Christmas gift ideas: Where to find Kentucky gifts for the holidays

There are tons of locally made products from Kentucky that make that perfect gift for someone on your list. To make the holiday shopping season a little easier, we've rounded up some of our favorite gifts that can be bought in Louisville, from bourbon and candles to books, gifts for the sports lover, gifts of experience, and more.

So take a look at some gifts you can buy for your loved ones this holiday. Happy shopping, everyone!

Variety of retailers; fivespringsbourbon.com/

Five Springs Infused Bourbon is a family-owned company founded by Kentucky native and spirits industry veteran Lisa Sawyer Derman. This flavored whiskey is made from Kentucky bourbon that is infused with natural fruits, botanicals, and other natural flavors. The Five Spring portfolio includes three varieties ― Honey Sage, Vanilla Maple, and Blood Orange ― that can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail.

Bottles are available at spirits stores such as Uptown Liquors at 2823 Seventh Street Road, Newburg Liquor Store at 5104 E. Indian Trail, and Happy Liquors at 7813 Beulah Church Road.

COST: $34.99

1121 E. Washington St., somersetcandle.com

Somerset Candle Co. is a woman-owned non-toxic candle company. The candles are hand-poured in Kentucky and made from a blend of virgin coconut and soy wax. Scents include Christmas on the Square, Fireside Nights, and Peppermint Mocha. Somerset Candle Co. candles come in 6-ounce, 10-ounce, and 13.5-ounce sizes. They can be purchased online at somersetcandle.com or the Copper and Kings gift shop at 1121 E. Washington St. in Louisville.

COST: $25-$40

208 Pearl St., New Albany, vetiveraromatics.com

Give the special woman in your life the gift of a sensory journey at Vetiver Aromatics at 208 Pearl St. in New Albany, Indiana. With a gift card to this perfume bar and perfumery, the company's "scent sommeliers" can help her find the perfect scent by tapping into a curated selection of high-quality fragrance notes that can become her custom blend. Gift certificates are available online at vetiveraromatics.com.

COST: Experience options range from $20-$82

110 N 13th St., pinchspicemarket.com/product/gift-bag/

Louisville-based Pinch Spice Market offers a make-your-own gift bag, that allows you to choose spices that match your loved one's tastes. If she leans spicy, you can pick bold flavors such as an organic chili crisp mix and whole bird's eye chilies. If she craves salt, she might enjoy herbal finishing salt and cherry-smoked salts.

Pinch Spice Market's extensive portfolio of spices can add flair to many meals whether the recipient is a barbecue enthusiast, an international cook, a seafood fan or simply looking to elevate Taco Tuesday with a fine birria taco seasoning. The company offers two sizes of burlap gift bags, and the larger of them can hold as many as 16 different spice tins. Make-your-own gift bag gifts can be purchased online at pinchspicemarket.com.

COST: starting at $37.99

1259 Bardstown Road, 2720 Frankfort Ave., megshaffer.com

Do you have a bookworm on your holiday shopping list? Give her the gift of nostalgia. "The Wishing Game," written by Kentucky native and Louisville resident Meg Shaffer, is loosely inspired by Gene Wilder’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”

The story follows Lucy Hart, a young teacher's aide on a mission to adopt a recently orphaned child at her school. When her favorite author from childhood reemerges with a new book and a chance to win the only existing copy, Lucy sets out to win this bizarre competition filled with riddles and games. While Shaffer's story will likely feel cozy and familiar to bookworms, fellow Kentuckians will find a few delightful Bluegrass pearls hidden within the pages. For example, a chicken-fried Kentuckian appears as part of a game called “The Utterly Impossible Scavenger Hunt.”

"The Wishing Game" is a USA Today Bestseller. The paperback version is available at Carmichael's Bookstore at 1259 Bardstown Road and 2720 Frankfort Ave.

COST: $18

638 E. Market St., louabull.com

This East Market Street shop in NuLu has a little bit of everything, including a robust selection of locally made T-shirts, many of which can help your guy show off his neighborhood pride.

There’s the Cherokee Park shirt that’s reminiscent of the "Jurassic Park" logo and the park's Christensen Fountain. For the Germantown resident, try the shirt with a sausage lounging on a bun, Burt Reynolds style. Call the West End home? There’s a “West End Best End” shirt for you. Other neighborhood shirts include Old Louisville, Crescent Hill, The Highlands, Butchertown, Prospect, and St. Matthews.

