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Photo courtesy of Angry Orchard
These delicious local treats from Hudson Valley distilleries, butchers, cideries, and grocers are guaranteed to please during the holidays.
By Raphael Beretta, Nicolette Sblano, and Dave Zucker
There are plenty of people in your life who appreciate really good food. Luckily for them, the Hudson Valley is home to a plethora of incredible craft food and beverage purveyors, and few things make a better gift during the holiday season than a basket of treats from the talented businesses.
Shop the region’s best curated gift baskets and customizable assortments of locally made goodies right here.
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Adam’s Fairacre Farms
Throughout the Hudson Valley
There’s always one person in your life who is obsessed with coffee and can’t go a day without it. The perfect gift for that special someone is at Adam’s Fairacre Farms. The Coffee Expressions gift basket is stocked with a variety of coffee blends, chocolate-covered espresso beans, and different types of cookies to pair with your caffeine concoction. Even the pickiest coffee connoisseur will be pleased with your selection this holiday season. Movie Night curates an old-school array of drive-in-worthy snacks, while Adams Grand takes a comprehensive approach—featuring artisan cheeses, salami, tea cookies, and other charcuterie board accoutrements. (For more foodie-centric grocery stores, click here.)
Holiday Cider Bundle | Photo courtesy of Angry Orchard
Angry Orchard
Walden
Not only is Angry Orchard cider a Hudson Valley classic, but it’s the perfect drink to pair with that holiday cheese board. This year, Angry Orchard’s holiday cider bundle features three festive ciders. Newtown Pippin Traditional Method is crafted in the same style as champagne, while Dear Brittany highlights coastal French apples. Lastly, The Extension uses apples grown by the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
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Beacon Pantry
Beacon
If you’re looking to add snacks and charcuterie to your gift bag this year, you can’t go wrong tapping Beacon Pantry for some ideas. Not only does the market offer a fabulous charcuterie selection (including cheeses and vegetarian snackables), but the friendly staff work with shoppers to craft the perfect pairing. The curations cater to Francophiles and lovers of Spanish food alike, with accoutrements like vinegars, artisan sauces, and fine pastas and rice. Shop everything from Sicilian olive oil to Matiz sardines. Plus, Beacon Pantry also stocks loads of Hudson Valley goodies—namely, Oliver Kita chocolate, Harney and Sons Fine Tea, Catskill Provisions local honey, and more.
Best Jams Gift Box | Photo courtesy of Jodie Emmett
Beth’s Farm Kitchen
Old Chatham
This Columbia County kitchen has been crafting high-quality jams, chutneys, and preserves for 40 years. No artisan food board is quite complete without a bit of local fruit, and Beth’s Farm Kitchen delivers that in spades. For the holidays, this producer offers plenty of foodie-friendly gift baskets. Their Best Jams Gift Box, sold through Doorstep Market, includes strawberry-rhubarb, wild berry, cherry apricot, and plum jam. If that’s not enough, BFK also has a line of festive seasonal flavors. These range from the sumac-spiced “Tea for St. Nick” red currant jam to the brandied pear “Sailor’s Delight.”
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Cooper’s Daughter Spirits
Hudson
One of the most scenic farm distilleries in the Hudson Valley, Cooper’s Daughter Spirits puts together beautiful cocktail sets for the holidays. Each curated kit comes wrapped in a gift box with a satin bow, and can be picked up at the distillery or shipped directly to doorsteps. For lovers of holiday libations, start with the Cooper’s Daughter Spirits Fan Pack, which includes a bottle each of Black Walnut Bourbon, Smoked Maple Bourbon, Mulled Peach Whiskey, and a T-shirt. At-home mixologists will love the Seasonal Liqueur Box, which features black currant, Thai basil, lilac, and finocchietto amaro liqueurs. From old fashioneds to Manhattans, there’s a cocktail kit for every palate.
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Crown Maple
Dover Plains
The most important meal of the day is breakfast, right? Give the early bird in your life the syrupy set of their dreams. Crown Maple, based out of Dutchess County, is a premier organic maple syrup company that produces maple syrups ranging from amber color syrup to flavor-infused varieties like cinnamon and Madagascar vanilla. The Crown Maple Guide to Maple Syrup and Crown Maple Sampler includes both amber and dark color robust maple syrup, cinnamon-infused maple syrup, Madagascar vanilla-infused maple syrup, and a bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup. Plus, there’s even some maple sugar.
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Jacüterie
Ancramdale
Meat lovers have it good during the holiday season thanks to Jacüterie, the handcrafted charcuterie brand based right here in the Hudson Valley. Based out of Ancramdale, Jacüterie has a presence at winter farmers’ markets like Pleasantville Farmers’ Market and Cold Spring Farmers’ Market. The bacon is cured with flavors like maple syrup and wildflower honey, and both the dry-cured and regular sausages are out of this world. Just in time for the holidays, Jacüterie stocks its online store with gift box goodies that ship right to your door. Try the Charcutiers Reserve Sampler Box for three award-winning salami: finocchiona, soppressata, and saucisson provencal.
