift, that should fit well on any six-pack. Six-pack labels are priced at $49.95, or you can buy one label for $24.95.

5. Bar Signs. There are many different styles and types of signs that any beer lover would love to put next to their home bar, or just hang somewhere in the house where they love to drink. And what sign would be better for a beer connoisseur than a Beer Connoisseur Personalized Sign. The sign is made of real wood with a hand stained finished, and includes a three dimensional beer stein along with a custom name or nickname hand painted on a name board. You can purchase one at HomeWetBar.com for $99.99, or purchase one that does not include a personal name board for $69.99 at PersonalizedSignShop.com.

6. Beer Gift Baskets. Gift baskets are terrific for giving a variety of highly acclaimed beers to one special person. You can get many different styles and brands from many different websites, in which some include snacks or beer related gifts. You can find the Brew Box Beer Gift at SimplyClassicGiftBaskets.com. This box includes a dozen different micro-brewed beers in one convenient gift, for $60.00, and you can find several other varieties of beer gift baskets on the website. You may also find the Beers of the World Collection to be a perfect match, on SendLiquor.com. The eight bottle variety includes beers from all over the world for $60.00.

7. Glassware. Beer experts often state how the taste of beer is effected by the glass in which it is drunk, which is why different styles of beer glasses make excellent presents. If you're looking for something a little more personal, try a silver-rimmed, 25 ounce, Personalized Beer Mug, at HomeWetBar.com. The glass has a classy look and allows you to have two lines of personalization on the front, for $19.99. For German beer lovers, try German Brewery Labeled Glass Beer Mugs at BeverageFactory.com. The breweries are authentic, and the glasses are sold in a set of six for $59.99.

8. Beer-of-the-Month Club Memberships. There are a few different Beer-of-the-Month clubs in which bottles of premium micro-brews are delivered every month from award winning breweries. At AmazingBeerClub.com, you can sign someone up for a Month-to-Month, 3, 6, or 12-month membership, starting at $29.95 per month with free shipping. I personally find this to be one of the best gift ideas for a beer-nut, because of both the quality of the beers and the variety. You can also find beer club memberships at DelightfulDeliveries.com, where pricing is $77.99 for a three-month membership.

9. Kegerators/Coolers. Beer drinkers love to have a nice cool beverage, and they can do so with any of these products. The cheap, but still effective, Vacu Vin Rapid Ice Beer Cooler is a simple idea to cool down a warm beer. It's basically a flexible ice-jacket that you store in the freezer, and then remove and place over the warm beverage, chilling it in five minutes and keeping it cool for hours. You can buy one for $7.99 at Zaccardis.com. A more extravagant gift would be the Countertop Beer Cooler and Tap. The mini-kegerator holds a 5-liter keg and has an integrated tap that allows you to pour ice cold beer straight into your glass. You can even easily adjust the temperature, and a pressure gauge allows you to alter the carbonation to enhance flavor. It's a great addition to any kitchen counter or home bar, and is guaranteed for life at Hammacher.com, for $299.95. The next step up would be a full-sized Kegerator, which come in a variety of styles and sizes. These can price anywhere from $400 to $4,000, and you can find a great selection at BeverageFactory.com.

10. Tours and Trips. Last on my list is certainly a guaranteed fun time for any beer lover, and that is the beer tour. A beer tour or trip is not only a great opportunity to try some new brews, but it also is a memorable experience that your friend will cherish. There are many breweries all over the United States that give tours, and on SignatureDays.com you can schedule an entire day of touring, in which you will be picked up from your home and learn the art of beer making at four different breweries. Unfortunately SignatureDays.com only offers beer tours in San Francisco and Atlanta, pricing between $99.00 and $1145.00, but that shouldn't stop you from doing a little research and scheduling your own tour. Another idea would be scheduling a European beer-tasting trip. Though, this can be pretty pricey, what better way to learn about beer than traveling through Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, etc.

I hope these ideas were helpful in your search for the perfect beer-related gift. Enjoy!