My Beer Yearby Lucy Burningham Driven by curiosity and thirst, longtime journalist Lucy Burningham set out to chronicle her escapades to becoming the ultimate beer expert—a Certified Cicerone. The result is an engaging and witty memoir entitled My Beer Year: Adventures with Hop Farmers, Craft Brewers, Chefs, Beer Sommeliers, and Fanatical Drinkers as a Beer Master in Training. Lucy introduces the reader to a colorful cast of beer-loving characters and sheds light on the charmingly quirky world of beer culture. Paperback; $16.95. roostbooks.com.
Homebrew Starter Kit The perfect gift for any beer lover who claims “I can brew better than that,” Sound Homebrew Supply’s small-batch homebrew kits offer step-by-step instructions, equipment, and ingredients to brew beer at home. With several package options, from the basic One-Gallon Beer Starter Kit to the Total Package Starter Kit, each is tailored to fit a range of brewing interests (and beer styles), space constrictions, and previous brewing knowledge. Prices vary. Sound Homebrew Supply, 6505 Fifth Pl. S., 743-8074, soundhomebrew.com.
Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery Membership As Washington’s first community-owned brewery, Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery offers locals a way to gain behind-the-scenes access to commercial craft brewing. Flying Bike’s unique setup gives member/owners equal voting power to elect the Board of Directors and set long-term goals and policies. Members are also invited to exclusive events like homebrew competitions—to help select new beers for production at the brewery—and Brewer’s Table discussions with Flying Bike’s head brewer, Kevin Forhan. $200 includes membership, pint glass, T-shirt. Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery, 8570 Greenwood Ave. N., 428-7709, flyingbike.coop.
Pike Brewing Stout Beer Soap It’s a little-known fact that hops contain skin-smoothing amino acids—a quality that makes beer an unexpected but practical ingredient for soap. The folks at Pike Brewing realized this and created the Pike XXXXX Extra Stout soap, blending the brewery’s popular stout beer—with aromatic hints of chocolate and espresso—with palm oil, coconut oil, and olive oil to create a nourishing soap that still provides all the cleansing qualities of ordinary bar soap. $5.95. Pike Brewing Company, 1415 First Ave., 622-6044, shoppikebrewing.com.
Tavour Beer Concierge Gift Certificate Based in Seattle’s SoDo district, beer concierge startup Tavour has devised a convenient way to introduce beer lovers to new and different brews. Tavour’s team dispatches daily, curated beer offerings via e-mail—a mix of tasty local secrets and hard-to-find beers from around the world—and members simply reply back to order specific brews. In essence, members hand-select their own “variety packs” of fresh, unique beers, which are delivered to their door every few weeks. Prices vary. tavour.com.
