Gourmet-Alcohol

Images Courtesy of the Merchants If you’ve got some beer enthusiasts on your gift list this year, we’ve got a host of options for you to choose from—everything from glasses to home brew kits to books.   The best part? All these recommendations come from brewers, bar managers, cicerones (that’s the beer version of a sommelier) and other beer pros.   Check out these 12 thoughtful beer-related presents below.   1. Spiegelau Craft Beer Tasting Kit Glasses  This German-made glassware is designed to enhance a specific beer style for the perfect sip. The four-pack includes glasses made for an IPA , American wheat , stout and barrel-aged beer. “Glassware is crucial when wanting to get the most out of your beer, and Spiegelau has something for everyone,” says Anne Becarra , a New York City-based cicerone, beer director, educator and writer. Erin Bergstrom, general manager at Sternewirth Tavern at Hotel Emma , agrees. “Each shape enhances the quality of the beer being served,”

Getty Images Many of us are familiar with the seasonal dishes that define Thanksgiving. But what was the harvest holiday’s original drink? The answer: hard cider. Here’s why. The Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts , via the Mayflower in 1621 in the middle of a frigid winter. Though sickness had raged throughout the ship, there was a more pressing issue at hand: They were almost out of beer . In the colonial mind, alcohol was essential for good health. “It was an age that considered alcohol safer than water,” shares Mark Lender and James Martin in Drinking in America: A History . “A stiff drink warmed a person on cold nights and kept off chills and fevers; a few glasses made hard work easier to bear, aided digestion, and in general helped sustain the constitution.” With all this in mind, you can bet that booze was a part of the first Thanksgiving. But because of the beer crisis, colonists resorted to other drinks to get their fix. Hard liquor , despite its rising popular