Along with celebrating by popping a special bottle, here are five gift ideas sure to satisfy a cider-obsessed (or even cider-curious) mom. From drinkware with style to apple-themed toys, these gifts will make Mother’s Day memorable.
Elevate mom’s drinking experience with gorgeous glassware
When it comes to gifting glassware, for the love of mom, please skip the branded pints! What they achieve in stackability these ubiquitous glasses lose in looks and aroma-enhancement. Instead, seek out drinkware that speaks to the giftee’s personality — from a rustic, handmade ceramic apple blossom tumbler ($48) to a stemless wine glass ($30) sporting a delicate glass apple at its base. Or, look for glassware that optimizes the concentration and release of scents and allows for swirling — think crystal wine ($68) or tulip ($30) glasses.
Charm mom with inspiring apple art and decor
Select a piece of artwork with mom’s cider passion in mind. Consider an original 1960s Marc Chagall Paradise lithograph ($380) or a petite watercolor of an apple tree branch ($20) from Maryland-based artist and designer Mick. Alternatively, source a print like this pair of foxes pressing cider ($25) from illustrator and tattoo artist Hilary Ann Love Glass in Vermont, or Budapest-based Sandra Poliakov’s framed tablescape featuring yellow apples ($48). Artful decor can similarly enhance a cider lover’s surroundings — find a vintage ($250) or modern ($142) apple-themed statement rug, or shower curtains ($58) and peel-and-stick wallpaper ($49) in fruit-filled patterns from artists Casey Moyer and Alenka Karabanova, respectively.
Evoke the orchard with a fragrance for mom
While it’s not best practice to wear perfume while you perform cider quality control since it can interfere with your sense of smell, cider aficionados have a keen appreciation for sensory pleasures, which makes a high-quality fragrance an ideal gift for use outside of tasting panels. Evoke orchard aromas with selections like Nina by Nina Ricci ($63) that offers fresh, fruity and floral notes of bright citrus and green apple atop a base of apple blossoms and musky cedar and comes packaged in a charming apple-shaped vessel; or Sjöfn Perfume Oil from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab ($20), a long-lasting option with the characteristics of apples, apple blossoms and birch wood.
Help share mom’s passion with the kids
While sharing a glass of hard cider is a bonding activity reserved for moms with adult children, a love of apple varieties, harvesting and craft work can be shared by all ages. Let mom get playful with sweet apple ($19) and apple blossom ($17) Waldorf-style fairy dolls from Rainbows Every Day, a Montessori-inspired rainbow wooden apple sorting set ($24) from Maine-based educational toy purveyor Allison Warmon, or an apple study bundle ($12) — a digital download of 65 pages and over 25 activities related to apple varieties, apple anatomy and more from Kansas designer and author Stephanie Hathaway.
Equip mom with cider knowledge, tools and trees
A subscription to Cidercraft ($5) and a copy of Tasting Cider: The Cidercraft Guide to the Distinctive Flavors of North American Hard Cider ($12) by cider expert Erin James makes the ideal gift for a cider-loving lifelong learner. If your recipient is working on going pro, consider also the American Cider Association’s certified cider professional bundle ($99) or a Maximizer apple grinder ($319) and SQUEEZE fruit press ($290). And if your recipient is already a professional cidermaker or orchardist, get a gift certificate to a local nursery or a mail-order bare-root supplier like Raintree Nursery or Cummins Nursery to help expand mom’s legacy for generations to come!
