More than ever before, it’s important to support local businesses. Luckily, the Valley is full of talented makers who can help you knock out your gift list in two shakes of a reindeer’s tail.
Adult Bevs
Arcadia Premium
Prices vary
Shopping for a picky craft beer fan? Arcadia Premium owner Joel LaTondress can help you create a custom, mix-and-match six-pack. arcadiapremium.com
Hidden Track “Neighborhood Roots” Wine Series
$25
What do you get the Coronado resident who has it all? How about a historic-’hood-themed wine from Downtown’s most beloved vino purveyor? Grown and bottled in Arizona. hiddentrackbottleshop.com
SPIRITS TRIO
Scotchdale Scotch
$47
It’s more than just a cheeky pun. Distilled in Scotland, this Speyside/Highland 8-year blend (read: not too peaty) scored a 90 rating from Whiskey Advocate magazine. scotchdale.net
SanTan Spirits caramellow
$25
Based on SanTan’s Sacred Stave whiskey, this holiday sipper is infused with salted caramel. Great on ice or with a spritz of soda. santanspirits.com
Grand Canyon Prickly Pear Vodka
$25
Local vodka infused with sweet-tart prickly pear, for the vodka-and-soda fan in your life. A 2019 bronze medal winner at the American Craft Spirts competition. grandcanyonbrewery.com
Book!
AZ Uncorked: The Arizona Wine Guide
$111
Photographer Jenelle Bonifield’s new book is a comprehensive resource (544 pages!) as well as a glowing love letter to Arizona wineries, complete with her stunning photography. arizonawineguide.com
Food & Drink
Press Coffee
$25-$200+
For the true coffee connoisseur in your life, consider Press Coffee’s Allocation line. This offering – which changes quarterly and comes in a 6-oz. tin – consists of beans that have a 90-point or higher rating from the Specialty Coffee Association of America. presscoffee.com
Benyaz Kitchen
$28
Chef/caterer Brenda Ogero created a line of T-shirts to give back. She donates 15 percent of the profit from each top to Chibwobi Primary School in Kisii, Kenya. To order, search “Benyaz Kitchen” on etsy.com.
Side Piece
$17-$22
These aren’t your grandma’s pies. Galette-style “Pie’ing Saucers” are made with organic ingredients and no added sugar – just fresh fruit, honey, granola, cinnamon, turmeric, sea salt and optional mascarpone. Instagram: @sidepieceaz
Mediterra BakeHouse
$7-$12
This family-owned bakery’s seasonal loaves make the perfect host gift or holiday dinner contribution. Choose from pumpkin, fig and anise, chocolate-cherry and stollen. mediterrabakehouse.com
Lilly May’s
$6-$10
Mesa preservation queen Lilly May churns out jarred delights including rosemary-tomato jam, orange-grapefruit marmalade and escabeche. Inquire for bulk deals. facebook.com/lillymayjam
Experience
Stratta Kitchen Michelin Chef Experience
Priced per person, varies based on custom menus
What could be more special than a personalized, multi-course dining experience helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef Alex Stratta? strattakitchen.com/happenings
Sports & Outdoors
Daphne’s Headcovers
$35
This Phoenix-based company has cornered the golf club covering market with whimsical headcovers in the shape of pineapples, leprechauns, tacos and more. daphnesheadcovers.com
MannKrafted Kustom Milled Putters and Designs
$399+
Fountain Hills metalsmith LaMont Mann hand-mills custom golf putters using steel, brass, tellurium copper and aluminum. Lead time is four to six weeks – more for premium or intricate builds. mannkrafted.com
Trail Print
$26.50
Help your hiker friends rep their favorite treks with vintage-style T-shirts emblazoned with trail names like Dreamy Draw and South Mountain. trailprint.com
PXG
$250-$495
Bob and Renee Parsons’ golf line offers more than drivers. Sporty yet elegant leather duffels and backpacks make great gifts for the traveler in your life – whether they hit the links or not. pxg.com
EXPERIENCE
Drive an Indy Car at ISM Raceway
$364+
Have a lead-footed friend? A NASCAR-loving relative? Give them the gift of speed with a drive in a full-size, open-wheel, Indy-style race car. cloud9living.com/arizona/phoenix/drive-an-indy-car
Lectric Bikes
$899
Electric bikes trended big time this year. These arrive fully assembled, fold up to half their size, reach a speed of 28 mph and have a 25- to 50-mile range. lectricebikes.com
Book!
