The holiday season is always tough on the thoughtful friend or relative. Finding unique gifts which are customized to each friend's taste, as well as affordable, is always a challenge.

This Christmas, there are some great ways to cross your favorite beer lovers off of the list.

One easy idea is a membership to one of the many "beer of the month" type clubs, such as those offered at gourmetmonthlyclubs.com or greatclubs.com. These really are a gift that keeps on giving. Your beer loving friend will receive great beers every month for the full year. Not only will these be tasty, they could also expand the beer lover's taste, since most of these clubs focus on imports or microbrews which a beer lover may not have tried.

Another great option is to customize bottles of beer for your beer loving friends. Check out beeronthewall.com to order beer lovers their own custom labels. These make great individual gifts, since they can be completely customized. Better yet, they can be ordered in bulk either as a party favor, a stand-by stocking stuffer, or a Christmas "thank you" at the annual office party.

Glassware is also a great gift for any true beer lover. Not only is each type of beer best served in a unique type of glassware, but many beer drinkers have a favorite brand. These brands make or license logo glassware, which can make a wonderful gift for a brand-loyal beer lover. Or, for an even more unique gift, get a stein, mug, pint glass, pilsner glass or other piece of glassware customized. As with bottle labels, this is a great custom gift, or can be printed with a more general message and given out to several friends.

Beer openers are another useful Christmas gift idea for a beer drinker. The beer is not going to open and pour itself, and many higher end beers are not available with twist tops. From flat bar or church key style openers like those used by the pros, to key-chain dangling plastic beer openers to wall mounted openers to shoes and belts with built-in opening capabilities, there is a beer opener for every beer lover.

Of course, there are also numerous trivia games, card games and dice games which either go great with or have to do with beer. These are great Christmas presents for a fun-loving beer drinker.

On the other hand, there are more intellectual beer lovers, who might appreciate a book or a magazine subscription which will help them learn more about their favorite beverage.

For those who like to be engaged and learn, home brewing kits are a great gift. They allow a beer lover to learn about beer at a whole new depth, and also provide for a great project.

If all of these sound like great ideas, don't worry, there's no reason to choose just one Christmas gift for a beer lover. Buy a gift basket, like those available at beeronthewall.com or create your own. Include a few bottles of the recipient's favorite beers along with a few new brews. Throw in some other memorabilia and wrap fancily and voila, a beer lover in your life just got an impressive Christmas gift.

With these easy but thoughtful gift ideas, you are sure to be a hit with beer loving friends this Christmas.

Learn more about this author, Zach F.
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