Brewery Apparel
[Beerwear for all occasions. "Beer Shirt Fridays" are a thing, people!]
So the gift receiver of your choosing has all the beer and glasses one could possibly dream of. Their cupboards are bursting at the seams and are verging on being unable to shut properly or at risk of a falling object when they next open. If you even try to sneak another glass in their, their other-half might start breaking them just for sport. Now what? BREWERY APPAREL! :D
This is not exclusively just t-shirts. Breweries have massively expanded out their offerings for branded apparel so even those with the largest of shirt collections can find something they might be in need of. Obviously during the holiday season, there may be more of a struggle to get more summery, warm weather items, but I'll try to keep things well-rounded should you be finding this for another gift-giving occasion. Apologies in advance for the amount of selfies you're about to be hit with....
To start with the basics.. Bog standard T-shirts. Most brewery t-shirts are unisex. If you're buying for a female-identifying person, I can only give you the guidance that I am 5ft 4inch, typically a size 12 with a larger chest and I [almost always] go straight for a size small when shopping men's/unisex, unless there is a clear label that sizing runs small (I.E. my Boutilliers shirt - which is one of my favourites - is an XL and it fits on the baggier side but in a comfortable way and was listed as running small/tight).
Most breweries will have some type of t-shirt for sale. Some have really elaborate and cool designs - like I know Black Iris has t-shirts I personally really want as somebody that likes more rock/metal/hardcore music [gutted I missed swinging by when I was in Nottingham] and Braybrooke has a t-shirt I bought recently appealing to the beer nerd in me as it depicts the brewing process. Here are some of my more favourite men's/unisex tops I have for shopping inspiration:
^^ The Boutilliers shirt in question. They no longer make this one but they do have some other brilliant shirts with their label art printed on them [I also have one with the artwork from the Sing Sing Death House label]. Very comfy and breathable material.
Also cannot rave enough about the quality and feel of the Full Circle Brew Co t-shirts. The artwork on the left is from their Kindred design [from the international women's collab brew day 2021 with Pink Boots Society]. I got that one when I bought the Kindred event gift pack and I have a few more of their shirts now from working their stands but I've fallen in love with the quality and continually want more! The kindred shirt is still available here and is actually on sale! Apologies for my look on the right, this was my festival-chic appearance - mud and all! In terms of comfort and design, I'd also call out Tartarus Beers [I don't have a photo I can find of me in the top, but it's brilliant and you can find it here].
From left to right, you have new-ish brewery Werewolf Beer [love the design] - keep eyes out for the proper launch as I got this from the kickstarter, Vault City [we tye-dyed ourselves!] from their birthday set a few months back, and Fallen Acorn's Sabro shirt because who doesn't love Sabro? Sabro might be gone, but you can get some other comfy tee's from them here. And - finally - Vocation. This is an older shirt a friend grabbed for me, but you can get newer ones on their website [and cycling shirts if you know an avid cyclist who also loves craft beer?] Cycling shirts from breweries seem to be all the rage now, so maybe an idea in itself?
In terms of unisex tops for the colder months, there are long sleeve and raglan options. I happen to have [from L to R] Elusive's "level up" top, Siren's "CCC" top, and FCBC's baseball style raglan [which is one of my favourite styles and also on clearance].
As a female-identifying member of the beer community myself and a person who has been vocal about the desire to have more options in women's sizes due to differences in shapes/build compared to unisex, I also seize the opportunity to buy the ladies brewery tops when I can! If you want to show there is a demand, you need to actively participate [even if it's to the detriment of my own beer fund]. My Wild Weather top is by far my favourite because the cut, colour, and design are all perfect for me [I did do a write up for it that I haven't actually posted yet but will], but here are some others of my favourites in case you're buying for somebody like me who wants to have clothing more attuned to my body. For guidance, I tend to go with a medium unless there are suggestions for specifically how the sizes are running [but so far a medium has worked perfectly] -
My favourite - Wild Weather - can be found here. I genuinely will probably be buying another one in white because of how much I love it and the fact it works so perfectly with a skirts for when I'm feeling extra spicy.
Also big love for my Elusive v-neck and my Merakai top! Merakai seem to be out of this one at the moment, but they do still have unisex hoodies in.
And moving on to hoodies... With winter coming, you can get a lot of hoodies/jumpers. Some breweries - like Northern Monk - have even offered jogging bottoms/sweat suit sets in past years. This year, they seem to have gone with a dressing gown! Quick variety of warming winter jumpers I can recommend are -
My Heist Brew Co. hoodie [super soft and with a nice design, but got a size Large so it would be extra cozy when layered] and my Phantom Brew Co Varsity Jacket. I also have a zip-up from Siren and - for the American readers - a hoodie from Shipyard that I spend most days in winter snuggled up in.