The Hike Book
$19.95
PHOENIX magazine hiking guru Mare Czinar rounds up the state’s best hikes, including some under-the-radar gems. It’s a must for any serious Arizona trekker’s bookshelf. phoenixmag.com/hikebook
State Forty Eight
$32-$34
Satisfy the Sun Devil on your list with a Sparky racerback tank from Arizona’s buzziest brand. statefortyeight.com
Fashion & Jewelry
Jennifer Favour Jewelry
$22-$165+
The Sonoran Desert inspires Mesa jewelry artisan Jennifer Favour, whose pieces include turquoise studded bracelets and silver Western star earrings. jenniferfavour.com
Tough Apparel
$30
Versatility and durability are paramount for Skylar Bennett and Kevin Shoemaker, whose machine-washable “tough tie” made an appearance on the ABC show Shark Tank. Their leather ratchet belt allows for 42 sizing options. toughapparel.com
Experience
Phoenix Fashion Week Digital Bootcamp
$199
Give the aspiring fashion designer or boutique owner in your life a leg up with Phoenix Fashion Week’s new digital bootcamp scheduled for December and January. phoenixfashionweek.com
Audacious Sock Wear
$10+
Brittany Harris designs these comfy socks with bold patterns ranging from acid clouds to pastiches of text, emojis and shapes. audacioussockwear.com
Blacksheep Originals
$35
Navajo artist Beverly Blacksheep is a creative powerhouse who produces illustrations, jewelry, mugs, phone cases, totes and clothing inspired by her heritage, like this “Walking in Beauty” collection.
beverlyblacksheep.com
Self-Care
Butter & Fig
$40
This Mesa bath and body boutique has a seasonal gift set fit for Peppermint Patty: peppermint marshmallow sugar polish and body soufflé. The handcrafted goodies come in a red gnome bag with a gift tag. butterandfig.com
Amazing Lash Studio
$16+
For the YouTube makeup tutorial obsessive in your life, Valleywide Amazing Lash Studio offers a plethora of eyebrow and eyelash accoutrements: pencils, pens, pomade and tinted gel. amazinglashstudio.com
PCA Skin
$215
The Scottsdale-based skin care company’s Age-Defying Hydration Set includes three products to plump and firm skin and lips for a youthful appearance. pcaskin.com
Luxious Lemon
$13 for a stack of three
Give the gift of an at-home spa experience with eucalyptus-mint, rosemary-lemongrass and vanilla-lavender shower steamers made with pure essential oils. Available at Strawberry Hedgehog and luxiouslemon.com
Experience
Makeup Application at Stephanie Nault Makeup
$65-$95
Who doesn’t need a little glamour after the Year of Yoga Pants? Let makeup artist Stephanie Nault give you a makeover at her new studio. Her services include traditional and airbrush makeup, lash application, makeup bag consultations and special-occasion makeup. stephanienault.com
Book!
Six Steps to Six Inches
$14.99
Phoenix stylist and beauty guru Mia Mo wrote this e-book to help her black clients with natural hair reach their hair goals, from treating dandruff and psoriasis to maintaining moisture and reducing heat damage. miamostyles.com
Strawberry Hedgehog
$10+
Tracy Perkins is the Valley’s doyenne of vegan products, from handmade soaps and whipped body crème to intention oils and Breathe Easy spa shower mist – all made with pure essential oils. strawberryhedgehog.com
Experience
Aerial Yoga/Meditation at Elevate Yoga + Wellness
$29
This Downtown Phoenix studio offers yoga and meditation classes in ethereal silks suspended from the ceiling. Buy a gift card and your recipient can take a single class sans membership fee. elevateyogaaz.com
Art & Home
Cosanti
$19-$105
Cosanti’s bells are an evergreen gift, but its hand-rolled, hand-cut ceramic tiles deserve some love, too. Gift one as a singular artwork or sets of four to create an installation. cosanti.com
Little Shop of Horticulture
$5-$16
We’d like this online shop for its name alone, but its wares are just as cool: a “zebra plant” (haworthia attenuata), “bunny ears” cactus (opuntia microdasys) and cactus seed packets, to name a few.
