DIY Gifts for the Holidays: Beer & Cookies

gillian

Communications Partner

Oh, how I love the holidays. Chilly weather, festive decorations, time with friends and family, the New Kids on the Block “Merry Merry Christmas” album playing over and over and over… And of course, holiday treats.

I believe that the best presents are consumable, so this year, my husband Brian and I decided to get ambitious with our DIY gifts.

I knew I’d have to make my great-grandma’s famous ribbon cookies and butter dream cookies (seriously, so dreamy) because it’s impossible to start a new year without eating at least a few dozen. We also started brewing our own beer about a year ago, doing small batches of about 50 bottles at a time, so we thought it would be fun to make a wintry holiday porter to go along with the cookies.

Brian and I live in Naples, Italy, so we made the theme “Birre e biscotti di Babbo Natale”—or “Santa Claus’ beer and cookies” (somehow, it doesn’t sound quite as pretty in English). Brian designed the labels and cards, and I wrote the copy. It’s always been a dream of mine to write descriptions for beer or wine labels, so this was a big deal.

Milk is nice, but after a long night of bringing joy and magic to the children of the world, Babbo Natale wants something a little stronger. His holiday favorite is this smooth, dark porter, which delivers a hint of aromatic cinnamon and clove, a kick of spicy pepper and star anise and a lingering finish of rich maple syrup and hazelnut. It pairs perfectly with a heaping plate of cookies or a nice ragù alla bolognese.

beer label