In the spirit of keeping warm, you can also opt for hats. Bobble hats seem to be the big thing. I know you can get some lovely knitted bobbles from First and Last Brewery [as well as hoodies], particularly if you're looking for more unique colours. My personal choice for a winter hat is my Three Hills knitted bobble. I got it last year and I do my level best to almost never take it off my head in the colder, wetter months and have even tried wear it as we've edged towards summer. The hat gets a lot of wear and tear and I'll be sad when it finally sees its end of days [hopefully no time soon], but I personally cannot recommend it more. I've also got a very comfy, lighter weight beanie from the Way Outback Brewery. Photos below -
Due to changes in COVID regulations on the daily and the overall for being safe, you can never go wrong with a face mask. If we're going to have to wear them, the least we can do is rep the breweries we love. When browsing the sites for links for this post, I've seen a lot of breweries offering masks in their merch sections [sites include Top Rope Brewing and North Brewing Co - which also has a lot of other good merch including scarves]. The only ones I have experience with personally are the trio that were sold from Siren and they offer the perfect amount of coverage. I sadly lost the Lumina one on a night out in London. Still salty about that as I wasn't even drunk at the time! Definitely a good suggestion of what to buy for the beer snob who has most everything.
Putting winter aside for a brief moment, it's worthwhile to check back in warmer weather to see if Vault City have done their sunglasses again. They aren't on the website at the moment so not ideal for a holiday gift, but if you know somebody with a birthday in the spring/summer months, I would highly recommend checking back to see if their sunglasses have made a comeback. I bought mine last year and love them as they are good quality and I like the design of the frames [they weren't particularly expensive either]. Photo below for reference -
Rounding out the "apparel" section of ideas, I present to you all the numerous bags you could be gifting. It will not only help the beer lover in your life be environmentally friendly by providing them with their own reusable bags, but also has the potential to help you as the gift giver find a solution to how to wrap said gifts [no need for a gift bag?]. Some of your options are -
A Jute bag! "What is a Jute bag?" I hear you ask... Well, it's a bag that's extra handy for carrying bottles as it has a removable insert so the person that frequents their local indies for takeaway bottles and cans can carry them home with the divider that will stop them banging together. A lot easier than just throwing purchases in a reusable sack. My Tartarus one has a spot for 6 and is made of burlap. It folds up easily enough to fit inside my purse and handles all different sized takeaway cans and bottles [picture has a mixture of 330ml can and bottles -both stubby and tall bottles - a 440ml can, and a 375ml sharer bottle all in the same bag comfortably].
Tote bags - which are the most commonly sold bags that I've seen and also serve the widest variety of purposes. I have used mine as a gym bag, for food shopping, or to throw things in for a day trip or a night/weekend away. The one displayed on the left is from Orbit beers and the one on the right is from Hopt Sauce [which I will mention later on].
This insulated lunch box from BBNO [Brew by Numbers] doesn't seem to be for sale anymore, but I have discovered one from Wild Beer Co for £6.79 and I highly recommend getting one if you know the beer drinker on the go. Makes perfect for picnics or bringing a few beers to a friends house straight from your fridge. I've also used it on weekends away to transport a few cheeky hotel beers and it's kept things pretty chilled even after a few hours in the car have passed.
I sadly don't own any myself, but I know some breweries also sell socks [like Northern Monk or the aforementioned North]. There are also websites selling non-branded but still beer-themed socks. I hilariously noticed what I thought was BBNO socks but turned out just to be a similar design on Firebox. Someday I aim to have at least one piece of brewery merch for all my wearable needs, but until that day when I'm made of money.... Towards the summer, you also get a handful of vest tops [tank tops for Americans], which is nice. I have one I got from Anspach & Hobday and I love wearing it when I'm going out on a massively sunny day so I'm not getting awkward farmers tan [no photos to hand unfortunately].
Again, this is not an exhaustive list and I'm sure you're bound to find even more excellent pieces of wearable brew merch as you shop around different websites. Happy to help with ideas of sizing of the stuff I have if you're shopping for somebody that is similar build to me - just message me - but all the sites should have sizing guidance and will also probably not cause too much issue if an exchange is needed after the fact.
If you still haven't found something that tickles your fancy or inspires you thus far, maybe part 4 - FOOOOOOOD - will fit the bill?
**Please note that I was not approached or offered anything above in trade for being mentioned. This is all just based on personal experience and what I - myself - have bought or would recommend.**
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