11/25/2011
Stuff to Buy Channel / Bullz-Eye Home
We've put together some suggestions that most guys will appreciate to help you shop for your dad, brother or any other guy on your shopping list. Don't be shy about putting some of these on your own list, while you're at it.
MUSIC
It's been quite a year for Pearl Jam and PJ fans. With the band celebrating its 20th anniversary, the festivities kicked off with the release of the Vs. & Vitalogy 3 CD Deluxe Edition in March. Lead singer Eddie Vedder then released his solo project, Ukelele Songs, in May and went on a quick US summer tour in support of the album while the band spent a large chunk of the year playing various dates and festivals stateside and abroad. But the highlights were the release of a book and a film, both titled "Pearl Jam 20." The book, a 360-page hardcover goldmine from Simon & Schuster, is positively stuffed with enough photos, stories, insights and other goodies from the past 20 years to make any PJ fan giddy. The pictures offer an intimate look at the band and its 20-year journey while the individual chapters covering the release of each of the band's albums and other significant moments are simply fantastic. And don't flip past the Q&A with each member prior to the first chapter. Cameron Crowe's fascinating portrait of the band, meanwhile, features footage from more than 1,200 hours of never-before-seen material plus a bunch of new concert coverage and interview footage. Each of the members opens up in ways we haven't seen in the past, and the Academy Award-winning Cameron tells a story that many of us have known but have never been told in such a mesmerizing fashion. Simply put, if you have a Pearl Jam fan on your list, pick up this book and movie to ensure they celebrate their favorite band's 20th anniversary in style.
BEER
Most guys love beer (unless they're wimps), so anything with beer has to make a great gift for guys. The gang at Beer Bouquet decided to leverage this truth with some of the manliest gift baskets you will ever lay your eyes on. Here's how it works. You pick a bucket featuring the logo of over 150 major league sports teams and then select one of 20 major brand beers to fill it up. That's it. We tried a batch from Boulevard Brewing Company and loved it. Your Beer Bouquet will be shipped to you, and you can rest assure that your father, uncle, brother etc. will be happily chugging away.
STYLE
Cuff links are a great gift for men who have a sense of style and for guys who could use a little help in that department. You can dress up any suit or sport coat outfit with classic accessories like cuff links, and these arrowhead cuff links available at Archibald J. McNeil are unique and stylish. It's hard to imagine anyone not liking this design so they're perfect for a holiday gift. These classically-styled cuff links are handcrafted in the United States by an experienced and skilled metal smith and are made of authentic Argentium® silver, known for its high tarnish resistant properties.
Watches are very popular for gift ideas, and your choice should obviously fit the personality of the recipient. The best gift is something they wouldn't buy for themselves but that ends up being a favorite item. This collection from Movado interprets the classic sport watch and highlights a distinctive blue color in the design. The watch features a round case design with sporty extended lugs and a solid stainless steel bracelet. The design should have a wide appeal so it's hard to go wrong with this one and it's reasonably priced at $250.
BOOZE
Walk into any liquor store and you'll see hundreds of options. You can zero in on someone's favorite drink when picking a gift, or you can get creative and choose something they wouldn't buy for themselves. Also, remember that you don't want to come to a party empty handed, so get in the habit of at least bring some booze.
Canadian booze is definitely back in style with all the buzz from "Mad Men" and "Boardwalk Empire." In his overview of Canadian Whisky, our Drink of the Week editor Bob Westal explained how "pop culture seems to be slowly becoming more aware of American rye whiskey's almost-as-retro northern cousin." Regarding Canadian Club, Bob says, "Since it's primarily blended and is generally not a very complex kind of a whiskey, it's likely that Canadian will never have the cachet of bourbon, rye, or Scotch, but its hipness quotient may be improving slightly. Canadian Club has shrewdly played on its history with a series of attention-grabbing print ads with the slogan ‘Damn right, your dad drank it.' The ads alluded to the allegedly racy lifestyles of fathers of yore and used actual family photographs from Canadian Club employees." With its newfound cachet, Canadian Club makes a great gift for guys of all ages and its reasonable priced as well.
Tequila always makes a great gift as it's the perfect party-starter. Most guys like tequila (unless they had a brutal experience in their youth), and they like it even more when women start drinking it. Don Julio has introduced a new addition to its portfolio of ultra-premium tequilas in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the year Don Julio González began perfecting the art of tequila making – the world's first Añejo Claro tequila, Tequila Don Julio 70. We tried it and it's great stuff. Check out our blog post for all the details, but the bottom line is that it's a unique tequila that combines traditional Añejo flavors that result from 18 months of barrel aging with the fresh agave flavor and silver color expected from an un-aged Blanco tequila.
