2019 Gift Guide

This year, stuff your stockings and surprise party hosts with gifts from the Old Line State. From gorgeous glassware to homegrown honeys, there’s a Maryland-made present for every food and drink aficionado on your list. These are just a few of our favorites this holiday season:

FOR THE HOME BARTENDER

This bamboo bar cutting board features an engraving of the state outline and Maryland’s signature blue crab. Several Maryland designs to choose from. Bar boards, $10.95. Chesapeake Customs, Halethorpe. etsy.me/2WC4orW

FOR THE COUPLE THAT DISAGREES

He drinks wine, she loves beer. They both love Maryland. This set of glasses shows off love of all things Maryland. Wine and Pilsner Glass Set, $18. AnnaRovitoDesigns, Charlotte Hall. etsy.me/33osOri

FOR THE PARTY THROWER

Even party hosts who have everything will be charmed by cocktail napkins, a ruffled apron, or fun guest towels from Severna Park’s Hen House Linens. Hen House products come in a rainbow of vibrant colors and patterns; they’ll look great under the tree (or in your own kitchen). Cocktail napkin sets, $26; aprons, $21-$24; towels, $12. Hen House Linens, Severna Park. henhouselinens.com

FOR THE NEW YEAR’S EVE ORGANIZER

Make this year’s party toast extra special by swapping out the champagne for Distillery Lane Ciderworks’ brand new La Mela Della Notte—aka “The Night Apple.” Full of apple flavor and beautifully packaged in Italian bottles, the cider is perfect for celebrations of all kinds. La Mela Della Notte, about $40. Distillery Lane Ciderworks, Jefferson. distillerylaneciderworks.com

FOR THE SOUS CHEF WITH CHOPS

Baltimorean Matt Cain makes custom knives (and sheaths) in a variety of sizes, shapes, and designs, all with gorgeous handles made of different types and colors of wood. Serious home chefs will love the deft blades and how the exotic carved wood handles look in the kitchen. Handmade knives, $40-$120. Available at Sunnyfields Cabinetry and privately; contact via Instagram @vanguardknives

FOR THE RUSTIC ENTERTAINER

Mount Airy’s Mark Moxley combines woods to make visually exciting bowls and cutting boards in patterns like stripes and checkerboards. His smooth wooden pieces are great for food prep and are also pretty enough to use as serving dishes. Salad bowls and cutting boards, $7-$80. Moxley’s Wooden Bowls, Mount Airy. facebook.com/moxleys

FOR YOUR SPIRITED HONEY

Gaithersburg-based Banner Bee Company, which sources many of its raw materials in Maryland, makes all things bees, from candles to body care to, yes, honey. But along with straight up honey, you can get honey enriched with matcha, chai, and cacao. We love the bourbon-infused honey—to liven up afternoon tea or sweeten a cocktail. Bourbon-infused honey, from $18.50. Banner Bees, Gaithersburg. bannerbees.com

FOR THE SPIC-N-SPAN HOST

Eastern Shore resident Matt Redman handcrafts soaps and other bath products from his apiary in Kent County. He creates products in three dozen delightful scents, from blackberry sage to almond honey. If you crave a scent that’s not on the list, Redman also makes custom products. Handmade soap, massage oil, shower gel, linen spray, lotion and bath salts, $7-$20. Chesapeake Soap, Chestertown. chesapeakesoap.com

FOR THE FLAVOR FANATIC

Todd’s Dirt seasoning mixes include the savory, awardwinning Original, designed for steaks, chicken, seafood, and pretty much any other type of food; and the Chesapeake, a take on traditional Maryland seafood seasoning. Seasoning, $7.49-$19.99. Todd’s Dirt, Severna Park. toddsdirt.com

FOR CRAB CONNOISSEURS

Marylanders know there are few scents better than tangy spice mix on fresh-cooked crustaceans. Baltimore candlemaker Knits, Soy & Metal partners with Old Bay to make candles that spark the best memories of seaside summer night crab feasts—minus the picked-over shells. Old Bay candles, $15. Knits, Soy & Metal, Baltimore. knitssoyandmetal.com/shop

FOR THE DESSERT DIVA

Havre de Grace bakery Les Petits Bisous uses macaronage, the traditional French method of making macarons, to create sweet, pretty treats in a variety of colors and flavors. In addition to being lovely, Les Petits Bisous macarons are made without artificial flavors and are gluten free. Macarons, 6 for $12; 12 for $21.50. Les Petits Bisous, Havre de Grace. lespetitsbisous.com

FOR THE NOSTALGIC OUT-OF-TOWNER

Surprise an old friend or ex-pat family member with a taste of home: crabs and oysters pulled right from the Chesapeake. Crisfield-based The Crab Place sells and ships locally caught seafood including hard and soft crabs and crab cakes in mouth-watering gift basket combinations. Chesapeake seafood gift packages, about $85-$200. The Crab Place, Crisfield. crabplace.com

FOR THE BEER DRINKING CRAB EATER

What goes together better than crabs and beer? The “Old Bay Thy Father” Crab Mallet Bottle Opener, made of reclaimed wood, comes in two styles. Crab mallets, with bottle opener, $10, mallet alone, $4. BrineHound, Easton. etsy.me/2NcFlso

