The 2018 Eater Detroit Holiday Gift Guide

It’s officially the holiday season and the clock is ticking to find a great gift for friends and loved ones. For some it’s easy to come up with just the right item, whereas others dread the annual chore. Don’t feel crushed by the pressure finding something to fit each person on the list. Let Eater Detroit’s gift guide bring some relief to that seasonal gifting anxiety. Whether it’s white elephant gift, a stocking stuffer, or a present to yourself, there’s sure to be something here that fits the bill.

Adventurous carnivores might enjoy a monthly subscription from Marrow’s butcher shop, which comes with all manner of cuts and sausages, while home bakers will find a lot of ambitious new pastry recipes to try out in the Sister Pie cookbook. Here, now, is the 2018 Eater Detroit holiday gift guide for food lovers. Still feeling stumped after this list? Don’t miss Eater’s national guide or visit Detroit’s past guides for even more great local suggestions.

Batch Brewing Company Expansion Pack

If there’s one thing that craft beer fans are always grateful for it’s more beer. That’s where the Batch Brewing Company Expansion Pack comes in. For $10 a month, subscribers can stop by the brewery and pick up a four-pack of some of the beloved Corktown brewery’s limited release beers. It’s a hell of a bargain and bonus: the purchase of an Expansion Pack helps fund the buildout of Batch’s North End outpost known as the Funk Room. That’s a whole lot of beer for a good beer cause.

Price: $120

Sister Pie Cookbook

West Village’s bakery Sister Pie is certainly one of the breakout stars of the local culinary scene. Owner Lisa Ludwinski and her team of pastry mavens churn out some of the most sought after treats in the country. As of this fall, all those seasonal recipes from buckwheat chocolate chip cookies to sweet potato coconut pie are available for home bakers try out on their own (with plenty of dance breaks) in the shop’s brand new cookbook, Sister Pie: The Recipes and Stories of a Big-Hearted Bakery in Detroit.

Price: $17

Marrow Meat Club

West Village’s Marrow has been busy curating dizzying array of local and humanely raised meats, and sausages for it restaurant and butcher counter. The newly minted Marrow Meat Club is the perfect way to stock a fridge with a sampling of some of the shop’s most flavorful selections from rich stocks to smoked bacon. Members also get to indulge in other perks like discounts on butchery classes and store products. Serious carnivores can sign up for one- or three-month subscriptions. The restaurant also sells plenty of sharp-looking beanies and t-shirts for Marrow diehards.

Price: Starts at $75

Bon Bon Bon Chocolate and Swag

Hamtramck chocolate wunderkind Alexandra Clark is well-known for her indulgent Bon Bon Bon confections. The charming bons, which come in flavors like maple chestnut and nog, are available for special order and by subscription. They make an excellent gift for loved ones both in and outside of Detroit. The company’s clever swag ranging from chocolate mixtapes and floppy disks to space-themed baby bandanas to enamel pins also make great stocking stuffers for loyal fans.

Price: Varies

Lady of the House Tote Bag and Cigar Case

Kate Williams’ hit Corktown restaurant now features swag that comes with a wink towards women. Sleek, black “Lady Parts” cigar cases and fabric makeup pouches are perfect for storing tampons or other miscellaneous items that might otherwise be floating around in a purse. A dollar from the sale of each item including coffee mugs and tote bags goes to support the chef’s favorite local organization Alternatives for Girls. Online orders can also be shipped in pineapple wrapping paper — a nod to the restaurant’s distinctive wallpaper.

Price: Varies

Sfumato Flight of Fragrances

Fragrance company Sfumato made a splash this spring with a Cass Corridor storefront that seamlessly transitions into a scented cocktail lounge called Castalia in the evenings for a multisensory experience. The shop offers two different “flights” of perfume made from natural ingredients like nutmeg and coffee in origami-like packaging. It’s a nice way to sample several scents.

Price: Starts at $15

Dessert Oasis Coffee Soy Candle

There’s something seriously soul-warming about the smell of a fresh pot of coffee. Light a flame in Dessert Oasis’s coffee soy candle and keep the not-too-overpowering scent of roasty, slightly sweet coffee wafting through the house all winter. The candles were developed by a local maker with long-lasting soy wax, glass mason jars, coffee beans. Dessert Oasis also has seasonal gift boxes with coffee beans, mugs, and brewing equipment.

Price: $20

Gold Cash Gold Truffle Honey

Corktown restaurant Gold Cash Gold sells limited quantities of its own Michigan-made honey and ups the ante with slices of black truffle. The eight ounce, honeycomb-shaped containers are sold through Nora Modern in Midtown and make for nice hostess gifts or an above-average stocking stuffer.

Price: $49

New Order Coffee Canister and Holiday Blend

A great coffee brewing strategy requires not only the right roast, but also the right tools. Brush Park’s New Order Coffee sells a variety of slick brewing equipment from pour-over kettles to grinders. Consider the shop’s vacuum canisters, which keep beans fresh longer and pair well with the company’s small batch roasts.

Price: Varies

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