Los Angeles Foodie Holiday Gift Guide 2024
It’s that time of year again, and the Los Angeles Foodie Holiday Gift Guide is here to help you fulfill your wildest gifting dreams! Select your gift below based on the type of foodie you are shopping for, which might not even have anything to do with food at all! Especially for 2024, EatDrinkLA has done her best to highlight businesses that are run by women with incredible stories and some pretty nifty giftys.
*Note: This piece contains affiliate links, so if you make a purchase, you will also be helping to keep this blog alive – at no additional cost to you. Talk about giving!
For the You Just Had to Be There
Experiential gifts are all the rage for a reason: they are irreplaceable and unforgettable. Here are a few that will keep the receiver guessing all the way to the end.
KOOZA by Cirque Su Soleil
KOOZA, the new Cirque du Soleil show under the big top in Santa Monica, is out of this world! It’s a two-hour party with endless feats of human strength that somehow get even more impressive with every act. During intermission, you can treat yourself to snacks and drinks in an arena that still feels like you are part of the show.
Price and Purchasing Info: Get discounted tickets here for as low as $63 a person on some nights. The run ends on January 5th, 2025.
The Obscure Distillery
The Obscure Distillery is a gift to get that friend of yours who has seen (and drunk) it all – at least until now. It’s also perfect for a date night like you’ve never had before. Without giving too much away, I can best describe it as part dinner theater (only with cocktails instead of food) and part Masterclass meets moonshine. It’s a pandemic creation by Distiller Théron Regnier and Beverage Director Hope Ewing, and you will taste and learn things you’ve never had before, all in a two-hour time slot chosen by you.
Price and Purchasing Info: The price is $64 for one person and $128 for two (plus fees), and if you’re giving this as a gift, I recommend choosing a Gift Card so they can pick the date that suits them later.
For your favorite Wino
The Wine Advent Calendar
Send them 24 days of cheer with The Wine Advent Calendar from In Good Taste. Twenty-four mini bottles offer 24 opportunities to taste wines like La Pluma Sauvignon Blanc and Fortune Favors Shiraz. The portions are perfect for enjoying a “good taste” every night, and they even come with video-tasting notes for each pour. This year, you can choose from the original Red, White & Rosé Wine Advent Calendar ($144.99), the All Red Advent ($159.99), and the Luxury California Wine Advent ($249.99).
Price and Purchasing Info: The pricing is above, but for a limited time, you can snag $18 off with no code necessary! Make your purchase here.
For the Budding Chef
Gourmet Cooking Classes
Give the gift of in-person experiences with a Holiday Gift Card from IMPASTIAMO, a woman-owned business founded by Silvia Carluccio. They have locations in Los Angeles, New York City, and Orange County, and once you gift the class, the receiver can choose from the calendar on their website for whichever suits their schedule.
Price and Purchasing Info: Classes are $139 for a single in-person class and $270 for two. You can also enjoy Pizza and Pasta Starter Classes from the comfort of your own home for $79 plus shipping. Get more information here.
Pastel Pink Pizza Grills
Caroline D’Amore, of Venice Beach’s Pizza Girl, has got a line of perfectly pink items to turn up the heat in your kitchen. Pair an Apron with a trio of Organic Sauces with no sugar, or go straight for the Pizza Grill, available in white and pink for $179.
Price and Purchasing Info: A Pizza Girl Accessories Pack of kitchen tools is $25, and it goes all the way up to $229 for the Essentials Pack, which includes the Grill. Nationwide shipping is FREE! Order here.
For that Nifty Gift Box Lover
L.A.-themed Gift Boxes from Trendy Wine Shops
Kamp in Silverlake is a female-owned natural wine shop, but the fun doesn’t stop there. They also sell non-alcoholic brands, specialty snacks, and artisanal products that scream, “I’m too cool for Christmas.” Create your box with items like Cookbooks from Angeleno-based chefs, Gorgeous Wine Stoppers, and Napkins from Atelier Saucier that, if anyone actually uses them, might make you wither, like the Dry Flowers they sell to perk up your creation.
Price and Purchasing Info: Pricing ranges based on what you put in your box. Local delivery and pickup are available for free, as well as delivery for a fee. Purchase here.
Vinovore in Silverlake and Highland Park also happens to be a female-owned wine shop that does awesome gift boxes, and many of them are already curated for you. The Love You Bunches Box has specialty chocolate, wine, and much more to show you care.
Price and Purchasing Info: Price varies based on the box you choose, but most hover around $90. Purchase here and choose between local delivery or nationwide shipping.
For the Spirited
Bad Sweater Festive Spiced Whiskey
Savage & Cooke is a distillery based out of the Mare Island peninsula near San Francisco. They offer tours and even have a restaurant known for Southern delights like Fried Chicken. For the holidays, they have a limited-edition item that’s perfect for any festive gathering, with a great price to match that outfit. Bad Sweater Festive Spiced Whiskey is a whiskey infusion with cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cacao nibs, brown sugar, and Valencia orange peel. When you put your nose to the glass, it’s just like an old-fashioned nog. While Bad Sweater Spiced Whiskey isn’t new for 2024, the adorable Gnome Hat is.
