In the not too distant past, some family of mine came to town bearing gifts that were truly fantastic:  Two growlers of beer from their local brewery.  We all shared in consuming one of them, and they returned home with the empty jug and promised to bring more upon their next return to Michigan.  This has now turned into a bit of a tradition for us, and we all look forward to catching-up alongside 64-ounces of tasty craft beer.

All that's missing is a ribbon and bow.

The more I thought about it, the more I began to realize what a truly remarkable idea this was (and the more I wished I had had a full growler sitting in my fridge, but I digress).  What craft beer lover wouldn’t love a jug of stout underneath the Christmas tree this year instead of some dumb-old socks?  Or some porter as a show of gratitude for hosting Thanksgiving dinner?  Or perhaps some Pumpkin Ale to share in solidarity while walking the little trick-or-treaters around the neighborhood?  Ok that would be irresponsible and most likely illegal, but the point is:  A growler is the gift that keeps on giving…literally.

Sure bottles of wine can make a dandy gift.  But once the wine is gone and the headache subsides, all that’s left is an empty bottle in the recycling bin.  Growlers on the other hand get 4-pints worth of redemption the next time you visit your brewery!  See, you’re starting to come around now, aren’t you.

So this holiday season when you’re struggling to come up with a gift idea for the beer lover in your life, save yourself a trip to some God-forsaken mall.  Instead, head over to your local brewery or brewpub – your growler idea might even get you mentioned in a post-holiday blog entry (subtlety was never my strong suit).