Tag Archives: gift ideas

2014 Festive Finds Gift Guide

IMG_3438

SNAIL MAIL COCKTAIL
CHEERS by Southern Fried Paper & SusieDrinksDallas,  a collaboration I’ve been working on with Southern Fried Paper, is now available for purchase! With boozy cards, prints, coasters, swizzle sticks, and more,  you can send a friend a note telling him he’s your cup of tea whiskey!

I mean … if you like me at all you’ll check out what we’ve done.  No pressure.

Price: $3.50 – $20
Purchase: At the Southern Fried Paper retail section of 2524 Converse Street or online starting December 15.

vertuo-chrome

BUZZED AND WIRED

Nespresso’s new Vertuoline brewing system is sleek, slim, and pretty damn sexy looking.  Oh, and it brews a damn good cup of espresso.  It was one of Oprah’s “Favorite Things” this year … and, well … if it’s good enough for Oprah, it’s good enough for me.

If you need ideas for cocktails to get you buzzed and wired, check out some of my Buzzed Boozing recipes here!

Price: $299 for the VertuoLine system
Purchase: Online or at the NorthPark Center boutique

I obviously need something to put my yummy espresso in … duh.  I chose Nespresso’s Pixie Espresso cups in black (Ristretto), but they come in a bunch of colors, including rose gold!  (I won’t judge your color choice.)  I also just realized that it looks like a pod upside-down.

Price: $35
Purchase: Online or at the NorthPark Center boutique

shotwell caramels

CHEWABLE COCKTAILS
Anyone can make an Old Fashioned in a glass, but how many of you can say that you can make it as a rich, chewy caramel?  Shotwell has a cute 4-flavor caramel sampler that includes each of their four featured flavors, including Old Fashioned and Craft Beer & Pretzel that is perfect for boozy gifting!

Price: $19.75
Purchase: Shotwell Candy Co.

2014-11-28_23-35-54

DON’T BE A TOOL … JUST GIVE A TOOL
My whole apartment is black, white, and gold, and that makes finding bar tools a bitch to find.  Luckily West Elm’s Deco Barware Collection is a set of gold-finish bar tools to help me round out my bar cart (which coincidentally was also purchased at West Elm).

Price: $79
Purchase: at West Elm or online

2014-11-30_12-48-05

BOOZY JAM
With flavors like “Drunken Monkey Jam” and “You’re My Boy Blue-berry Bourbon Jam”, you can’t go too far wrong with this 4-flavor boozy jam sample pack. Because toast deserves better than boring jelly.

Price: $15 for the 4 flavor sampler, $10 per full-size jar
Purchase: The Jam Stand

tumbleweed

WEAR YOUR COCKTAIL ON YOUR SLEEVE
A local t-shirt company started by two Frisco teachers is making a splash with their soft, wearable tees.  Tumbleweed TexStyles lets you show your Texas pride … and your drink order!

BONUS: I’m giving away one WINE t-shirt (pictured right) this holiday season! To enter to win the shirt, you can either post this gift guide on Twitter and tag #FestiveFinds and @drinkdallas  -OR-  post your favorite gift on this guide to Instagram and tag #FestiveFinds and @susiedrinksdallas

Price: starting at $9.50 (and get 20% off any apparel, gear, and glassware with the code SUSIE)
Purchase: Tumbleweed TexStyles

LOBALL A HIGHBALL
While cold balls can be a problem, these are a solution.  The LoBall Whiskey Sphere is a stainless steel ball is filled with a cooling liquid that has a lower freezing point than water, so it stays cooler for longer.

Bonus: you can have it engraved with any text you’d like or even a custom image for just $10.

Price: $24.99 – $34.99
Purchase: sipdark.com

IN-FLIGHT BUZZ
Complete with a spoon/muddler hybrid, bitters, cane sugar packets, a coaster, and recipes, this Carry-On Cocktail Kit is a tin that helps make the crying baby and the dry, recirculated air a little less awful.  Plus, getting drunk at 10,000 feet is easier.

Price: $24
Purchase: Food52.com

BuzzBar

AN ICE CREAM DREAM
This is all you need to know: alcohol + ice cream.  Brilliant, right?  BuzzBars offers sorbet and ice cream bars in flavors like Blitzed Berry (strawberry ice cream & rum), The Drunken Cookie (Cookies ’n Cream ice cream & whiskey), and the Larry King Heart Bar (berry sorbet & merlot wine).  You can order their BuzzPacks now (12-bar cases)!  Order ASAP because they’ll go out December 15-24.

Price: $100/BuzzPack (includes gift wrap & overnight shipping)
Purchase: At Spec’s or at buzzbaricecream.com.

PAST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES:

2013
2012
2011

For more gift ideas, you can click here.

Father’s Day Gift & Activity Ideas

EVENT/MEAL IDEAS:

MEDIEVAL TIMES – Dad’s are free … just sayin’.

BOURBON CLASS & ENGRAVING EVENT | June 12, 8700 Preston Rd. #113, Plano, TX (4-6pm)
Attendees will taste Angel’s Envy bourbon, Rye, Cask Strength and the Total Wine & More Special Angel’s Envy Blend. Free.