Cookie Sleeves | Photo by Maggie Marsico
Jane Bakes
East Fishkill
Sure, you can leave the name-brand cookies out for Santa. But, save the best Hudson Valley bakes for your loved ones this holiday season. For those looking for a slightly healthier Christmas treat, look to East Fishkill-based Jane Bakes. This woven gift basket doubles as a reusable grocery tote, making it more than just a stocking stuffer. Jane Bakes fills the tote with a dozen sleeves of cookies, highlighting all of the brand’s flavors. Raisin and oatmeal, whiskey and rye chocolate chip, and maple pecan round out just a few of these to-die-for desserts.
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Krause’s Chocolates
Saugerties, New Paltz, Rhinebeck
There is no way to go wrong when gifting someone a basket filled with handmade chocolates. Krause’s Chocolates in Saugerties, New Paltz, and Rhinebeck offers anniversary and birthday gift baskets, but, for the holidays, its Chocolates Gift Basket is the way to go. The substantial bin is stuffed with a mix of milk and dark chocolate, peanut brittle, a Krause’s chocolate car, almond bark, mint lentils, yogurt pretzels, and a chocolate-dipped Oreo, s’more, and pretzel. Call and order a basket for pickup to ensure that you get the sweet treats in time for Hanukkah or Christmas.
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Millbrook Vineyards and Winery
Millbrook
Don’t think we forgot about the wine lovers on your list. For those looking to go red and white for the holidays, consider a lovely gift set from Millbrook Vineyards & Winery. The Hudson Valley’s unique terroir leads to some delicious Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, Rieslings, cabernets, and even an Italian-style Tocai Friulano. Award-winning bottles can be selected from the beautiful offerings of the Dutchess Wine Trail’s most notable winery. Browse the holiday catalog for wine collections, custom gift labels, and subscriptions to the portfolio club. Gift someone this subscription, and allow them to taste their way through every Millbrook wine over the course of a year.
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Shim
Phoenicia Honey Co.
Phoenicia
This holiday season, give the foodie in your life the sweetest gift set of all. Owner Rebecca Shim specializes in farm-crafted honeys that range in flavor from chai spice to lavender. Phoenicia Honey Co.‘s infused honey gift set showcases three festive, seasonal flavors: baked apple, brandied pecan, and peppermint stix. The first two flavors play on nostalgic memories of baking pies at home. In contrast, the peppermint provides a refreshing, wintery feeling. If you’re assembling your own custom mix, don’t pass up the chance to score on the chocolate and bergamot variety, which uses organic unsweetened chocolate and raw wildflower honey from the Hudson Valley. It’s just as marvelous drizzled atop a slice of baguette as it is on bowlful of strawberries.
Photo courtesy of Ricci Tea
Ricci Tea
Nyack
Who loves starting their day with a calming cup of tea? Nyack-based Ricci Tea is on a mission to educate Hudson Valleyites about the many physical and mental benefits high-quality loose leaf tea can bring. Founder Alexa Ricci curates a variety of themed gift boxes, like “Get Well,” “Housewarming,” and “Work from Home.” The holiday box features several festive flavors. Each tin contains about 20-30 servings of tea, so this box of six is perfect for families and serious tea fanatics alike. Cinnamon, cocoa caramel, chocolate mint, and ciao amaretto round out the black tea options. Plus, the sampler also includes a vanilla chai tea and a Winter Palace Marzipan Rooibos.
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Samuel’s Sweet Shop
Rhinebeck
Dutchess County’s Rhinebeck draws visitors every holiday season—both from shoppers hunting for unique presents and families participating in the one-of-a-kind Dutch Sinterklaas festival. One of the most cheery stops on any itinerary is to Samuel’s Sweet Shop, the cute candy store with high-profile owners: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Hilarie Burton Morgan, and the recently named sexiest man alive Paul Rudd. The Season’s Eatings Sampler captures all the joys of the season in one box, with chocolate cherries, peppermint bark, chocolate-covered gingerbread, and Rudd’s personal favorite snack, sour cherry Santas.
Photo by Dave Zucker
Twisted Branch
Valhalla
For the home chef, nothing beats trying out a new recipe. Give the gift that keeps on giving with a grab bag of spices and seasonings from Twisted Branch in Valhalla. With dozens of hand-blended spices, sea salts, and cane sugars – plus a bevy of extra-virgin and infused olive oils and vinegar on tap — you can craft a Grade-A gift basket that will please any foodie, plus your own palate if they’re willing to share. Oil dipping plates, hot sauce samplers, and customizable baskets make the trip to Westchester worth it.
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Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery
If you want something west of the Hudson, head to Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery for Best of Hudson Valley sips straight out of Gardiner. While a bottle or two of the brand’s magnificent Riesling or Cabernet Franc would suffice, consider membership to the Whitecliff Wine Club for that really special someone. With options for half and full cases, the insider option includes free tastings throughout the year. Plus, it grants access to member programs and discounts on public events and future orders.