littleshopofhorticultureaz.com
Practical Art & Chad Schimmel
$115
Artist Chad Schimmel creates groovy lamps out of vintage cameras and phones. practical-art.com
Things Western
$28-$80
Things aren’t always what they seem. These humble little tree stumps, for example, have secret drawers – for storage and a general air of mystery. Available at the Tortilla Flat Mercantile. tortillaflataz.com
Papay Solomon
Price upon request
Liberian-American painter Papay Solomon’s portraits are so realistic many mistake them for photographs. Oil and pastel works like “DAMN! Look at Me, Portrait of Sekera Rasheri – Burundi” (pictured) help Solomon “amplify stories and experiences of the African diaspora.” papaysolomon.com
Phoenix Home & Garden’s Spring Garden Tour
Price TBD
At press time, our sister publication had tentatively planned its annual spring tour of the Valley’s most beautiful gardens for April 17, 2021. The event will be outside and socially distanced. phgmag.com
Primitive Glass
$20-$28
Artist and glassblower Daniel Shircliff’s borosilicate glass ornaments with hand-laid lines are so stunning you’ll want to keep them up all year long. They are the stuff family heirlooms are made of.
Instagram: @primitive_glass
STEM SWAG
$99
Master florist Gary Guerin does things a little differently – think Morticia Addams-inspired bouquets and Plant Pet kits. The Winter Wanderlust arrangement features blooms in an etched glass bulb that evokes a Christmas ornament. stemswag.co
Kids
Pax Philomena
$65-$95
For the chic, desert-dwelling child in your life, the Prickly Pax Cactus line from women’s luxury label Pax Philomena makes for sophisticated gifting. paxphilomena.com
Ari Mobile Maker
$75-$110
Phoenix artist Arielle Gebhardt makes bespoke baby mobiles with dangling felt figurines. Adorable mobile themes have included doughnuts, dinosaurs and succulents/cacti. Instagram: @ari_mobile.maker
Book!
Oscar the Mouse
$17.99
PHOENIX magazine Great 48 honoree Sam Baker recently published his second children’s book. The nonagenarian tells the tale of Oscar the mouse and his human friend, Mimi. sambakerbooks.com
MinMin Bear
$30
Valley TV personality Rachelle McCray created MinMin Bears to raise awareness (and money) for organ transplants and send bears to children affected by organ donation. Visit the website to learn about the MinMin Bear Challenge. minminbearfoundation.org
Experience
Holiday Lights Tour with Spirit of Arizona Tours
$20 per child (14 and younger), $30 per adult
Make a little holiday magic with tour guide Jarrod Riddle’s festive drive through some of the Valley’s best holiday light displays. Guests can bring their own food and drinks, and Riddle makes two stops for photos. Private tours are available for an additional fee. spiritofarizonatours.com
Gift Boxes
Birdytell
$65+
Lisa Morrow curates the best local products from across the Valley for her themed boxes. This year, we collaborated with her on Best of the Valley boxes to showcase our BOV winners. birdytell.com
Made on Main St. Box
$25+
Mesa makers get the spotlight with these gift boxes, which come in themed packages like Treat Yo Self (self-care stuff) and Eternal Hoptimist (beer gear). All of the funds go back to the participating businesses. madeonmainstbox.com
Tracy Dempsey Originals/ODV Wines Custom Gift Basket
Price varies
Book a private shopping appointment or FaceTime shopping session with owner Tracy Dempsey to create your own gift basket with chocolates, coffee, seasonings, Original Bacon Pecan Brittle, s’mores and snack mix. Contact Dempsey at tracy@tracydempseyoriginals.com to arrange an appointment.
Book lover Care Package from Changing Hands
$23+
Choose from a variety of themed care packages for kids and adults. You can pick the book(s) or select the “surprise” option and a bookseller will shop for your recipient based on questions you answer about their likes and dislikes. changinghands.com
PHXHUG Care Package from Phoenix General
$33+
In the era of social distancing, send a figurative hug with these gift packages, which boast themes like The Pup Pack and Grocery Run. phoenixgeneral.com/collections/phxhug