FOR THE ELEGANT IMBIBER

Fine wines and liquors deserve beautiful presentation. Glass decanters, handblown by Baltimorean Tim McFadden, will impress even the most sophisticated sipper. Even better: give a decanter and glass set along with a gift certificate to visit the McFadden studio, where guests learn how to blow glass and create their own designs. Decanters and glassware, start at $300. McFadden Art Glass, Baltimore. mcfaddenartglass.com

FOR THE CANDY-LOVING COLLECTOR

Baltimorean Domonic Webster shapes natural wood into small bowls and boxes that highlight its gorgeous grain. His bowls are available in several sizes and are made from different varieties of wood. Sized around 7 to 10 inches in diameter, they make perfect vessels for candy or nuts. Handmade wood bowls and boxes, about $25-$60. Hawk Bluff Woodworking, Baltimore. etsy.com/shop/hawkbluff

FOR THE BRUNCH CREW

Every Bloody Mary lover on your list will appreciate a bottle of the Eastern Shore’s own George’s Bloody Mary Mix. Available in mild or spicy, or infused with Old Bay or Zatarain’s Cajun seasoning, George’s mixes make building a beautiful Bloody easy as pie. Bloody Mary mix, $23.50. George’s Mixes, Berlin. georgesmixes.com

FOR YOUR BEST FOUR-LEGGED FRIEND

Holiday gifts aren’t just for humans. This Hagerstown bakery makes doggie-friendly donuts, cakes, and bone-shaped treats in several flavors that will have any pup yelping with joy. Doggie donuts, treats, and cakes, $3.99-$30. Tricked Out Treats, Hagerstown. trickedouttreats.net/shop

FOR THE FROMAGE FAN

FireFly Farms makes its cheeses with goat milk procured from family farms close to its creamery in Western Maryland. Though the cheesemaking is highly localized, the products have gained national attention in recent years, and rightly so. Gift a cheese lover with a sampler of the creamery’s options and they’ll be forever grateful. Cheese sampler, $34-$56. FireFly Farms, Accident. fireflyfarms.com

FOR THE DECADENT DRIZZLER

A partnership between St. Michael’s Winery and DeVine Wine Jelly—the makers of jellies made with locally sourced fruit wines—blossomed into something sweet this year with the launch of Chocolate DeVine Wine Syrup. The winery’s Chocolate Zin wine is the base for the syrup, which makes a sweet mixer or dessert drizzler. Chocolate Wine Syrup, $12. DeVine Wine Jelly and St. Michaels Winery, St. Michaels. devinewinejelly.com

FOR MARYLAND CORNHOLE LOVERS

We all know someone who happens to love a good round of cornhole. These weatherproof laminated Maryland cornhole decals will fit the bill to a tee! Cornhole decals, $65 each. ShannonBaumSigns, Sykesville. etsy.me/33c1m0b

FOR YOUR BUZZIEST BESTIES

Zeke’s chocolate covered espresso beans are the perfect after dinner treat: something sweet, plus a quick jolt of caffeine. They make an ideal stocking stuffer (and you might want to pick up a few handfuls to keep yourself going during the busy holiday season). Chocolate covered espresso beans, $7. Zeke’s Coffee Roasters, Baltimore. zekescoffee.com

FOR THE ICE-SCREAMER

Ice cream gets a grown-up twist at Winecream, a Baltimore-based company that expertly blends craft fruit wines with ice cream for a sophisticated treat. Flavors in the fall and winter will be right at home on any holiday table: they include Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Apple Pie, and Apple Caramel. Wine-infused ice cream, pint cost varies. Winecream, Baltimore. crossroadco.com

FOR THOSE WHO LIKE IT HOT, HOT, HOT

Baltimore hot sauce company Huckle’s goes beyond blasts of heat. Sauce options like late-harvest jalapeño and fire-roasted habanero are spicy, even as they accentuate the distinct flavors of the pepper. Hot sauce, $10.99- $11.99. Huckle’s, Baltimore. facebook.com/hucklesauce/

FOR THE SINGLE MALT SNOB

As fans of single malt beverages know, the search for the best bottle never ends. Marylanders, fortunately, don’t have to look far to find a top-of-the-line single malt producer: Baltimore’s own Old Line Spirits. The Highlandtown-based distillery produces several terrific single malt whiskies, including the Old Line Golden Edition Single Malt Whiskey, which will be available in limited quantities this fall. Old Line Golden Edition Single Malt Whiskey. Old Line Spirits, Baltimore. oldlinespirits.com

FOR A PERSONAL TOUCH ON YOUR TREE

Share your pride in Maryland with a delightful wood-engraved ornament celebrating a “Maryland Little Christmas.” A great gift for friends and family near and far. Tree Ornament, $15. MarylandMercantile, Baltimore. etsy.me/32ceyAw

FOR THE EXPERIENCE-SEEKER

What to give the foodie who seems to have tried everything? Something that’s not even out yet! Around the region, wineries, breweries, and distilleries offer memberships and subscription packages that keep the gift going all year long. Clubs offer perks like access to new releases and special dinners—plus the opportunity for camaraderie with like-minded lovers of all things food and drink.