If you’ve ever hosted a party, then you know how much time and effort (not to mention money!) goes into throwing a bash. To that end, a guest’s thank you gift can make a host or hostess feel so appreciated and acknowledged. There’s a lost art to Southern hostess and host gifts. Of course, a bottle of wine will always do, but the more creative the gift, the better. Make it a southern made hostess or host gift and even better.
For instance, I was given a tub of unbelievable chicken salad from a gourmet market near my house recently. It was a present for hosting a neighborhood happy hour. The chicken salad is now an official addiction. The friend who brought it, knew how good it was and was sharing a beautiful secret. Something I would never have known about without her present.
- Whiskey Grail cups
These white oak cups are handmade by artisans in Statesboro, Ga., and make an incredibly unique gift for a host or hostess. The Whiskey Grail team smoke-to-char the inside of what they dub “vessels.” The cups take bourbon sipping up a notch and mimic the inside of whiskey barrels. It gives off a unique flavor profile for both bourbon and scotch. With a coat of nontoxic beeswax sealing wax, the cups are leak-tested so they will stay as strong as your sip.
2. Yearly Co. bracelets
Made in Nashville, Yearly Co.’s handmade gold bangles are delicate and stylish. Ann Simonson crafts the pieces. As the story goes, her grandfather first gifted his wife a gold bangle 60 years ago. The tradition continued when grandpa Simonson gave bangles to each of his children to celebrate their own anniversaries. Ann began to make the angel hair-thin 14K gold bracelets to order for friends and family. Soon word got out and they became a coveted gift for all occasions. They are sweet and simple and a perfect hostess gift for any Southern woman.
Perfect for a Southern hostess and host gift for someone who invited you to stay for the weekend, or when a gift needs to be a bit more extravagant than a nice candle, Yearly Co. bracelets are sized individually for each person. Once you’ve gifted one, you can continue to bestow a Yearly Co. bangle to that same person every time you get the chance. A wrist filled with bangles in rose, yellow or white gold will always be a talking point for the lucky hostess. Gift one of the stamped initial bracelets with the hostess’s first or last initial for an extra special touch.
3. Meat Sweatz Spritz bottles
This new spritz created by a North Carolina family helps create a beautiful bark for ribs, butts, pork chops, pork belly, whole hog or tenderloins. All natural, a bottle of Meat Sweatz is a terrific host gift for that pitmaster in your life. The hilariously named Hog Wash will garner some laughs, but it will also earn you some street cred with any serious barbecue fan. There’s a three-pack set if you want to really treat your next neighborhood backyard bbq host. While you’re at it, make this incredible tomato pie recipe and gift it as well.
