Tag Archives: gift ideas

Hops data – suitable for framing

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Who doesn’t love a good infographic? I love ‘em. Any time someone can take dry statistics and turn them into a compelling graphical representation has really got something.

A guy who’s got that something is Zeke Shore, a graphic designer by trade, and a home brewer.  He’d been working on some data visualization that would illustrate the oil and acid content of hops to develop better recipes. After a couple of years of refinement he’s “done”.

The result is a beautiful chart showing bitterness and flavors/aromas. He’s making it available as a 24″ × 36″ print on natural white textured paper. Put it in a frame and you have a wonderful gift for the home brewer in your life. (The holidays are fast approaching, after all.)

Hops Chart - Visualizing Bitterness Flavors & Aromas of Beer Brewing Hops

The Hobbit Stein Collection

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Have I mentioned that I’m a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien? You remember The Hobbit, right? And Smaug the Magnificent?

Taverncraft proudly announces The Hobbit Stein Collection, an extraordinary series of new steins based on the beloved fantasy masterpiece by J.R.R. Tolkien. Each iconic moment is brought to life with panoramic, bas-relief sculpting and are hand-crafted in the old-world style with fine-grain stoneware by the world-renowned stein artisans. An absolute must-have for fans of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, each exquisite stein stands over 10″ tall (25.4cm), weighs a hefty 3 lbs. (1.36kg.), and is topped with a sculpted pewter lid.

That’s the Epic version. The Legendary version also includes gold-plating and is limited to 999 hand signed and numbered copies. Not seen in this photo is Bilbo trying to get out with his life.

Pre-order prices are $99.99 and $149.99 for the Epic and Legendary versions respectively, valid until June 30, 2010.

Fathers Day is coming up…

Tavencraft: The Hobbit Stein Collection

(via Geeks Are Sexy (via Nerd Approved))

Calorie counting beer mug

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calorie counter beer mug‘Tis the gift-giving season. Here’s an idea for the beer geek in your life.

I suppose if you’re really counting calories you wouldn’t be drinking beer. Not to mention that there is a fairly wide difference in the calorie contents of different styles. And, of course, if you could drop one McDonald’s double cheeseburger you could add three or four beers and stay calorie neutral. I know what I would choose.

(via Seihin.com (Japanese) (via Shiny Shiny))

Of course, this isn’t a new idea. I gave one of each of these “Nutrition Information” glasses to Ron, Max, and Don a few years ago. (I found it at one of those ubiquitous Spencer’s Gifts in a shopping mall.) Ironically, there has been some talk lately of the U.S. Government requiring such nutrition labels on beer.Beer Nutrition Facts

IPartyHard

Beer Journal

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The gift-giving season is barely 70 days away. I bet you haven’t even thought about what you’re going to get the loved ones in your life. (Unless you’re like my wife, who is already done with our shopping.)

Well, here’s a good gift for the true beer geek in your life: The Beer Journal

Carolyn Smagalski has a great review at Bella Online:

Remember that some beers are easy to drink, while others are more complex. Those that are easy to drink may be one-dimensional, and you may tire of them quickly. Compare it to the art of making love. As your experience expands and your dedication becomes more committed, you continue to explore every nuance that increases the pleasure. Some experiences will fall flat, while others will become legendary. With The Beer Journal, you will have a documented log of those that titillate, those that infuriate, and those that seem unfamiliar. As your experience increases, you may revisit the ones you have spurned, finding them to be more satisfying as your own personal growth expands.

My geeky beer-buddies (or is that beer-drinking geek buddies?) have been known to put together a spreadsheet of the beers we like or not when we sample a significant number over a long weekend, but we never stuck with it. I’d love to be able and go back and look at the beers I really enjoyed (and what I was doing at the time). This is on my wishlist.