Shop Local is our motto at 727, and the holiday spirit starts with local libations, foodie delights, and clever crafts and jewelry. Oprah has her favorite things, and here are some of our 727 faves from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.
Related Read: Holiday Mall Hours in Clearwater and St. Petersburg to Get Your Christmas Shopping Done
Handmade & Foodie Gifts in St. Petersburg to Clearwater
FOODIE DELIGHTS
Origin Botanical Nectar offers four complex botanical mixers for cocktails and non-alcoholic gifts. The Baja Mexico is a zesty nectar with citrus, agave, and desert flower notes. The second one The Peru is a spicy caramelized ginger nectar with a kick. The India is a delicate blend of fragrant botanicals made with wildflower honey. And Southeast Asia is a tropical delight blended with passion fruit and lychee.
Handcrafted coffees from Indian Shores Coffee, Black Crow, Gypsy Soul, and Kahwa Coffee make a perfect addition to your holiday basket, complete with scones or muffins you make from scratch or purchase at these two amazing roasters.
Salty Sisters will get you ready for your holiday Netflix binge. Buy one popcorn for you and ten for your posse in wackadoodle flavors such as dill pickle, pizza, watermelon, cotton candy, cheesy ranch, and more, or go big with the specialty mix Burg (white cheddar, caramel) or Girls' Night Out (caramel, chocolate, pretzels, and chips).
Toffee to Go sticks to your soul with ooey-gooey deliciousness in both regular and dark chocolate. The gorgeous boxes are wrapped and also come with individual bites.
For Florida honey, olives, olive oil, and vinegar, nothing beats Kalamazoo Olive Company, especially the fig balsamic vinegar and Provencal herb olive oil.
Discover fruity Florida wines and wine smoothie mixes at Miami Ave. From kiwi-pear Sauvignon Blanc to bing cherry Cabernet Sauvignon. Sparkling wines such as mango or grapefruit Champagne paired with dark chocolate or painterly truffles from William Dean make for a perfect New Year's Eve pairing...and gift. William Dean's handmade artisan chocolates were featured in The Hunger Games.
Tempt the taste buds with baked goodies from Wandering Whisk, Curious Cat Bakery's vegan concoctions, and Beans & Barlour's boozy desserts.
In addition to giving a craft beer growler from the 100+ local breweries in town, you can please the bourbon, gin, and vodka enthusiast with an Old St. Pete bottle from a homegrown St. Petersburg Distillery. Equally tasty are the libations from Kozuba & Sons whose whiskey and vodkas, particularly the cranberry and juniper vodka, meld Polish artisan styles with American tastes.
Perhaps the best way to support Shop Local is a gift certificate to your favorite restaurant. Many local eateries reward you for buying a gift certificate, with additional discounts for future dinings, such as Bonefish's buy $50, get $10 for you.
CLEVER CRAFTS
Fox & Crow: Whimsical artist Evan Neidich creates original art, prints, greeting cards, enamel pins, patches, and hand-sewn coloring books inspired by animals, children's books, nature, science, and imagination. From holiday cards to custom stationery, even murals, her designs will make your giftee smile.
ZaZoo'd feature hand-crafted gifts and jewelry, even cards, not seen anywhere else in The Burg as well as home decor to furniture, supporting local artists on both sides of the bay. Pillows, decanters, mirrors, and nautical whimsy make shopping here an adventure.
The art of writing is alive and well in St. Petersburg, so why not give a tome from your favorite local author, available at Haslam's and other bookstores or on Amazon? Roy Peter Clark on writing anything and everything, Paul Wilborn's Cigar City, and Bill DeYoung's fascinating histories from rock to the Skyway Bridge mesmerize.
Like these holiday gift recommendations? Keep checking out the 727area for more such holiday guides.
Photo courtesy of Fox & Crow artist Evan Neidich
