The gift of beer might just be the best present a brew fan could hope for. You've made the right choice if you’re looking to treat the hops expert in your life to a few bottles this Christmas. There’s a staggering amount of choice out there, so to help you out, we’ve selflessly tested the marketplace to uncover the best and most delicious beer gift crates available.
Whichever you choose, the lucky recipient is in for a very merry Christmas.
What's the best beer crate?
1 of 9Beer Hawk Christmas Yard of Ale
This mixed case contains eight of Beer Hawk's most beloved craft beers, including Magic Rock Magic Lager, Wild Beer Co Bibble and Goose Island Midway.
2 of 9Beer Hawk Best of British Lager Case
If lager is your tipple of choice, this mixed case from Beer Hawk contains 15 lager and hybrid beers to really get stuck into.
3 of 9Beer Hawk World Beer Case
If you love New Zealand and Belgian beers, these are some of the best examples of beer styles from across the globe.
4 of 9Wychwood Mixed Beer Random Case – 12 Beers
A random selection of 12 beers from the world famous Wychwood brewery in Oxfordshire, which may include Hobgoblin, Fire Catcher, Scarecrow, King Goblin, Black Wych and Dr. Thirsty's No. 4 Blonde.
5 of 9The Darkness Pub In A Box - Bells End Edition
If your giftee is a music fan and a beer lover, you can't go wrong with this kit from Signature Brew. Brewed in association with rock and roll legends, The Darkness, the limited edition Pub In A Box Bells End Edition features four Bells End beers and a selection of delicious craft beers, with glassware, snacks, a pub quiz and more.
6 of 9Classic Ales of England Collection Pack – 12 Beers
A case of 12 classic ales delivering the taste of Britain, including Marston's Pedigree, Wychwood's Hobgoblin, Brakspear's Oxford Gold and Ringwood's Old Thumper.
7 of 9Best of Tiny Rebel Beer Canister
Three great craft beers from the Tiny Rebel Beer brewery, South Wales. Includes Tiny Rebel Cali, Tiny Rebel Cwtch and Tiny Rebel Clwb Tropicana.
8 of 9Best of BrewDog Canister
Three of the best from Britain's craft beer king, BrewDog. Includes Punk IPA, Indie Pale and Dead Pony.
9 of 9Beery Gift Hamper Selection Box
This hamper is loaded with five exceptional craft beers, a packet of rosemary and thyme pitta chips and one Beer Hawk Aviero glass. Beers may include The White Hag Little Fawn Session IPA, Magic Rock Dancing Bear, Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, Goose Island IPA and Roosters Yankee.
Naturally, there are crates that will offer traditional true British ales, invoking memories of country pubs with honest brews from recognisable and well-established names, such as Marston, Wychwood and Brakspear. Any true ale fan will never tire of these reliable tastes, but if you’re looking for something a little different, we’ve included an offering from Waken, Germany, who’ve designed a range of strong dark Viking ales dedicated to the Nordic gods.
Of course, enjoying a beer isn’t all about ales. There are hundreds of lagers from around the world offering light, tasty and refreshing flavours through varying combinations of hops and grains. The World Lager Case included below offers the lucky recipient 15 lagers from the shores of the United States, hills of Wales and the borderlands of Northern Germany.
Related: Christmas whisky: the best gifts, tried and tested for 2021
In 2019, anyone who knows anything about beer knows the importance of one word: craft. The recent popularity boom in craft beers has changed the face of the marketplace, with a huge array of new and innovative smaller breweries cropping up near and far - each seeking to deliver new, fresh takes on the Indian and American Pale Ale traditions. These breweries, like Camden Ales, BrewDog or New Zealand’s Yeastie Boys, deliver their brews in small 330ml cans, referred to by fans as stubby tins, or ‘stubbies’. The reason for this packaging is that the seal and pressure keep the beer as fresh as possible, guaranteeing perfect flavour. These brews are hugely popular thanks to their delicious, characterful and unique flavours.
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William Lobley is a Senior Content Writer for WhatsTheBest, specialising in technology and outdoors. He also writes for Empire Online.
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