What's Hot in Southwest Florida (November/December 2021)
HOT COCKTAILS All you need is a Keurig-style coffee brewer, and you can have hot cocktails at home, in an instant. Cask & Kettle has broken new ground with these flavorful pods full of spices and alcohol, creating cocktails such as Spiked Dry Cider and Hot Blonde, Irish, and Mexican coffees. $14.99; caskandkettleusa.com
WINE PRESERVER A new way to preserve your open bottles of wine until you’re ready for more, Repour’s technology can keep a 750 ml bottle wine fresh for up to two months. A special packet inside the easy-to-use stopper reacts with oxygen to eliminate it, keeping the wine inside from oxidizing. $9.99 a four pack; repour.com
NECK HUGGER Whether your stiff neck is from traveling or spending too much time in front of the computer, Huggaroo helps ease discomfort and relieve tension. The plush, heated neck wrap is cordless and weighted so it stays in place as you move about. It comes unscented or in soothing lavender. $29.99; huggaroo.com
PROTECT YOUR VALUABLES Tuck your timepiece into the Mara Watch and Jewelry Roll from Smythson to keep it safe while traveling. This fashionable accessory comes in a glossy crocodile-style embossed leather with soft suede lining. Remove the padded roll to fit a variety of watch styles and even some bracelets. $565; smythson.com
SIPS, DRIPS, AND CHIPS This bundle of goodness from Grace Farms includes naturally sweetened herbal teas (Sips), organic whole bean coffee (Drips), and chocolate chip cookies (Chips) by award-winning Chef Silvia Baldini. Proceeds benefit environmental, social, and gender parity causes, including female farmers and entrepreneurs in Ethiopia, Colombia, and Indonesia. From $7; gracefarmsfoods.com
MATZO These flavorful, crunchy matzo flats, chips, and bites from the Matzo Project come in flavors including Everything, Harissa, Salted, and Cinnamon Sugared. The kitschy packaging includes stereotypical Jewish grandmother phrases such as, “Would it kill you to try something new?” and “Eat something, you look skinny.” From $15.99; The Fresh Market
SERIOUS SCOTCH For the Scotch lover on your holiday list, try Aberfeldy 18-year Limited Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky. It is aged in Côte-Rôtie French wine casks, which lend flavors of raspberry, lingonberry, and red currents. There are some rare honey notes along with vanilla and butterscotch on the finish. $119.95
MAPPED FLASK Well Told makes the ideal flask for the travel enthusiast or as a gift to commemorate a sentimental place. More than 1,000 iconic locations around the world, including all 50 states and the District of Columbia, are engraved on these six-ounce stainless-steel pocket flasks. $29.95; welltolddesign.com
COCKTAIL GUIDE Tantalize your holiday guests with recipes found in the new book, The Marlin Bar: Cocktails with Tommy Bahama. It contains more than 90 recipes of favorite Tommy Bahama drinks and appetizers, along with a list of tools, tips, and techniques. An entire chapter is dedicated to rum. $40; tommybahama.com
HOLIDAY TABLESCAPE Setting a perfect table begins with the right table linens. Loom & Table has tablecloths, napkins, and runners in a myriad of fabrics, colors, and sizes. Even better is the custom-sizing tool that allows customers to plug in their table dimensions for the perfect fit. From $25; loomandtable.com
HANGOVER HELP Magic Bullet is a healthful way to ensure you’re feeling great, the morning after your holiday party. With seven superfoods and six amino acids, it does double duty as a tasty mixer or a stand-alone sipper to help support liver function and prevent morning-after misery. $3.99; Winn-Dixie stores or drinkmagicbullet.com
TRAVEL CALENDAR Start 2022 with an engagement calendar to tickle your wanderlust. From Workman Publishing, the 1,000 Places to See Before You Die calendar is based on one of the top-selling travel books of all time. Plan your week while planning your next travel adventure. Also available as a wall calendar. $16.99; workman.com
ECO-FRIENDLY KNIVES Bio Series is a new line of eco-friendly ceramic knives from Kyocera, a Japanese company known for its quality blades. The ergonomically shaped black handles are made from material sourced from sugarcane. They are easy to grip and complement the ultra-sharp white zirconia blades. $24.95 - $54.95; some Publix and Whole Foods markets; cutlery.kyocera.com