The holidays are almost here and everyone is in the rush of finding the right presents for their loved ones. Just keep calm and breathe, we got you covered. We did the hard work for you and prepared here a selection of the best products we have seen or tried this year. The ideal gift for your special foodie friend, or for you!
MEZCAL LOS SIETE MISTERIOS – AMARILLO
In our latest Q&A post we introduced these wonderful producers, and the bottle we always have on hand is their Mexicano, which is particularly complex and interesting. Not for everyone, but those who understand will love it!
Los Siete Misterios Mezcal Amarillo, made with the large Mexicano variety of agave, which is usually found in the dry forests of Mexico and features very long, pointed leaves. With classic smokiness, chocolate notes, olive and floral hints, it’s a very interesting drink for sure.[quote from Masters of Malt]
José Gourmet – Preserved Monkfish Liver
Clearly not the ideal gift for your in-laws, monkfish liver is a true delicacy. And José Gourmet not only makes incredible jams and preserves, but their packaging is arguably the prettiest in the whole industry. For the creative (and courageous) ones!
Marou Dak Lak 70%
We love Marou (see our article about them) and their latest creation is certainly one of their best so far. Perfect for the ultimate chocolate fanatics (hint: us)!
A spectacularly spicy 70% bar with strong, earthy tones, made with cacao selected from the highland district of Ea Kar in Dak Lak province.
Incised cup & saucer by Mayumi Yamashita
Somehow, tea and coffee always tastes better in a pretty handmade cup. And it’s no secret that Japanese traditional pottery is a stunning art. You will find this superb and unique pieces sourced by our friends at Jardins Florian.
Mayumi Yamashita is passionate about colours and combinations. The colours and texture of her pottery are deeply inspired by Japanese woodblock print (ukiyoe), naturally dyed fabrics and wools. In addition to the influence of her Japanese background, one can also feel the impact of her UK education, which allows her to create a fusion between ‘contemporary’ and ‘traditional’ ceramics. She constantly seeks a balanced way to bring all these elements together in her work, designs, technique, materials and concepts, hoping that her pottery would fit harmoniously into any lifestyle.
Anatolia
This is one of the most exciting and beautiful cookbook we got this year (and we bought many). Murdoch books stood out as our favourite cookbook editor this year with an impressive collection (Tokyo, Cornersmiths, Falafel for Breakfast, and many more).
It’s literally an anthropological survey of Turkish cuisine, where the traditions, artisans, and people that make this food so exceptional are on the main stage. The passion found in the various descriptions of these regional artisans or cooks is absolutely contagious.
Noble Tonic 01: Tuthilltown Bourbon Barrel Matured Maple Syrup
There is maple syrup. Then there’s maple syrup on freshly made sourdough or buckwheat pancakes. Finally, there’s bourbon barrel matured maple syrup. Cheers to that!
Noble procures medium amber grade Maple syrup from heritage sugar shacks in the ancient maple orchards of Québec. The syrup is then matured in Tuthilltown charred American oak barrels, with just a hint of raw Tuthilltown bourbon. This combination and process produces a distinct bourbon, maple and oak flavored syrup. Tuthilltown is New York’s first whiskey distillery since the age of Prohibition. This small batch micro-distillery, using locally sourced heirloom corn, apples and grains, embodies the new American pioneering spirit of our age. Noble Handcrafted reflects this same spirit. We hope you enjoy this collaboration of tradition and craft.
Eat Your Bourbon Gift Box
The perfect gift for any barbecue addicts. For the hardcore fellas!
Looking for a “tasteful” gift? This gift box is perfect for any special occasion – birthdays, holidays, corporate gifts – or just to stock the pantry in Bourbon Country style! Our Eat Your Bourbon Gift Box contains three gourmet sauces (including Bluegrass Soy Sauce — America’s ONLY microbrewed soy sauce!) and five of our newest bourbon smoked spices. Each product is hand crafted in small batches creating a wonderful blend of products perfect for any foodie! Items include: Bluegrass Soy Sauce, Kentuckyaki, Bourbon Barrel Aged Worcestershire, Bourbon Smoked Garlic Salt, Bourbon Smoked Citrus Pepper, Bourbon Smoked Chili Powder, Bourbon Smoked Togarashi and Bourbon Smoked Sesame Seeds.
