When you feel like all holiday gift options have been fully exhausted, there’s always one last hope. Doling out a food or beverage related gift isn’t taking the easy way out — it’s playing it smart. Your local loved ones are guaranteed to appreciate anything from the area, and relatives from afar who have visited in the past are sure to want a taste of the Lowcountry in their home. These local companies offer something for everyone, from classic Southern staples to handcrafted spirits or kombucha. Help those you love the most eat and drink their way through the holiday season with this food and beverage gift guide:
To Eat
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit of the Month Club
A subscription to receive biscuits monthly at your doorstep? That’s about as Charleston as it gets. Sign up a loved one to receive two dozen Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits each month. If you’re shopping for someone who prefers to get messy in the kitchen, try out the Callie’s BiscuitBox, which contains buttermilk biscuit mix, Carolina honey, and two different jams ready for experimentation.
Lewis Barbecue
Be the king of the holiday season by gifting the Holiday USDA Prime Beef Brisket from Lewis Barbecue, which feeds 10-13 people. The juicy Lewis brisket is the kind you randomly crave, meaning the whole family will be digging in the fridge for the leftovers from this massive slab of meat. Order online and tack on a green chile corn pudding and barbecue sauce set — which comes with original, tangy, and hatch green chile — for good measure.
Wich Cream Delivery Service
Just in time for nights cuddled up at home, Wich Cream ice cream now delivers their delicious, hand churned pints to your door. There’s a $7 flat rate delivery fee and Wich Cream will deliver to most everywhere in the tri-country area (check shopwichcream.com to see the delivery area). You can sign up for their monthly subscription to get two to six pints per month (ranging from $22-$51).
Swank Desserts
Chef Danetra Richardson sees dessert as a necessity, not an option. Richardson’s Charleston bakery, Swank Desserts, offers creative cakes, brownies, macaroons, and other mini desserts that are sure to satisfy relatives with a sweet tooth. We suggest ordering an assorted macaroon box — Swank offers the classics along with nostalgic varieties like s’mores and pop rocks-infused chocolate cherry.
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To Drink
Monarch Wine Merchants CSA Program
Wine is great, but choosing a good bottle can be … intimidating. For $69 per month, Monarch Wine Merchants owner Justin Coleman will choose three bottles for subscription holders. The Upper King Street shop focuses on natural wines from quality-conscious producers and hosts a monthly “pickup party” with a few snacks and sips. Sign up yourself, friend, or family member in-store or online.
High Wire Distilling Co.
Give the gift of booze from Charleston’s first distillery since Prohibition this holiday season. Founded by husband and wife team Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall, High Wire Distilling Co. offers seven different high-proof spirits perfect for cocktails or straight over ice. The small batch spirits are produced in hand-hammered German copper using specialized, local ingredients. Check out the renowned Hat Trick Botanical Gin, which has a balanced, floral taste that may even convert your most gin-averse relative. Purchase at their Upper King Street tasting room or at retail outlets in the area.
One Love Kombucha
Tangy, funky, refreshing fermented tea is most certainly not for everyone, but it’s safe to say that kombucha has grown a cult-following in the last several years. Jonathan Cox started One Love Kombucha 10 years ago and now has four signature flavors: hibiscus ginger, turmeric trio, muscadine grape, and butterfly basil. We suggest starting out with the sweet and spicy hibiscus ginger — the main components are grown by local farmer John Warren of Spade & Clover Gardens.
Cannonborough Craft Sodas
Lifelong friends Matt Fendley, Mick Matricciano, and Brandon Wogamon found a niche for their craft sodas after discovering a lack of creativity in the non-alcoholic beverage world. The three swapped artificial ingredients for the all-natural sweeteners and fresh fruit that brighten up their beverages, while also making them fun mixers for cocktails. Seasonal sodas pair with libations to form holiday-themed recipes like the warming “Pale September,” which combines their apple and ginger honey soda with bourbon and lemon juice. Shop on their website, which also includes more recipes.
To Learn
Edmund’s Oast Exchange Classes
If you’re shopping for a curious friend, look no further than the rotating beer and wine classes at Edmund’s Oast Exchange. Classes offer anything from information on classic Belgian brewing to lessons on blind wine tasting. Check the calendar page for each month’s events and book by phone or on Airbnb Experiences.
Zero George Culinary Cooking Classes
Zero Restaurant Executive Chef Vinson Petrillo leads a Zero Headaches Holiday Workshop Dec. 10-12. Get a couple of tickets for you and a buddy and get the down low on holiday entertaining, learn how to make (and sip on) a seasonal cocktail prepared by mixologist Cody Held, enjoy a wine seminar with restaurant manager and oenophile Kathryn Old, and then feast on a two course meal demoed and cooked by Petrillo.
To stock the Pantry
Holy Smoke Smoked Olive Oil
If you’re like us, you sometimes grab the discount stuff if you’re stocking your own pantry, which makes these staples a great holiday stocking-stuffer idea. For a local olive oil that’s just a little different, check out the cold-pressed and smoked Holy Smoke olive oils. Described as buttery “liquid bacon” this oil is versatile— drizzle atop a ribeye, use to roast vegetables, or simply use it to cook your morning eggs. Purchase online or at local grocery stores including Harris Teeter or Lowes Foods.
Charleston Coffee Roasters
If you’re shopping for a coffee drinker that won’t settle for a quick cup at Dunkin’ Donuts, sign them up for Charleston Coffee Roasters “Coffee of the Month Club.” The local company selects two different small batch roasts based on the available beans to ensure freshness — the December offerings are the Holiday Blend and El Salvador La Esperanza. Sign up online or shop for beans locally at Harris Teeter, Costco, Publix, and Whole Foods.
Oliver Pluff Co.
If you’re shopping for a tea-fanatic, look no further than Charleston-based tea importer and blender Oliver Pluff Co. Shop online or at select local retailers — including Boone Hall Farms Market, Drayton Hall, and Magnolia Plantation — for countless tea varieties. Oliver Pluff also offers Sangria spice blends, coffee, and hot toddy’s — the perfect warm weather drink that can be soothing before bed or served hot with spirits.
To toy around with
Charleston Shucker Co.
Send your shellfish loving friend or family member to a winter oyster roast with their very own personalized oyster knife. Charleston Shucker Co., founded in 2007 by native South Carolinians, offers free engravings on all oyster and fish filet knives. The family owned business offers seven different varieties ranging from the $7 Lowcountry Shucker to the $200 stainless steel ACE Shucker.
Jack Rudy Cocktail Co.
Have any aspiring mixologists in the family? If so, Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. has the perfect gift, as the Charleston-based company offers a variety of cocktail-making tools. Shop online for bar spoons, jiggers, mixing glasses, and bitters. Grab the essentials in one fell swoop with the Jumbo Jack Pack, which comes with small batch mixers, bitters, and cocktail cherries along with all the necessary tools.
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