food for thought

ROOT Gift Guide 2019

Colorado produces some of the best food and drinks in the world. Share a taste of Colorado cuisine with these gift ideas that are locally made and nationally loved. Look for extra deals and specials on Small Business Saturday, which always falls two days after Thanksgiving (this year, November 30.) 

For the wine lover: Colorado is making outstanding wines these days.  A membership to a “Wine of the Month Club” at Settembre Cellars or Bonacquisti Winery gives the oenophile in your life the chance to experience a variety of award-winning local wines.

For the self-proclaimed mixologist: Boulder’s Cocktail Punk’s cocktail bitters will take their cocktails to a professional level. Cocktail Punk’s “Colorado Set” features bitters made from Colorado ingredients like Lavender, Cherry, and Palisade Peaches.

Spice it up: Colorado-owned The Savory Spice Shop has just the right gift set for everyone you know, including the “mug-full” combo set. The gift set includes Chai Spices, Mexican Cocoa Powder, Chocolate Orange Mug Cake, and more.

beef

Farm fresh, even in the winter: Treat that special someone to a Winter Share subscription from 5 Fridges Farm in Wheat Ridge, which gets them 2 lbs ground beef, 1 whole chicken and 1/2 pound of goat cheese every month for three months. 5 Fridges is managed by Colorado Open Lands, and is permanently protected for agriculture use and wildlife habitat. Be sure to say hello to the goats while you’re there picking up your turkey eggs, and locally-produced grassfed steak.

Farm to table flavor:  NUM‘s herb, spices and salt blends give home cooking that Colorado “farm to table chef” -made flavor, which isn’t surprising since many of the ingredients are sourced from local farmers.  Avid supporters of Slow Food, look for their product lines featuring herbs from Denver Botanic Gardens, Slow Food Denver, and Sprout City Farm.

basil growing in a tray

For the green thumb: No more waiting for the snow to stop; never again will your garden be ruined by late spring snow storms or early summer hail: Denver-based Edn Tech is making growing herbs easy and disaster-proof with in-home gardens. Their advanced technology will help anyone grow vegetables, herbs and flowers in the safety of your own home!

For the chocolate lover: Cultura Craft Chocolate is a Latina-owned, Denver-based, bean-to-bar chocolate making company. They’ve received multiple awards including a “Good Food Award” for their 70% Haiti Chocolate Bar. Their Holiday Collection Box has already sold out (!) but as of press time, their “Large Chocolate Bar Single Origin Collection” has more variety, and is still available. 

A little Italy: Fresh pasta made right in Boulder, Colorado! Pastaficio partners with local farmers and artisans to create fresh pasta and homemade sauces. Treat your friends and family to a pasta-making class where they learn how to fill and shape pastas like ravioli, fettuccine, and tortellini; or sign them up for one of Pastaficio’s Pasta Clubs. 

Heat things upJojo’s Sriracha was created as a way to bring the spice with all-natural ingredients. Each jar contains ingredients that are thoughtfully sourced, carefully fermented and intentionally blended to create a unique blend of Sriracha. Bonus: Jojo’s uses chili peppers from a farm in Pueblo, Colo.

For the ultimate foodie: Treat them to a gift card to Colorado’s longest operating food tours. Local Table Tours offers guided food tours in Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins. Experiences include Taco & Tequila tastings, Boulder Brews, Booze and Bites, and A Taste of Fort Collins.

Create your own gift basket: Stop by Mercantile for gourmet goods and cheeses made and curated by owner and Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chef” winner,  Alex Seidel. You’ll find unique seasonal goods from cheeses and pickles to salami and jam.

Options abound at the Boulder County Winter Farmers Market. This one-time annual event is a great place to chat with local farmers and producers, and pick up locally-made baked goods, cheese, wine, kombucha, jewelry, and locally-grown and -raised produce and meats.

If you are looking for something closer to Denver, try the Fetch Markets Denver Flea Market. The market happens over three weekends and is filled with locally made crafts, goods and gifts.

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