The best part of any holiday is the food (and drinks). We all have foodies in our lives—or maybe we’re the foodies ourselves—who would love to get a taste of something special over the holidays. Here’s a list of just some of the wonderful food and drink items our region has to offer.
The Merry Maritimer’s Christmas Craft Beer Countdown
(Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island)
This gift might be better to start the holidays off with. For the second year in the row, craft breweries and cider makers from across the maritimes have partnered up to create an advent calendar full of Christmas cheer. We always advocate for (responsibly) sampling wildly from the many local craft breweries and cider makers, and the Merry Maritimer’s Christmas Beer Countdown makes the task just that much easier. This mixed box of drinks provides the recipient with a taste of 24 different products from 14 different breweries and cider houses, including 2 Crows, Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, Breton, Bulwark, Garrison, Nine Locks, Picaroons, Propeller, Pump House, Spindrift, Tatamagouche, Upstreet and Wayfarers. And hey, who says you can’t gift one to yourself, too?
East Coast Crafted
Whitney Morgan and Christopher Reynolds
(Nova Scotia)
Have beer lovers in your life but can’t decide which craft beer you want to buy them for this year’s Christmas gift? East Coast Crafted serves as a perfect solution. No, it’s not actual, drinkable beer, but it’s an opportunity for them to read behind-the-scenes profiles of all of the current East Coast craft breweries and brewpubs. Authors Christopher Reynolds and Whitney Moran offer dozens of recommendations as to their favourite drinks from across Canada’s fastest-growing craft beer-producing region.
Pictou County Pizza Sauce
(Pictou County, Nova Scotia)
Pictou County, Nova Scotia is known for its famous brown pizza sauce. Now, you can buy the sauce in store or even order it online straight from the original creator. Pictou County Pizza came up with the recipe in the 1960s and has been serving it to locals ever since. But now, easier than ever before, even those from outside of Nova Scotia can enjoy their authentic brown-style pizza sauce. This sauce is the perfect gift for anyone you know who likes to spend time in the kitchen, longtime brown-style sauce lovers and brown-style sauce virgins alike.
Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar Inc.
(Saint John, New Brunswick)
What says “Welcome to the East Coast” better than some of the finest seafood you can buy? Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar Inc. has been supplying the best caviar available in Canada since 2005, and you can now even order it online through their online shop. This gift is perfect for the adventurous epicurean in your life, and more than that, gifting it to someone is a way to celebrate a huge part of our culture: marine life. And if you don’t want to give it all away, why not buy some to serve at your annual Christmas gathering? It will serve as a conversation starter, a tasty treat for those who care to indulge and a reason to feel proud of living where we do.
Sunset Heights Meadery
(Fredericton, New Brunswick)
Have someone in your life who loves honey and a good drink? Hit two birds with one stone by giving the gift of a locally produced mead. Not only does buying from the Sunsets Heights Meadery help you support a locally sourced and run business, it also helps you support local pollinators. Owners John Way and Deb Wilson also keep their own bees and produce their own honey, which helps the growth of local food pollinator populations. And, in addition to being able to be these at NB Liquor locations, you can also order their selection of meads online through the online shop.
The Spirit Of Christmas
(Fredericton, New Brunswick)
From Red Rover Craft Cider comes a special collaboration with Fils du Roy distillers. Inspired by Charles Dickens Christmas Carol, in which Scrooge was visited by three spirits. The set of three is available at their Fredericton Ciderhouse location each Saturday before Christmas. The limited edition run of 300 was also awarded an International Bronze at Glintcap 2017.