This holiday season is shaping up to be unlike any that we’ve experienced. Though there may be difficulties aplenty, try not to let them dim our festive spirits. Instead, let’s view our challenges as an opportunity to support and uplift our neighbors and communities.
We’re lucky to live in a region of makers, doers, and growers, where artisans of nearly every craft exist among purveyors of some of the freshest and finest foods you’ve ever set fork to. By supporting these local businesses and craftspeople, you’re investing in the pulse of the greater Hudson Valley community.
If your holiday gift list includes friends and relatives who’d love to explore the region but can’t due to restricted travel — or if you simply want to encourage and support local businesses — creating a gift basket chock-full of regionally procured food, drinks, and novelties is a wonderful way to shop local while adding a little joy to someone’s day.
Although there are more noteworthy shops and makers than we have the space to highlight here, these four gift basket ideas provide a starting point to fit various interests of those you know.
Vintner’s wish
We all know a wine-lover, and this is the perfect basket for living-room picnics or chilly fireside nights. From the popular wineries along the Shawangunk Wine Trail, to the boutique wine and spirits shops along bustling Main Streets, to the hidden vineyards peppered across our fertile region, there is no shortage of places to find top-quality Hudson Valley wine.
Start with a dry, fruity, easy-drinking red like the Hudson River Valley Red from Hudson-Chatham Winery, perfect for picnics or everyday meals. Add a sweet-smoked meat — the Venison Summer Sausage by Highland Farms is perfect for snacking —a nd a gift card to a specialty cheese shop like Cheese Louise in Kingston. An artisan board, such as the Blackline Wooden Serving Board by Black Creek Mercantile & Trading Co., makes an aesthetically pleasing display.
And don’t forget dessert. Try mouthwatering, handmade truffles by Lucky Chocolates or bars from Krause’s Chocolates.
Where to buy: Hudson River Valley Red – Hudson Chatham Winery, Ghent, hudsonchathamwinery.com; Venison Summer Sausage – Highland Farms, Germantown, eat-better-meat.com; Cheese gift card – Cheese Louise, Kingston, 853-8207; Blackline Wooden Serving Board – Black Creek Mercantile & Trading Co., Kingston, blackcreekmt.com; Chocolate – Lucky Chocolates or Krause Chocolates, Saugerties. luckychocolates.com; krauseschocolates.com
Beer around the Valley
In the past decade, our region has seen an undeniable craft brewing boom. And though so many new breweries have popped up, each has its own unique beers and distinct vibes. You could go big and try to fill a crate (or two, or three) with brews hailing from Westchester to the Catskills.
Here’s a suggested sampler based on a few proven crowd-pleasing flavors. Since many tasting rooms around the Valley have had to change business models due to the pandemic, be sure to check first with individual breweries to ensure that pickup is available.
Fans of New England IPAs love Sloop Brewing Co.’s Juice Bomb IPA, a citrusy hazy brew. For a hoppy beer with a crisp mouth-feel, you can’t go wrong with Suarez Family Brewing’s Palantine Pils. Keegan Ales’ Old Capital is a classic blonde ale with notes of citrus and pine, while Newburgh Brewing Co.’s Cream Ale is malty and refreshing. And for the stout lover, be sure to grab some of West Kill Brewing’s seasonal Fresh Coat Stout, a smooth, dark oatmeal stout.
Where to buy: Juice Bomb IPA – Sloop Brewing Co., East Fishkill, sloopbrewing.com; Old Capital – Keegan Ales, Kingston, keeganales.com; Cream Ale – Newburgh Brewing Co., Newburgh, newburghbrewing.com; Palatine Pils – Suarez Family Brewery, Hudson, suarezfamilybrewery.com; Fresh Coat Stout – West Kill Brewing, West Kill, westkillbrewing.com.
Brew basket
Coffee lovers rejoice. For those who prefer their early morning pick-me-up to be locally roasted, or who prefer to unwind each night with a comforting mug of tea, there are numerous ways to ensure your loved ones’ cups are always filled — and accompanied by sweet and treats.
Kingston-based Monkey Joe Roasting Co. offers a wide variety of freshly roasted beans. Choose from popular blends like the Ethiopian Yrgacheffe, Guatemala Antigua, or maple-infused Jazzy Joe. Include fresh almond biscotti from Hudson Valley Dessert Co. in Saugerties for dunking.
For tea lovers, there are a handful of local shops that carry distinctive blends: Pick up a Harney & Sons Paris tea from The Tea Shop of Woodstock or try a fruity blend from Verdigris Tea and Chocolate in Hudson. Of course, what goes better with tea than fresh, local honey? Russell Farms’ popular brand can be found at farm stands and grocers like Adams Fairacre Farms. Treat your recipient to a sampling of decadent macarons from Kingston-based Sweet Maresa’s.
Where to buy: Various coffees – Monkey Joe Roasting Co., Kingston, Monkeyjoe.com; Almond Biscotti – Hudson Valley Dessert Co., Saugerties. hudsonvalleydessertcompany.com; Various teas –The Tea Shop of Woodstock, Woodstock, woodstockteashop.com; Verdigris Tea and Chocolate, Hudson, verdigristea.com; Honey – Russell Farms, Rhinebeck, russellmaplefarm.com, Macarons – Sweet Maresa’s Bakery, Kingston, sweetmaresa.com.
Staying-home supplies
They’ve done all the crossword puzzles, they’ve watched all the Netflix shows. Keep your self-isolating friends and relatives entertained at home with a variety of goods encouraging socially distant activities. From at-home spa days to knitting, and of course, the ever-popular bread-baking trend, there are plenty of ways to make staying home fun.
Nothing says “cozy” like candlelight; start with a few pillar or taper candles from Candlestock in Woodstock.
Handmade soaps with fun scents like chai or margarita can be found at Merriweather’s in Rhinebeck; they’ve got an array of spa-like offerings, to boot.
For those who enjoy knitting, or always wanted to learn, throw in a few colorful skeins of yarn from The Perfect Blend in Saugerties, a yarn and tea shop.
Add a bread pan from a kitchen shop like bluecashew in Kingston or Gilded Carriage in Woodstock to encourage this rediscovered art.
And last, because reading never goes out of style, throw in a gift certificate to your favorite regional indie bookstore: Oblong Books and Music in Rhinebeck, the Golden Notebook in Woodstock, the Barking Goose in Newburgh, Rough Draft or Half Moon Books in Kingston, are all great choices.
Where to buy: Candles – Candlestock, Woodstock, candlestock.com; Merriweather’s soap – Merriweather’s, Rhinebeck, merriweathers.com; Yarn – The Perfect Blend, Saugerties, yarnandteashop.com; Bread pan – bluecashew, Kingston. bluecashew.com; Gilded Carriage, Woodstock, gildedcarriage.com; Indie Bookstore Gift Card – Find a local shop via the Hudson Valley Book Trail, hvbooktrail.com.
Join the family! 
