Something for every beer lover on your list

How to tell your Aunt Sarah you don't need another knitted sweater this holiday season? Clip out this all-purpose gift list and slip it into her handbag — maybe she'll get the hint.

For the DIY-er: "The Complete Homebrew Beer Book" by George Hummel (Robert Rose, $16.47). With 200 easy recipes, anyone can brew lager, mead, fruit beer — you name it. Order it with a homebrewing kit directly from the author ($150 at homesweethomebrew.com).

For the bookworm: "Oxford Companion to Beer" (Oxford University Press, $60). Edited by Brooklyn Brewery's Garrett Oliver with more than 165 experts in a variety of beer-related fields. At nearly 1,000 pages, this tome requires its own shelf in your bathroom.

For the pious: "Diary of a Part-Time Monk" by J. Wilson (Old Line Publishing, $14.95). Wilson was the blogger who famously tested the legend that fasting monks once lived on double bock alone by embarking on his own 46-day beer-and-water regime during Lent earlier this year. Consider this a beer drinker's diet book for 2012.

For Hanukkah: "Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah" (Malt Shop Publishing, $16.99) by Jeremy Cowan, who tells the story of his Shmaltz Brewwing Co., maker of He'Brew, the Chosen Beer.

For the wallflower: The Lagunitas Brewing Butterfly Bottle Opener. Guaranteed to turn the recipient into the life of the party. Either that, or he'll poke out his eye with the damn thing. $15 at store.lagunitas.com.

For the athlete: Customized beer pong table. The ultimate home field advantage is a table with one's own logo and graphics. Available with optional iPod speakers. Starting at $70 at partypongtables.com.

For the spectator: The BeerBelly. Worn under a shirt and filled with a sixpack's worth of suds, it looks like a full-blown gut. It's ideal for smuggling brew into a stadium ($50). And for her, there's the Wine Rack ($30), which really needs no description. At thebeerbelly.com.

For the not-easily impressed: A beer geek's jaw-dropping sixpack. Painstaking assembly required:

• Schneider Nelson Sauvin (Germany) — A rich, fruity weizenbock with trendy Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand. 750ml $20.

• Ithaca Alphalpha Double IPA (New York) — A stunning double IPA with a honey-like sweetness. 750ml $11.

• De Dolle Oerbier Reserva 2010 (Belgium) — A Flemish brown ale with that classic oak-and-sour cherry flavor. 375ml $10

• Mikkeller Red/White Christmas (Denmark) — A blend of British red ale and Belgian witbier, with plenty of American hops and bitter orange peel. 1.5 liter $31.

• The Alchemist Heady Topper (Vermont) — The only beer made by this brewery (sadly closed after flooding this fall) is a hops-lover's delight. A few cans are still available in some stores. Prices vary.

• Cigar City Hunahpu's Imperial Stout (Florida) — A rich imperial stout flavored with Peruvian cacao, chili pepper, cinnamon and vanilla. 750ml bottle $100 and up on eBay.

For the crafty: Anything from Etsy.com. Just search for "beer" at this website devoted to artists and crafters, and you'll find an incredible array of gifts made with the beer drinker in mind, including organic beer soap, bar towels, notebooks, glassware, jewelry and clothing. Highly recommended: Rob Sand's custom-printed plywood sixpack carriers at $39.50.

For the terminally lazy: Beer of the Month membership. Get a stash delivered to your door every month. Clubs of America ($36.95, greatclubs.com) specializes in American micros. The Rare Beer Club ($31.95, beermonthclub.com) offers bold, top-of-the line imports and micros.

For everyone: "What the Hell am I Drinking? by Joe Sixpack ($11.95, joesixpack.net). OK, it's a shameless plug, but if you made it this far, you'll enjoy the essays on 50 beer styles. Suitable for barroom or bathroom reading.

Joe Sixpack appears Wednesdays in the Appeal-Democrat. For more beer news, visit joesixpack.net. Email: joe@joesixpack.net.