TAKE HIM ON A PICNIC HE’LL ACTUALLY LIKE
Pick up a picnic “bag” from The Grill on the Alley (in The Galleria) and head to one of Dallas’ many outdoor concerts, movies, etc. with Dad! It’s fancy, but not too shmancy. A picnic bag includes: table cloth, napkins & cutlery, corkscrew & two plastic wine glasses, mixed nuts, their famous sourdough, bread & butter
Starting at $32.95, feeds 3-4 (pricing can be found on their website)
Order at least 24 hours in advance

Pops, Pints and a Picture Show | Flying Saucer, Fort Worth | June 15, 9pm
Bring your pop in, drink a pint and enjoy the picture show: “National Lampoon’s Vacation”! An oldie, but goodie and dad will sure enjoy the flick outside on our patio with a craft beer this Father’s Day.
BONUS: if Dad brings in a tie, he can trade it for a pint.

PERRY’S STEAKHOUSE (Uptown) | June 15
BRUNCH, opening at 11am
DINNER MEAL OFFERING, 4-9pm | Get any salad, Perry’s Famous Pork Chop & Dessert Trio for $24.95
SOCIAL HOUR, 4-9pm | Step inside Bar 79 for specially-priced bar menu items

POLLO TROPICAL (Addison) | June 15 only
Buy 1 Get 1 FREE 1/4 Chicken meal with 2 sides for customers who text “DAD” to 52198 (they’ll get a code to show at the register to receive the special deal)

GIFT IDEAS:

Alright, so, it’s no secret that dads are a pain to buy for. Despite there being a host of customized gifts on the market these days, like to Design Your Own Mugs for him, we’ve put together some awesome gift ideas that your old man will love.

Angel’s Envy Award-Winning Bourbon is offering free engraving with each bottle purchased. Bonus? You’ll get to meet the Angel’s Envy COO, Wes Henderson.
  • June 11, 407pm | Total Wine Dallas (9350 N. Central Expy)
  • June 12, 1-3pm | Total Wine Plano (Collin Creek Village, 721 N. Central Expressway #200)
TICKETS TO THE BEST LITTLE BREWFEST IN TEXAS
Treat dad to an extra day of fun, beer, music, and food in Lewisville!

  • $35/person (includes a souvenir tasting cup and 12 2-ounce tastings)
  • $45/person (VIP, includes the above and early access
Purchase tickets at www.blbfit.com
BOURBON (because what dad doesn’t like bourbon?)
FOR THE CHEF– KNOB CREEK®: For more than 20 years Knob Creek – the #1 selling super premium bourbon in the world – has set the standard for bourbon, creating a big, full flavored spirit that is made in small batches to pre-prohibition standards. Its rich and hearty flavor lends itself to craft cocktails and the most delicious food dishes, which is why Knob Creek has partnered with Celebrity Chef Michael Symon (The Chew) to create full flavored dishes that are perfect for grilling and tailgating.
FOR THE BOURBON AFICIONADO – BOOKER’S® 25th ANNIVERSARY BATCH: Booker Noe’s 25th Anniversary is bottled uncut and unfiltered and is extra aged to bring out the true flavor profile of the bourbon.
FOR THE CIGAR BUFF- BAKER’S®: If your dad prefers a little smoke with his bourbon, Baker’s makes the perfect drink to pair with your favorite cigar. With a flavor that is reminiscent of cognac, it is aged seven years in new oak barrels, giving it a silky smooth flavor. For a unique Father’s Day gift, pair a bottle of Baker’s Bourbon with dad’s favorite cigar. You might even want to treat your dad to a cigar humidifier to keep his cigars fresher for longer. Consequently, you can see here different cigar humidifier packs for some inspiration. So, which bourbon goes best with a cigar? Well, the warm vanilla and caramel overtones of Baker’s bourbon can be enjoyed over ice or with a splash of water. Add a little extra gift with a personalized lighter. You can find a site that can print your photos on the lighter, making your Cigar Buff Father’s day gift complete. You can print your face on any item essentially! Take a pair of socks for example. I was speaking to my friend who has recently moved to Spain, and he decided to print his photo on a pair of socks for her father, over there they call it calcetines personalizados con foto! A bit of a joke between father and son. So you could stick with the cigar idea, or you could choose another item to personalise.
FOR THE MIXOLOGIST AT HEART – BASIL HAYDEN’S BOURBON: The perfect choice for a Father’s Day gift, made with twice as much rye as traditional bourbons, Basil Hayden’s spicy trademark finish makes it the perfect addition to any bourbon cocktail.

RECIPES:

Basil Hayden’s® Dad’s Day Off | Created by Zachary Brian Taylor, San Francisco

  • 1 ½ parts Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon
  • ¾ parts Lemon Juice
  • ½ part Brown Sugar Syrup*
  • 1 sprig of Rosemary
  • Ginger Beer

Preparation:
1. Combine Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon, lemon juice and brown sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker.
2. Remove rosemary needles from the bottom 3/4 of the sprig and add to the shaker. Save the top of the sprig for use as a garnish.
3. Add ice to shaker and shake.
4. Double strain into a Collins glass filled with ice.
5. Top with ginger beer.
6. Garnish with the remaining rosemary sprig.