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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, Julia Colombo, 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 curated gift baskets and customizable assortments of locally made goodies right here.
A One of a Kind Gift
Albany
True to their namesake, these gift baskets are absolutely one-of-a-kind, with dozens of gifts for any occasion. The Baxter Two Person Picnic Basket has everything a couple could need for a picnic, including two ceramic plates, stainless steel flatware, glass cups, and cotton napkins in a willow picnic basket with an insulated, removable cooler section. Get the Grill Sergeant gift box for the grillers in your life, complete with smoking trips, barbecue dip mix, grill spatula and tongs, salt and pepper grinders, three different steak and barbecue sauces, olive oil, and a handmade dry pork rub—all packed in a reusable waterproof tub that’s perfect for holding beverages for a cookout.
Adam’s Fairacre Farms
Throughout the Hudson Valley
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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. The Movie Night basket includes 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.)
Angry Orchard
Walden
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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. Dear Brittany highlights coastal French apples, while Albany Post’s fresh fruit and canned peach aromatics are complemented by the taste of ripe apples. Lastly, Fruits from Flowers uses local apples and cherry juice from the Finger Lakes area for a perfect pairing with sweeter dishes.
Beacon Pantry
Beacon
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If you’re looking to add snacks and charcuterie to your gift bag this year, you can’t go wrong tapping Beacon Pantry. 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 Bachan’s Japanese barbecue sauce to Ramon Pena scallops. Plus, Beacon Pantry also stocks loads of Hudson Valley goodies—namely, Oliver Kita chocolate, Harney and Sons Fine Tea, Catskill Provisions honey, and more.
Beth’s Farm Kitchen
Old Chatham
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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. There are six jams in the Best Sellers Gift Box, including 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.”
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, and Cacao Maple Vodka, plus a T-shirt. At-home mixologists will love the Cold Weather Cocktail Box, which features three vodkas including a pumpkin spice vodka, chocolate and blueberry cardamom bitters, Harney & Sons hot cinnamon spice tea, and a local raw honey bear. From Old Fashioneds to Manhattans, there’s a cocktail kit for every palate.
Crown Maple
Dover Plains
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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.
Dulcet Gift Basket Corp
Monroe
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This Orange County-based store has gift baskets and gift towers for every occasion, from wellness wishes to anniversaries and Christmas to Halloween. Check out the Sumptuous Bakery Sampler Gift Box for four brownie variations, a chocolate mint bundt, a pumpkin loaf, and one pound of assorted rugelach. The Hanukkah Kosher Gourmet Gift Basket comes stuffed full with a mini lemon bundt; a Hanukkah cupcake; chocolate, raspberry, and old-fashioned crumb cakes; and four mini light blue and white cookies.
Jacüterie
Ancramdale
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Meat lovers have it good during the holiday season thanks to Jacüterie, the handcrafted charcuterie brand based right here in the Hudson Valley. 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: Alpine Cervelat, Soppressata, and Saucisson Provencal.
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. The Woven Tote of Cookie Sleeves 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.
Krause’s Chocolates
Saugerties, New Paltz, Rhinebeck
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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.
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 and 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 one of the Dutchess Wine Trail’s most notable wineries. 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.
Phoenicia Honey Co.
Phoenicia
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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 a bowlful of strawberries.
Ricci Tea
Nyack
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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.
Samuel’s Sweet Shop
Rhinebeck
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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 2021’s sexiest man alive Paul Rudd. Check out the Paul’s Favorites Sampler, full of his signature dark chocolate, cherry, almond and sea salt bark, clodhoppers, candy blocks, and the Paul Rudd marshmallow crispy cake. The Season’s Eatings Sampler captures all the joys of the season in one box, with chocolate cherries, peppermint bark, chocolate-covered gingerbread, and reindeer brownies.
Twisted Branch
Valhalla
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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, coffees, sweets, 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.
Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery
Gardiner, Hudson
If you want something west of the Hudson, head to Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery for Best of Hudson Valley sips straight out of Gardiner. (There’s a Hudson outpost, too, in case you’d prefer to stay on the east side). While a bottle or two of the brand’s magnificent Riesling or Merlot Malbec 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.
Related: 5 Giftable Books, According to a Hudson Valley Expert