Tak a Cup
o’ Kindness
TIPPLING UNDER THE TREE
W
by Shaun O’Dell
hen the silver bells and caroling are just about to drive you
up the decked halls, a bottle of alcoholic holiday cheer may
be the best gift of all. What better way to let someone
know you can recall their love of local libations than picking out a
few holiday selections from around the Eugene area?
First is a beer that has seen a holiday or two before. Ninkasi’s
Sleigh’r returns to taps in the Eugene area, but for the fi rst time
ever, this dark double alt beer can be purchased in stores in
a 22 oz. Bomber bottle. This beer is dark and malty, a perfect
combination for those switching form their hop-heavy habits of
spring and summer. With an ABV of 7.2 percent, this beer packs a
little extra punch for the holidays when grandpa won’t stop yelling
about what’s wrong with kids today with all their crazy music and
haircuts and piercings. Sleigh’r is available at Ninkasi Brewery, the
Bier Stein, Beer Nuts Bottle Shop, Cafe Perugino and Market of
Choice. The cost at Market of Choice is around $5.50/bottle plus
deposit. Sleigh’r is only available for a limited six-
week run, so grab it quick.
Oakshire Brewing of Eugene is also offering
a holiday beer this season. Ill Tempered Gnome
is a hoppy brown ale with its own share of malty
goodness. This beer was released to the public for the fi rst time in early
November. Brewer Matt Van Wyk said of the public reception so far:
“It’s been amazing. We’ve had to slow down our sales to outside
distributors so our Eugene vendors didn’t run out.” If a quick perusal
of Oakshire’s previous seasonal selections are any indication, this beer
is also going to have a limited run. Ill Tempered Gnome has an ABV
of 6.8 percent and is available at Kiva, Sundance, The Bier Stein,
Beer Nuts, Oakshire Brewing and all Market of Choice stores. At
Market of Choice, it’s about $4.50/bottle plus deposit.
For those looking for something a little stronger, Side Pocket
Corp. Distillery and Beverage of Cottage Grove is the local hard
liquor. Side Pocket, run by the Meyers family, offers a wide selection
of booze for swanky holiday offi ce parties and for New Year’s Eve
bashes. The Meyers offer two kinds of whiskey: Meyers Premium
Canadian Whisky and Octane Premium 100 Proof Whiskey, both
perfect for a holiday Manhattan to light a fi re in your belly. Those
looking for a warmer cocktail might consider one of Side Pocket’s
rum selections like Vixen or Exit 172 rum for a hot rum toddy or
some hot buttered rum this holiday. Side Pocket also offers gin,
vodka, tequila and schnapps in a variety of fl avors, as well as a host
of non-alcoholic cocktails mixers and caffeinated cocktail mixes
for the bar afi cionado on your gift list. For more information, call
Side Pocket at (541) 767-9146 or fi nd a complete product list at
cottagegrovedistillery.com/home.cfm
GG
www.eugeneweekly.com
LOCAL
STOCKING
STUFFERS
How about stocking stuff ers
to go along with your gifts meant
to be imbibed? Those little gifts
always seems to be the last thing
we remember the night before
Christmas. But no need to panic:
We’ve got a few ideas.
Candy is the stocking staple
beloved by almost everybody.
Chocolate lovers will rejoice at
the trip you made to Euphoria
Chocolates to pick up some of
their tasty truffl es. For the wine
lover, Euphoria off ers Oregon
Wine Truffl es made with Oregon
wines instead of the usual dairy
products. This makes them
perfect for hanging in a stocking
because they don’t need to be
refrigerated like a classic truffl e.
Coff ee fans will be excited to
wake up to a bag of Wandering
Goat coff ee beans sticking up over
the mantel. Bags of coff ee beans
can be purchased by the pound
(so get an extra strong stocking
hanger), and all Wandering Goat’s
coff ee is sustainably grown for
the ecologically minded coff ee
drinker. Wandering Goat also
off ers herbal, green, black and
mate teas for those who might
not be looking for an extra-
strong caff eine fi x on Christmas
morning after the party the night
before.
And fi nally, cookie lovers can
look to Monster Cookie for a local
treat as a stocking stuff er. This
company, founded in Eugene in
1977, makes a variety of cookies
from snickerdoodles to chocolate
chip peanut butter. They can be
found at most Dari-Mart stores
and are a great last-minute gift!
come see me at
the 2nd avenue
blair
artist
studio
sale
December 4, 5 & 6
& open house
Alison Shiboski
Custom Work
343-4972
344-1844 • 35 E. 8th Avenue, Eugene
Rings by
Robin Mix Jewelry
and 75 Oregon Artists!
Shop Local All Year
Open 10-6 Daily
Open late on First Friday ArtWalk
Eugene Weekly’s GIFT GUIDE 2009 3