Whether searching for the ideal holiday present for a parent, friend, niece or romantic partner, there’s one gift everybody is guaranteed to love: a gift basket. Super festive by definition, the best gift baskets overflow with your special person’s favorite items, be they the best cookies in America, suds from the best craft beer breweries in America or the most anticipated new albums of 2016. Stuffed with everything from food to drinks and goodies, these are the best holiday gift baskets.
This elegant tower of treats from premier gourmet gift basket purveyor Harry & David is loaded with both sweet and savory crowd-pleasing favorites. Inside a hammered copper tin, find six sweet, ripe Royal Riviera pears; a bag of milk chocolate-coated popcorn; a tin of chocolate truffles; three-seed crackers and more. $59.99 at harryanddavid.com
Storied Brooklyn importer Sahadi’s, established in 1948, sure knows its home borough, and it has assembled this fun “Brooklyn in a Bag” gift basket to prove it. A collection of made-in-BK snacks, it includes granola from Ambrosial; taffy from Salty Road; flatbread from Baked in Brooklyn; tonic syrup for G&Ts and more. $99.95 at sahadis.com
This New York cheese shop is a go-to for dairy lovers and, luckily, the queso-loaded baskets ship all over the country. The “Big B” is a handsome wicker basket filled with three half-pound wedges of cheeses; a dry aged salami; a box of crackers and two sweet treats, such as chocolate-covered hazelnuts. $95 at bedfordcheeseshop.com
For the hop-head in your life, you can’t beat this bucket full of beer. Inside, find six fall brews from Long Trail, Peak Organic, Hofbrau and others, plus drinking-suitable snacks: maple-bacon kettle corn, assorted cheeses and deli-style crackers. $69.99 at gourmetgiftbaskets.com
This box is sure to delight tea lovers, packed, as it is, with 14 varieties of premium Stash teas in flavors such as peppermint, double spice chai and cinnamon vanilla. To enjoy alongside the tea, there are also two tins of milk and dark chocolate drops. $32 at stashtea.com
Yummy snacks and drinks are great but if your giftee isn’t much of a foodie, this relaxation-in-a-basket makes for a perfect alternative present. Inside a reusable canvas tote bag, find one coloring book of kaleidoscope designs and one of meditative designs, both on tear-out pages to be displayed later. Plus, colored pencils, gel pens and even a box of soothing mint tea. $100 at justdontsendflowers.com
Manhattan megastore Eataly specializes in all things Italian—especially food. Any Italophile in your life will be sure to delight in this snack-packed gift basket, loaded with tasty items including dried pasta, Ligurian pesto, mushroom risotto and sweets like pistachio- and almond-studded nougat. $168.80 at eataly.com
New York chocolatier Li-Lac has been around since 1923, long enough to perfect its signature gift basket packed with all the treats that any chocoholic will love. It includes chocolate-dipped squares of salted caramel; chocolate-covered graham crackers and pretzels; an assortment of truffles; and even a champagne bottle crafted out of chocolate. $145 at li-lacchocolate.com
Give the coffee lover in your life a literal boost with this starter kit from Boca Java. It includes a 4-cup French press from Bodum; a stainless steel scoop to measure the perfect amount of beans; and a stainless steel travel mug to transport that life-giving elixir. An eight-ounce bag of medium roast Boca Villa coffee makes a full, rich brew. $49.95 at bocajava.com
For the chile addict in your life, there’s no better gift than a sampling of fiery hot sauces. Hell in a Bucket delivers on the promise of its name, bundling together six of the hottest hot sauces on the market. Beware XXXX Reserve from Melinda’s; Ultimate Insanity from Dave’s Gourmet and other tongue-scorchers. $65.95 at mohotta.com
Any bourbon lover would be thrilled to receive this handsome copper basket, stocked with three of the finest bottles of brown stuff available on the market: Bulleit, Buffalo Trace and Knob Creek. For good measure, a selection of sweets is also included, such as Dolcetto wafer rolls, Ghiradelli chocolates and buttery pretzels. $150 at buildabasket.com
In Manhattan, Russ & Daughters is a legend, carving up some of the best smoked and cured fish on the planet since 1914. For New Yorkers at heart—who might not live in the metropolis—this delicious basket can be shipped all over the country. It includes a classic NYC spread of smoked salmon, smoked sable and pickled herring; bagels and scallion cream cheese; traditional rugelach and block of halvah, all sealed inside a reusable Russ & Daughters tote bag. $135 at russanddaughters.com
This box of perfect French macarons offers the ideal gift for the sweet-toothed person in your life: 24 rainbow-hued macarons of your choice, in flavors such as double chocolate, sour cherry, espresso and salted caramel. $65 at bisousciao.com
There’s no doubt as to whom this loaded gift basket is aimed at: bacon lovers. The sturdy woven basket overflows with seven types of bacon from premium maker Nueske’s: applewood-smoked, peppered, triple-thick, cherrywood-smoked and 1 ½-pound slab of bacon to cut to preferred thickness. Plus, bacon-cheddar scones and bacon-cheddar cheese spread. $74.95 at nueskes.com
For the breakfast-lover in your life, this basket from classic English muffin bakery Wolferman’s makes a lovely present. The pretty wicker basket holds four flavors of English muffins, including maple almond and San Francisco sourdough, plus five ounces each of strawberry and blueberry preserves. $49.99 at wolfermans.com
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