Rum offers another great party-starter. Women love it and it's perfect for all sorts of cocktails. It's great for a tropical location and even better for a cold, winter party where everyone is dreaming about the tropics. Malibu has long produced a great Caribbean rum with natural coconut flavor, and now they have introduced a darker and stronger option with Malibu Black. The new flavor has that familiar coconut flavor similar to the original but with higher proof and less sweetness. We tried it and we loved the flavor. Original Malibu flavor carries with it a 21% alcohol by volume (42 proof), while the new Malibu Black boasts a 35% alcohol by volume (70 proof). It makes a great addition to any bar or party so put it on your gift list.
SHIRTS
The gear from Ranger Up is great for guys who like badass gear. It's perfect for fitness buffs as the t-shirts are form-fitting and help show off all the hard work in the gym. Ranger Up is a military and patriotic apparel company run by veterans with attitude and swagger. The quality is excellent as the pre-washed and shrunk t-shirts are soft and form-fitting. The shirts also tagless for better comfort. The screen printing quality is also excellent and there are tons of cool shirts to choose from. Check out the in-your-face attitude is reflected all of the phrases and designs and you'll get a feel for the aggressive styling and you'll know right away who on your gift list will like them.
Many guys love golf, so golf gear is usually a great option. If you're shopping for a golf fan who also has a sense of style, check out the golf shirts and other gear from Sub70. Fashion trends for men have evolved in recent years as a slimmer, more athletic fit has become the standard in everything from suits to t-shirts. This more stylish look has also had an impact on the usually stodgy golf world, as younger golfers have made their mark on the tour. Sub70 embraces these new style trends as the "classic golf shirt goes modern." They have a wide variety of European-fit polos in a full range of styles and colors. We checked out the Zane/White golf shirt pictured here and loved the styling. Some of the shirts are trendier than others but the modern styles definitely stand out as something new and fresh. The all-polyester shirts are very comfortable, but they are definitely tighter and the sizes run smaller than expected. They are ideal for a leaner and more athletic build, so it's not for guys who consistently choose beer and the buffet line over the gym!
BOOTS & SNEAKERS
The new boots from the Rockport x Barbour limited edition collaboration offer a stylish gift option. The photo here features the Break Trail Cap Toe design, which offers a rugged and classic look that will be popular with most men. The quality of these boots is excellent so you can't go wrong with these boots as a gift. These Rockport x Barbour designs can be found at Bloomingdale's, Paragon Sports (NY), The Tannery (Boston), Zappos.com and many other specialty retailers around the US.
These practical boots from Lugz offer an urban look with the all-black design. The boots are extremely comfortable so they're great for walking, thus making them great for many work environments, yet the boots are stylish enough to be worn out to casual settings. The boots feature a cushioned insole and padded leather tongue along with leather uppers and slip-resistant rubber soles for superior grip. They're great for everyday use and you can wear them out as well with jeans. At $69.99 the boots are also a great value.
The NBA may be a mess with the lockout, but weekend warriors are always looking for the latest gear as they head into battle on the court. The new adiZero Rose 2 basketball shoes from Adidas and Derrick Rose offer a badass design as Rose asked that the 3-Stripes be placed toward the heel so defenders would see the iconic Adidas branding as he blasts past them and slam-dunks. The rest of us will settle for some easy layups but you get the picture. The shoes feature a super-lightweight, breathable build and welded sprint frame support. It's great for serious athletes and the casual ballplayer alike, and either way anyone who wears them will at least look good.
SPORTS
When we first heard about G-Form's new line of sports protective gear, we were immediately interested in trying out their shin pads as a substitute for soccer shin guards, although they can be used for just about any impact sport. What makes G-Form's products so unique is the material that they're made from. By utilizing Reactive Protection Technology featuring the incredible PORON XRD material, the padding absorbs over 90% of the energy from high-speed impact. This lightweight and flexible material (which is attached to a spandex sleeve for a tight fit) conforms to your body and instantly firms up to form a protective shell upon contact. Better yet, it actually works as advertised. The pads are also really comfortable and less intrusive than your average shin guard, and the fact that you can throw them into the washer machine is a big plus. They may seem a bit pricey at $50, but once you see them in action, you'll know that it was money well spent for the damage prevention that they offer.
- 24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic
You know two hockey teams don't like each other when even the NHL's website offers an article which says, “The word ‘hatred' is tossed around a lot in this rivalry, it's not a word that's normally used publicly in sports, but it is here because these teams do in fact hate one another, and they're happy to say so.” Yep, sounds pretty serious to us. This “24/7” presentation delves into the events of New Year's Day 2011, when the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals met on Pittsburgh's Heinz Field for the 4th annual NHL Winter Classic. Within the 240 minutes of this DVD, you'll get all the pre-game, mid-game, post-game, and behind-the-scenes goings-on that any sports fan could hope to have captured, along with some additional goodies, including a glance or two at a December 2010 preview game between the teams. The phrase “are you ready for some hockey?” has never had quite the right ring for the sport to take off like football, but if you like sports at all, this in-depth and high-intensity presentation of one of the most classic rivalries ever seen on the ice just might be enough to make a fan out of you.