Gift Ideas for the Coffee & Tea Lover (That's Not a Starbucks Gift Card)

We all have a friend or family member that just loves coffee or tea (or both!) and ends up receiving what feels like a million Starbucks gift cards during the holidays. This Holiday season, get creative with your gift-giving and shop from North End Halifax's unique local businesses. Trust me when I say, your coffee and tea loving friends will be ecstatic to receive something new.

We have created a collection of goodies that would be perfect to gift this holiday season - and the best part: everything can be found at local businesses in the North End of Halifax (and it's not a Starbucks gift card!)

Gift them their new favourite mug

Tea and coffee is no good if you don't have anything to drink it out of! Gift your hot-drink loving friend something fun and functional, like this adorable mug from Agricola Street Books. This "No Prob-llama" mug can hold 15oz of their favourite drink, and it is dishwasher and microwave safe!

This mug goes for $22 and can be purchased in-store at 2684 Agricola Street or online here.

For the tea lover who likes to sip at home

Check out the Flower Sack from Eastern Tea Bar! They took the liberty of pressing White Tea into dragon balls, which are a shape of pressed tea that create a convenient brew. Each ball is approximately 7.8 grams and contains Shengtai material that has been grown in an ecological garden! After brewing these dragon balls, you end up with a floral brew with a delicious sweetness and balance.

These Flower Sacks that are full of dragon balls can be purchased in-store at Eastern Tea Bar at 2093 Gottingen Street, or online here. They go for $10 for a sack of 6, or $48 for a sack of 30.

Coffee, but for adults

Here is something you definitely can't find at a Starbucks - BEER! This brown porter is bold and robust with strong notes of cold brewed coffee on the nose, plus has massive coffee flavour with notes of dark chocolate and vanilla bean. Your coffee loving friends are sure to enjoy this beverage!

The "Woke Up Quick" porter can be found at Tusket Falls Beer Project at 2220 Gottingen Street or online here for $4.22 each.

Gift them the tools to make hot drinks at home

Every coffee and tea lover appreciates a good tool for making their favourite drink.

For the tea lover, check out this stainless steel hook tea strainer from The Independent Mercantile. The finely perforated stainless steel conveniently hooks onto the rim of tall cups and teapots, and is easy to use... simply slide open and fill with loose tea! This tool can be purchased for $14.99 in-store at The Independent Mercantile at 2091 Gottingen Street, or online here.

For the coffee lover, take a look at this coffee scoop & bag clip, also from The Independent Mercantile! This clever, minimal wooden clip for coffee bags has a built-in scoop at the end. Plus, it is locally made with assorted woods from New Brunswick! This coffee scoop can be purchased for $28 in-store at 2091 Gottingen Street, or online here.

This scoop was made for coffee, but would work great as a tea scoop as well!

Make gifting simple with a gift card

So maybe gift shopping isn't your forte, and you rather stick with purchasing gift cards. This time around, don't go for the Starbucks gift card, purchase local instead!

Check out Side Kick Cafe; they offer a fun, inviting and bright indoor space featuring delicious food & drink and local artworks! Gift cards can be purchased at the café at 2851 Agricola Street.

CONTEST: Make a purchase in-store at any participating North End shop and gain access to the Holiday Shopping contest and be entered to WIN a $100 gift certificate to the North End Businesses of your choice!