Price and Purchasing Info: The price is just $30.99 and is available at Total Wine.
Glam Glasses
Glam up that gift with some glassware that shines like gold but is priced like gilt. AWAZ Premium Whiskey Glasses are crystal glasses etched in 24-carat gold that have been made to honor the legacy of female distillers. The word AWAZ means voice in Hindi, and it’s the creation of Astha Mitra after her journey to Scotland. 1% of every sale goes to support underprivileged women. Each set comes with two glasses, and the orange packing canister is so perfect that you don’t even need to wrap it.
Price and Purchasing Info: The price is $34.95 per set, and you can order yours on Amazon or through their website to get an additional $10 off.
For the Coffee Connoisseur
The Mug that Never Gets Cold
If you are a fan of hot coffee and not a fan of constant microwaving – then you need this mug in your life. It might sound like a ridiculous splurge, but after an hour of perfect sips, you’ll be convinced. Just in time for the holidays, The Ember Mug also comes in colors like sage green, sandstone, and a brand new metallics collection. What about if you’re on the go? They also make an Ember Tumbler that keeps your drink at the ideal cold or hot temperature for three hours.
Price and Purchasing Info: The Ember Tumbler is $179.95, and you can get 10% off your first order and Free Shipping. The original Ember Mug in various colors is $149.95 with the same Free Shipping and 10% off available.
The Coffee That Never Runs Out
Female-owned brand Laidrey Coffee Roasters in Tarzana and Encino wants to keep your stocking stuffed with coffee this year! Available for nationwide shipping, you can choose from one 12-oz Bag to an entire Year of Coffee with their One-Year Subscription. Choose your beans based on taste, or go wild with the “surprise me” offer. Best of all, it’s all wrapped in compost-friendly packaging.
Price and Purchasing Info: It’s $19.80 a bag for a monthly or bi-weekly subscription, and the shipping is FREE. Purchase here.
For the I’ll Work it Off After New Year’s Eve
Lifetime Health
Is a mirror or a bicycle ever going to hold you accountable? The tried and true way of maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle is to go with a Personal Trainer. Sage Fitness has three locations in Glendale and Burbank and is consistently in the top spot for Personal Training on Yelp. This year, give them a gift that keeps on giving with LIFETIME HEALTH. It’s how this foodie stays fit!
Price and Purchasing Info: Regularly $89 a session, you can get 10% off a 10 Pack during the holidays with the code EATDRINKLA and this link.
For the Too Hot to Handle
Small Batch Hot Sauces from Community Gardens
Do you have that friend who puts hot sauce on everything? Well, why not give them something that lets them know you are always paying attention – and also helps out local farmers? Small Axe Peppers Hot Sauce is made with peppers purchased from community gardens and urban farms across America, and they’ve already purchased over $100,000 worth of peppers! You’ll find gardens from the Bronx to Los Angeles, and all the bottles are named after where they were grown.
Price and Purchasing Info: The Gardens of America Hot Sauce Gift Set includes four hot sauces inspired by American cities like The Chicago and The Baltimore. The price is smoking at just $36! Order through their website or even Williams & Sonoma ($39.95).
For the Sweet Lover
The Best Cookies in the Country
Famed NYC brand Levain Bakery opened its first L.A. offshoot in Larchmont Village over a year ago, and I can never pass by without stopping in for a thick Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip or a Warm Baguette with butter and jam. During the holiday season, they also have Dark Chocolate Peppermint on rotation, and few things in the world are better warm. Make yours a special gift by upgrading to a Cookie Tin.
Price and Purchasing Info: If you’re not near a Levain yourself, take advantage of Nationwide Shipping. The Holiday Assortment with a variety of cookies, chocolates, and special packaging is $99, and an 8-pack with a Specialty Tin is $64. Order here.
Chocolates that are Off the Beaten Path
Beato Chocolates from Ojai, California, is a female-owned business created to honor the work of artist Beatrice Wood, who called herself the mama of the Dada art movement. The chocolate wrappers feature drawings by Wood with cheeky names like Pinching Spaniards and Childless Cat Ladies. Just for the holidays, the brand has created Chocolate Sculptures, or you can get 4 Bars Wrapped in a Bow ($44).
Price and Purchasing Info: Purchase directly on the website. Everything a la carte is less than $20, including the Holiday Whoops below. You can take advantage of a discount if you’re still a virgin (to Beato, that is).
For the Pure Angeleno
The Little Red Book
The Los Angeles Red Dining Book is a voucher guidebook with access to the most delectable restaurants in Los Angeles with a little something extra…24 Free Main Entrées! You just pick a restaurant from the book and bring it along to your reservation; voila, you and a guest can enjoy one dish for FREE! The list of restaurants is still under wraps for 2025, but the secret will be out soon enough.
Price and Purchasing Info: The book is available beginning November 19th, 2024, and shipping is FREE. The limited-edition book is $105, but the dining value is $720. Get notified with this link.
Need more ideas? Check out the Foodie Holiday Gift Guide from 2020.
That advent calendar is amazing!
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