2023 Holiday gift guide: Make shopping easy with Asheville area food, beverage brands
ASHEVILLE - The season of giving is here, and the list keeps growing of “nice” people to receive gifts of appreciation.
Let that special person know you’re thinking about them with a one-of-a-kind gift from the Asheville area food and beverage community.
Here are products to consider that will make this holiday season even more memorable.
Asheville Tea Company
Keep your loved ones warm and cozy with mugs of regionally sourced herbs and botanicals from Asheville Tea Company. The Winter Tea Trio features Snow Day, Winter Wonderland and Spiced Apple Butter.
The tea bags are plant-based and 100% compostable, and the “farm-to-teacup” teas have no additives or artificial flavors.
Purchase a Cozy Up gift box featuring Spiced Apple Butter Tea and Chocolate and Cinnamon Scone Mix for $27 or the Calming gift box featuring Chamomile Lavender, Blue Ridge Mountain Mint and Hibiscus Mojito teas for $42. Or take care of them all year long with a monthly tea subscription with 30-35 servings of tea for $25/month.
Shop online at ashevilleteacompany.com.
East Fork Pottery
Make a statement with a piece or set from Asheville pottery company, East Fork.
The downtown store and online shop offer an extensive inventory that includes scented candles, puzzles, whiskey snifters, bowls, plates, serving dishes and utensils, glassware and skillets.
Visit eastfork.com to peruse the collection and for staff favorites and gifts under $100.
French Broad Chocolate
This winter don’t stop at hot chocolate – make a chocolate lover’s dreams come true with bonbons, peppermint bark and more from Asheville chocolatier, French Broad Chocolate.
Find gift sets galore at the shop and online at frenchbroadchocolates.com.
The Holiday Hot Chocolate Collection offers three new premium flavors of mixes for $54, the peppermint bark ― made with a new recipe and look ― is $30, and the Holiday Collection bonbons feature various flavors for $39 (12 pieces) or $64 (24 pieces).
Or get a sampling of multiple items in the Holiday Cheer gift set that includes the holiday collection of bonbons, hot chocolate and peppermint bark for $120.
Holiday bonbon flavors include champagne, chocolate orange, cranberry, eggnog, gingerbread and peppermint.
Highland Brewing
Asheville’s beer scene is brimming over with breweries and cideries, so consider making a variety pack of the gift recipient’s favorite brews from one or multiple businesses.
Start off where it all began at the city’s first craft beer brewery, Highland Brewing, and its Cold Mountain collection.
This year’s special releases of the spiced winter ale include the original blend ― with notes of vanilla, hazelnut, dark fruit and cinnamon ― Coconut, Imperial and Chocolate Hazelnut Cold Mountain.
Prices vary and items may be available individually and in variety packs. For more, visit highlandbrewing.com.
Poppy Popcorn
Stuff a stocking and deck the snack table out with cylinders and bags of Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn. The decorative canisters eliminate the need for gift wrap and cost $22.50.
This year’s seasonal flavors include Christmas Confetti, made with salted caramel popcorn and mixed in small batches with real butter, a touch of sea salt and molasses, then drizzled with craft white and dark chocolate. Festive red, green and white nonpareils are sprinkled on for the finishing touch. Other holiday flavors include Butter Almond Toffee, Salted Caramel, Chocolate Peppermint and Reindeer Crunch. Gift sets are available for $36.
Shop online at poppyhandcraftedpopcorn.com (nationwide shipping available) or create a custom gift set at Poppy Popcorn’s Holiday Pop-Up in Biltmore Park at 8 Town Square Blvd., Suite 140.
Spicewalla
Give some sugar and spice to somebody nice ― Spicewalla has stocking stuffers and gifts ideal for enhancing a dish or a drink.
The hot chocolate collection features classic, chai-spiced, gingerbread and Mexican-style.
The Kitchen Essentials 10- and 18-pack variety sets give a taste of what the Asheville-founded company has to offer.
Shop Spicewalla’s wide inventory of spices, seasonings and mixes at its Grove Arcade store or online at spicewallabrand.com.
Waynesville Soda Jerks
For a bold taste of the Appalachian and the holiday spirit, fill your cart with handcrafted sodas from Waynesville Soda Jerks.
Cranberry Ginger is this year’s limited edition seasonal flavor, made with cane sugar and ingredients from regional farms and suppliers.
Sodas are available for individual sale, or stock up with a 6-pack ($18), a half case of 12 bottles ($33) or a case of 24 bottles ($66).
Shop online at waynesvillesodajerks.com or visit Waynesville Soda Jerks’ gift shop for sodas, soda-scented soaps, and branded fashion and merchandise at 5 Bridges St. in Waynesville.
Also, look out for the private-label Blueberry Basil soda made with basil grown at Biltmore, available this holiday season exclusively at the estate.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Holiday gift guide: Local presents, stocking stuffers for foodies