The Illinois Office of Tourism Reveals 2018 Illinois Made Holiday Gift Guide

CHICAGO - With the holiday shopping season approaching, the Illinois Office of Tourism released its annual Illinois Made holiday gift guide featuring products from small businesses throughout the state.. The list features something for everyone--from the foodie and active adventurer to the wine connoisseur and craft enthusiast--all from local artisans who help make Illinois an amazing destination for visitors and locals.

“The Illinois Made gift guide is full of one-of-kind, artisanal products unique to our state,” said Cory Jobe, director of the Illinois Office of Tourism. “These handcrafted goods are especially fun to send to friends and family out-of-state to give them a taste of everything Illinois has to offer.”

Illinois Made Holiday Gift Guide

For the foodie:

Ethereal Confections - Woodstock

As one of the only small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate shops in the nation, Ethereal Confections takes the term “chocoholic” to a whole new level. A chocolate bar from this confectionery is the perfect treat for the sweet tooth on your list!

Crown Brew Coffee Co - Carterville

Offering a selection of global, fair trade coffee, Crown Brew  is dedicated to helping customers brew better coffee with incredible blends and the latest  brewing equipment. Gift the caffeine-addict in your life with a Cold Brew Pitcher, AeroPress or even sign them up for one of Crown Brew’s subscription coffee services for a holiday treat to remember!

Marcoot Jersey Creamery - Greenville

Known for producing a rich, hormone-free, high-quality milk in their award-winning products, Marcoot Jersey Creamery specializes in handcrafting artisan and farmstead cheeses that no cheese lover will be able to resist.

Galena Canning Company - Galena

Galena Canning Company offers holiday shoppers award-winning Chef Ivo's old-fashioned jams, jellies, salsa, BBQ sauces, Hot Sauce Emporium, bakery and more.

For the active adventurer:

Heritage Bicycles - Chicago

Heritage Bicycles creates fully-customized, hand-welded bikes that are as cool as they are eco-friendly.

Dinger Bats - Ridgway

Dinger Bats specializes in producing baseball bats with superior craftsmanship for baseball players of all levels. In fact,  Dinger Bats have been used by players on Major League Baseball teams including the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets and, perhaps most notably, the Chicago Cubs.

For the vino connoisseur:

Galena Cellars - Galena

Give the gift that keeps on giving with a membership to Galena Cellars Wine Club. Members receive quarterly wine shipments, priority access to seasonal wine releases and even discounts on all wine purchases and vineyard lodging.

Danenberger Family Vineyard - Springfield

Offering a wide variety of handmade wine, from dry red to dessert, a bottle or two from Danenberger Family Vineyard is the ideal gift for wine lovers.

For the craft enthusiast:

Sangamon Reclaimed - Springfield

Looking for a gift that gives back to the community? The stunning wood pieces from  Sangamon Reclaimed are built using wood from 100+ year-old American barns and buildings that have been dismantled by local firefighters and veterans-turned-craftsmen.

Rockford Art Deli - Rockford

Rockford Art Deli is a unique T-shirt shop that features creative designs and prints from talented artists in the community. Their shirts are the perfect statement piece for that friend with a unique sense of style.

Mississippi Mud Pottery - Alton

With a wide array of decorative and functional pottery options, each piece of Mississippi Mud Pottery is handcrafted from natural clay.

Whiskey City Design - Peoria

Whiskey City Design’s specialty is salvaging and preserving distinct accent pieces and turning them into handcrafted masterpieces. From custom-made tables to ornate door knobs, what makes these products so unique is that they all come from materials found from structures throughout Illinois.

For the “spirited”:

KOVAL - Chicago

Described as organic grain-to-bottle whiskey, each bottle of KOVAL whiskey contains the charred oak flavor that can only come from aging whiskey in a single 30-gallon barrel.

FEW Spirits - Evanston

FEW Spirits’ award-winning gin and whiskey is made with the highest quality corn, wheat and rye to produce the best grain alcohol possible. Give the whiskey-lover in your life a bottle of FEW Spirits to show you know a thing or two about top-notch  whiskey.

Revolution Brewing - Chicago

Now the largest independent brewery in Illinois, Revolution Brewing blends quality with an unrelenting desire for freshness in each of their hoppy IPAs, porters, pilsners, Belgian-style brews, pale ales and barrel-aged beers. Bring your holiday party host a six-pack of Revolution Brewing’s seasonal “Fistmas Holiday Red Ale” steeped with ginger root and orange peel and they’ll be hooked!

Each of these unique gift options are handcrafted locally by makers and artisans that are members of the Illinois Made program launched by the Illinois Office of Tourism in 2016. The Illinois Made program promotes authentic travel experiences throughout the state and encourages visitors to discover hidden gems off-the-beaten path.

To download images and b-roll of each Illinois Made maker featured in the Illinois Office of Tourism’s 2018 Holiday Gift Guide click here.

To learn more about the Illinois Made program and discover travel ideas in Illinois for the holiday season visit EnjoyIllinois.com

About the Illinois Office of Tourism

The Illinois Office of Tourism is the government agency responsible for marketing Illinois to domestic and international visitors. We’re Illinois – Are YOU up for amazing? For more information, visit our website at https://www.enjoyillinois.com/.