Christmas Gift Giving Idea

This year, for the discerning beer consumers in your life, here's a gift giving idea that I think makes a whole lotta sense.

Pick seven different beers--all brewed in your state. Take two bottles from your choice of five of the beers and one of the remainder of the beers to complete a 12 pack.

One of the beers--if you can, make it a homebrew. It's easy to spend money and buy beer and give it away, but crafting and giving--shows you mean it. The antithesis of the here's a fifth of Scotch for you and oh thank you for the fifth of Grey Goose and the Cohiba.

Make one of the beers a local beer--brewed within 25 miles or so, or as close as you can, of where you live. Support your local brewer for the economic domino effect buying their beers creates.

Why so many different beers? Someone wise once told me: There is spice in life, through the hops.

Why seven: Because it's Christmas and the whole number seven (7) denotes completeness and perfection. Six is not that special--a very meager number in my mind. Take six x 2 on the other hand and now your talking about a long-lasting tribute, for the most ardent beer drinker, at least seven days.