Taza Chocolate Mexicano Classic Collection
Nothing better than some real Mexican hot chocolate with Oaxacan chillies to warm up this winter.
Six bold flavors of our satisfyingly gritty Chocolate Mexicano discs celebrate the Mexican stone ground chocolate tradition that inspired founder Alex Whitmore to create Taza Chocolate. A perfect, any-occasion gift for the serious chocolate lover.
Bees Knees Spicy Trio
For spice lovers with a sweet tooth.
A trio of sweet and spicy! Bees Knees Spicy Honey, Trees Knees Spicy Syrup, and Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha. The ultimate gift for any hot sauce lover.
For that special someone, who already tried all the classic cocktails ever invented. Twice.
This combination set is a collection of our essential quality bar goods, and makes a great gift, or an indispensable addition to your own home bar. The pack includes all four of our Small Batch Mixers pictured, plus our Aromatic Bitters, and Bourbon Cocktail Cherries. We’ve chosen some essential bar tools as well, including our Jigger, our Bar Towel and our Barspoon; simply add the liquor of your choice, and this pack will have you mixing quality cocktails with ease.
Ross and Ross – Curing kit bacon
DIY kits are popular, but when it comes to curing your own bacon, this is the one to go for!
The Homemade Curing Kit… Bacon contains everything you need to make your own Original, Sweet and Smoky Bacon at home. Just add pork!
Mikuni Smoked Golden Artic Char Wild Caviar
Because classic caviar is so passé!
This wild caviar has been cured with a lightly smoked fleur de sel, imparting a delicately balanced smoky nuance to the finish. You can expect a firm pop with the mouth feel of this egg, and a pronounced nutty, creamy edge. The size of the egg is slightly larger than sturgeon caviar, but much smaller than trout. This caviar is made the same day the fish are caught, which ensures the highest quality and freshest caviar possible. This one-of-a-kind handcrafted artisan caviar is used on some of North America’s most inspired menus, we hope you enjoy. Mikuni works with a network of small family fisherman, all of whom are committed to sustainable line caught fishing practices.
Rose Rock Gin
2015 was without doubt the year of craft gins with many small batch distilleries appearing on the map. But Rose Rock Gin stood out as one of the most elegant and subtle spirit we tried in a while. Maybe this is the gift to get for yourself?
Rock Rose gin gets its wonderful flavour from a carefully selected and put together creation of local and traditional botanicals. Each one meticulously chosen for their flavour properties to create the perfect taste. The recipe was created by Martin and Claire and these are the only 2 people who know the recipe which took over 55 experiments in Dunnet to get right.
FUKUJUEN Gyokuro – Kinundoubari 金雲
For those tired of “brown” green tea – this is the real deal directly from Uji, near Kyoto (the Bordeaux of green tea). It costs as much as a great bottle of Bordeaux (250$), but it lasts much longer.
Gyokuro Kinundoubari is premium quality uji tea leaves, produced by Fukujuen in Uji, Kyoto. Founded in 1790 in Kyoto, Fukujuen is one of the most respected and prestigious green tea sellers in Japan.
Amola Smoky Espresso Salt
You think ceviche is dull? Add some espresso smoky salt and think again!
The perfect blend of saltiness, sweetness and spiciness – this flavourful seasoning incorporates turbinado sugar, black pepper, espresso and chipotle chili to create a great salt for rubbing on meats such as beef or pork or even wild game. And what has turned out to be our most popular recipe that was discovered at the Canadian Chef’s Congress – try sprinkling a touch of this salt on a freshly roasted marshmallow just off the campfire, or to top off your s’mores!
Ghost Pepper & Blueberry Hot Sauce
Looking for something beyond “just” a hot sauce? How about blueberries and ghost peppers?
Let’s step up your hot sauce game: fresh berries, cracked black pepper and Ghost Peppers. This is what hot sauce is meant to taste like.
And you, what were your favourite food and drinks products this year? We’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
