2015 Holiday Gift Guide: Eater Atlanta's Picks for the Food Lover

Part of the original IceMilk Apron collection, this beautiful heirloom-quality linen piece is perfect for the baker who’s always ready to host guests with homemade cheese straws or an oven-fresh pound cake . A lovely, full-skirt apron sure to be in the family for generations. Monogramming available for an extra touch of Southern love.
IceMilk Pecan Orchard Apron: $85

These angry cukes are dill pickles with a serious bite, great for snacking on or throwing atop a cheeseburger to kick it up a notch. Cherry tomatoes pickled in red wine, garlic, and basil pair perfectly with salads or that (much-needed) Sunday morning Bloody Mary.
Doux South Pickles: $26

Created by the cocktail wizards of Decatur’s Pinewood Tippling Room, these syrups were made with the home bartender in mind who wants a quality cocktail without the hassle. Each syrup contains Pinewood’s house oleo saccharums and is infused with fresh ingredients and bitters. Simply mix .5 oz of desired Proof syrup with 2 oz of your favorite whiskey, pour over ice, and enjoy! Each bottle contains 32 cocktails.
Proof Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrups: $22

Finally, there’s a local company developing small batch bitters, shrubs, tonics, and tinctures for cocktail-crafting nerds. 18.21’s clever use of flavors and fresh ingredients will help to elevate your next cocktail party or in-home happy hour. Follow them on Instagram for recipes and tips, or visit their new shop at Ponce City Market.
Lemon Basil Syrup: $18.99Apple Cardamom Shrub: $22.99Craft Bitters Gift Set: $24.99

These premium, single varietal, and blended extra virgin olive oils and vinegars are just what the chef ordered. Add a bit of sherry vinegar to your next pasta salad or grab a crusty loaf of bread and drizzle on a little barrel-aged balsamic and rosemary EVOO. Pair it with a glass of pinot noir.
Balsamic Vinegar/Extra Virgin Olive Oil Gift Set: $24.95Barrel Aged Balsamic Vinegar: $19.95Cook's Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil: $15.95

Eating locally isn’t just about meats and veggies anymore. Get down to the nitty gritty ingredients with Beautiful Briny’s 100 percent handmade organic salts and sugars. Grab a canister of Pocketful of Starlight vanilla-infused sugar for the baker or tea drinker in your life or leave an essential salt trio of lavender, mushroom, and rosemary under the tree to liven up those wintery crockpot stews.
Pocketful of Starlight: $15Kitchen Trio salts: $20Santa Trio Gift Set: $32

Give the gift of small batch, bean-to-bar chocolate this holiday season. Cranking out some of Atlanta’s finest cacao confections from its micro-factory at Krog Street Market, Xocolatl will satisfy any sweet tooth with everything from silky-smooth, coconut milk-infused Kissed Mermaid to 85 percent single-origin Tanzanian for the serious dark chocophile. Vegan, soy, and gluten free.
Kissed Mermaid: $9.50Oh Nuts!: $9.5085% Tanzania: $9.00

Not into aprons? This makes a unique hostess gift or simply a hat tip to your BFF who loves to bake in style while nibbling on sweet treats. The 100 percent cotton tee has all the basic ingredients needed to set the mood for a day of baking holiday cookies, and the individually-wrapped sea salted caramels from Tiny Buffalo Baking Co. are the perfect size for those mid-afternoon snack attacks.
Sea Salted Caramels: $10.50Baking Basics Tee: $20

Give a little local caffeinated love to that coffee connoisseur with the tricked out home brew setup. This medium roast Ethiopian blend from 1000 Faces Coffee of Athens carries notes of apricot, honey, and lemon for a smooth sip without the bitter finish. Suke Quto from 1000 Faces Coffee: $16

Skip the lame fruit basket and show off your gift giving prowess this year with an assortment of locally made, heritage-preserved jams and spreads from Atlanta’s Preserving Place. Pro tip: spread Sweet Onion Confit on Thomasville Tomme cheese and pair with a hot toddy for a Southern snack on a chilly afternoon on the porch.
Sweet Onion Confit: $15Spiced Grape: $15Hot Peach and Ginger: $14Apple Butter: $14Tipsy Vanilla Blueberry: $14

Let’s face it: Dogs love bacon too. Toss your pup a tasty snack of all-natural turkey bacon, local eggs, and and homemade veggie stock this holiday season, or pick up treats that'll keep dogs' breath super fresh with biscuits made of charcoal, parsley, and mint, and there are even grain-free treats available for sensitive tummies.
You Had Me at Bacon: $7Dinner Mints: $7.50

Healthy, all-natural, and delicious? Kombucha fermented tea may not give you superpowers but it will energize the body and mind during those sluggish, mid-afternoon hours at work. Bonus: It's got plenty of probiotics. Golda is Atlanta’s first kombucha tea company — brewing the concoction from an old family recipe. Our favorite? Lavender Lemonade.Variety Pack (Lavender Lemonade, Strawberry-Mint, Peach-Ginger, Apple-Ginger): $75

The first legal distillery in Atlanta since 1906, Old Fourth Distillery vodka uses sugarcane rather than the usual fermented corn base to distill a slightly sweet, surprisingly smooth elixir. A soon-to-be-released gin arrives in Atlanta’s liquor stores in mid-December. This juniper-forward, botanical beauty and its Coke-inspired, green-tinted bottle makea killer G&T or the honey-smooth, classic Bee’s Knees. Available for purchase at Green’s and Tower Beer, Wine & Spirits. Distillery tours available. Retails for approximately $24/bottle.