Our Favorite Food and Drink Gifts

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: consumable gifts are often the best gifts.  They’re clutter-free, and when they’re a food and drinks, they’re delicious.  With that in mind, I’ve compiled a short list of my favorite F&B finds for 2016 that are just right for gifting to friends, family, or even yourself.  (No fruitcakes here!)

Tucson Tamale

Tamales are certainly a delicious treat, but it had never have occurred to me to give them as gifts–until I discovered Tucson Tamale. With three restaurants in the Tucson area, they have been hand rolling amazing tamales since 2008, and now you can have them delivered right to your door.  Tucson Tamales are made with only the best ingredients, like organic corn and non-gmo oils, instead of lard and genetically modified corn like many other tamale makers.  They offer “traditional” tamales, but they’ve also branched out to other types of flavors.  For example, the “New Delhi” tamales are made with curry and organic vegetables, while the “Austin” is a blend of spinach and mushrooms. They have numerous packages that are perfect for gifting, and you can even get breakfast and dessert tamales.  If, like me, you thought you lived in an area where an incredible tamale was out of your reach, that’s all changed with Tucson Tamale.

Wine Awesomeness

My favorite find for 2016, Wine Awesomeness is a modern take on the traditional wine club.  It leaves all pretension behind and emphasizes wine discovery through themed monthly shipments.  From Unicorn Wines to a European Vacation, you’ll explore different trends, educational concepts, and parts of the wine world.  Each shipment includes “thebacklabel” magazine, which gives you the low down on each wine you receive, including food pairing recipes, what to do while you’re drinking the wine, and what music to listen to.  Subscription options are very flexible, and more than anything, it’s fun.  Wine Awesomeness is the perfect gift for wine enthusiasts!

KIND Bars

What about KIND bars as stocking stuffers? From fruity & refreshing to simple & salty offerings, there is something to satisfy every mood no matter what your taste buds are looking for. They’ve recently introduced five tasty new flavors including Black Truffle Almond & Sea Salt, Dark Chocolate Almond & Coconut, Dark Chocolate Almond Mint (yum!), Raspberry Cashew & Chia, and Honey Roasted Nuts & Sea Salt!

Also, if looking for a gift for the snack lovers in your life, you might be interested in their Variety Cube (see below). Each of the cube’s sides fall away to reveal the Nuts & Spices KIND bars, making it easy to eat, share, and enjoy! Their Nuts & Spices bars each have only 5 grams of sugar or less and no artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols – they are a snack that only tastes indulgent.  Flavors include:  Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt, Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt, Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan, Caramel Almond & Sea Salt, Madagascar Vanilla Almond, Dark Chocolate Chili Almond, Cashew Ginger Spice, and Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond.

Drinkmate
We don’t drink soda, but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy bubbly beverages.  The Drinkmate does something other at home beverage carbonators don’t:  it enables easy, at-home carbonation of ANY beverage, including juices, cocktails, iced tea, and even beer. The patented Fizz Infuser allows for controlled carbonation and easy cleaning, and the contemporary design and small footprint make it something you don’t mind keeping on the kitchen counter.  The only question is, what will you sparkle next?

Taste Trunk

Kelli’s Taste Trunk Review from earlier this year will tell you everything you need to know about this fantastic service, but we’ll give you a brief reminder here.  Taste trunk is a gourmet food subscription box full of interesting finds from small batch artisans.  Choose from among their many curated themes (e.g., gourmet, healthy, chocolate, etc.) or create your very own trunk.  Now is the perfect time to give this as a gift or try it out for yourself because Taste Trunk is giving 30% off themed subscriptions trunks for the entire month of December.  A 3-month subscription is as low as $99.00.  This is a huge deal, and just think how thrilled the recipient will be when the gifts keeps on coming!