Each year we are faced with finding the perfect gift for our loved ones. Should you give an item, an experience? If you are searching for a gift for the 21 and over crowd, then you’ve come to the right place. I’m going to walk you through some local, unique, and long lasting gift ideas.

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Oh yes we’re going there, holiday gift guide baby! I’m going to dig into some unique food and beverage inspired gifts for the 21 and over crowd.

How much time do we spend online trying to find unique gifts to give during the holiday season? I am constantly searching for new guides and inspiration. I find myself on Pinterest, using hashtags (which I rarely use) online searches, all the recommendations on Amazon, etsy, and now the phenomenon of influencers. Boy have I been sucked in by a couple influencers that post the best stuff.

For today, I’m gonna fake it til I make it and be your influencer, offering some unique gift ideas for the 21 and over crowd.

Let me start with a funny story… One year I was searching for a gift for my father in law. He is the guy that has everything he would need, he’s not much of a collector, and at the time wasn’t hot on any hobbies. So of course I went to Google to see if it could magically come up with something. He has always like a good whisky drink, so the thought of gifting some good whiskey or whiskey inspired glasses seemed like a good idea. But the first article I ready told me NOT to send alcohol as a gift. The article said it will be precieved as a lazy gift.

Well, i’m here to tell you that is just straight up WRONG. So without further adieu the first gift recommendation on my list is.

Westward Whiskey. This Portland Oregon based company has really hit the mark on craft whiskey. The’re specialty is partnering with other local craft breweries and wineries to cask their whiskey creating some unique and sought after flavors. Take a visit to their online gift shop and you wont just get whiskey but you’ll also see an assortment of beautifully curated cocktail sets that are sure to please any whiskey lover. 

Ok let’s talk about food. There’s gift cards to a restaurant, been there done that. I have about five restaurant gift cards sitting in my drawer right now. Why not consider an experience gift like a local food tour. LostPlate is an amazing food tour company with accolades from The New York Times, The Washington Post and National Geographic to name a few. You can gift a tour to a friend that plans to visit or to someone who already lives here. I guarantee they’ll learn some new and exciting things about the city, AND have some great new places to eat. Heck this may even become the new go-to thing to do when you have visitors in town. Add on a recipe box, which includes all the ingredients to replicate some of Portland’s best foods to level-up your gift card presentation.

Durant at Red Ridge Farms puts a capital ‘G’ on Gifting. Their gift shop has long been a favorite place to visit even before they started producing their glorious wines. While they are located in the heart of the Dundee Hills, their gift shop is online and guess what… you can call and let them help you create a gift pack. They always aim to please, creating a beautiful organized and ship worthy gift set made with Durant goods like Olive Oil, wines, salts, body and spa, etc. I did this for my in laws last year and it was a huge hit.

Two wineries that have always done a nice job offering wine gift options are Adelsheim and Argyle. When it comes to gifting wine, of course the wine has to be good. Local is preferred. Plus who doesn’t want to share the amazing fruits of our part of the country. But few wineries go the extra mile to make receiving wine special.  These two wineries have some amazing labels, gift boxes and presentation. They also have other wine inspired holiday gifts to go with wine. Plus, I read the small print… and argyle is including ground shipping on most holiday sets. Bam What!

Cyler and Taralyn, owners of Varnumn Vintners, are always so inspirational with their creativity. Their winery may be small, but what they have to offer is huge. The have the best wine advent calendar that is sure to inspire your 12-days of christmas countdown. The’ve also curated a local gift packs that deliver a true taste of Oregon with specialty foods from 6 local producers.

Two other fun wine country inspired gift is the Willamette Valley Pendelton Blanket and Willamette Valley Map. These might be the perfect gift for the regular visitor of wine country.

I saved plugging my business until the end. This year, I am pretty proud of our holiday gift shop. My favotie out of all the options is to gift wine with benefits with our NW Wine Club Explorer membership wich includes two bottles of wine from two different wineries each quarter. In this case your loved one will recieve not just the wine, but discounts, complimentary tastings and WINE SHUTTLE perks. Yes, that’s right two passes on the wine shuttle. We have a two quarter and annual options. I love bringing people into wine country. What better way then to introduce new wineries through the wine club and then give you an opportunity to visit new wineries. From the words of uncle Eddie, It’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year. Such a cool deal. I know cause I came up with it.

So there you have it. Class up your holiday gift giving with these 21 and over inspired gift ideas that scream local, unique and quite possibly deliver enjoyment all year long. I wish you a wonderful holiday season and please let me know how I can fill your cup. Cheers!