Shop online at louabull.com or in person seven days a week.

COST: $27 adult shirts

1233 Bardstown Road, 1100 E. Burnett Ave., derbycitychopshop.com

Derby City Chop Shop, founded in 2009, offers an array of services, from haircuts to straight razor shaves and beard trims. The barbershop also carries a selection of hair care and hair styling products, including shampoos, conditioners, pomades, and more.

The locally owned and operated shop expanded from its original Highlands location with a Schnitzelburg sister shop in 2017. While the shop doesn’t take reservations, the daily waitlist opens at 8 a.m. Book reservations online at derbycitychopshop.com. Gift cards are available.

COST: Haircuts and shaves: $25; Beard trim: $14; Hair product pricing varies

The University Press of Kentucky, kentuckypress.com

For your bookworm friend, focus his reading a bit closer to home with these Kentucky tales.

Among its many offerings, The University Press of Kentucky has several newly published books that put Louisville and the Commonwealth in the spotlight.

Try “Kentucky, Y'all: A Celebration of the People and Culture of the Bluegrass State” for the guy who loves history and trivia ($50, hardcover). For the sports lover, check out “The Original Louisville Slugger: The Life and Times of Forgotten Baseball Legend Pete Browning” for the story of the real-life namesake of the iconic baseball bat ($55, hardcover).

Halloween may have passed, but ghost stories live on in “Haint Country: Dark Folktales from the Hills and Hollers” ($50, hardcover). All books may be purchased through the press' website and other online retailers.

COST: Price varies by book

Lynn Family Stadium, 350 Adams St., racingloufc.com, loucity.com

A night out at a professional soccer match is fun, but why not gift a whole season of memories and snag a season ticket membership to the 2025 seasons of Racing Louisville FC and Louisville City FC?

Both the major league women’s team and the second-division men’s soccer club play at Lynn Family Stadium, 350 Adams St., in Butchertown.

Ticket packages start at $12 per game for Racing Louisville FC and $15 per game for Louisville City FC. Additional perks for season ticket holders include discounts on team gear, access to exclusive events, and club partner discounts.

Season ticket memberships are available on both team’s website. For assistance, email [email protected] or call 502-LOU-CITY, or email [email protected] or call 502-568-2489.

COST: varies by season package

steveswoodcrafters.com

Looking for a unique, handmade gift to wow the guy in your life? Steve’s Wood Crafters sells a selection of products that highlight the natural beauty of wood.

With more than four decades of experience, local woodworker Steven Harris sells items both functional and decorative. For the office, check out his letter openers or pens in various woods with metal accents. Is your guy more of a foodie? Try his pepper or coffee grinders (starting at $125), cutting boards, or wooden bowls (starting at $75).

The company sells online and at art shows throughout the year. For the holidays, the shop also has a storefront at the open-air North Village Market, 6301 Moonseed Street, in Prospect.

COST: Varies by product

Commonwealth Candle, 10526 Watterson Trail, commonwealthcandle.com

Who doesn't love a wonderfully scented candle to cozy up a space around the holidays? Commonwealth Candle sells a variety of scents ranging from best sellers including Apple Bourbon, Ginger and Vanilla Bean, and Midnight Amber to seasonal delights including Tis the Season, Winter, and Cranberry Woods. The candles can be bought in 8-ounce or 16-ounce jars, and many scents also are found in stores and online in wax melts, hand and body lotions, and linen sprays.

COST: 8-ounce candle, $18; wax melts, $6; hand and body lotion, $20; linen spray, $16

Carmichael's Bookstore, 1295 Bardstown Road, carmichaelsbookstore.com

A good book can bring joy to anyone. But rather than labor over picking out the perfect book yourself, leave the decision up to the staff at Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville's oldest independent bookstore. Propped up on a shelf in the Bardstown Road store, shoppers can find books wrapped in brown paper with slightly vague descriptions on them, beckoning visitors to go on a "blind date with a book."

COST: Mystery books range from $17-$19

Revelry Boutique + Gallery, 742 E. Market St., revelrygallery.com

Nothing brightens up a space more than a piece of locally-made art. Revelry, a NuLu shop boasting an art gallery and other fun boutique items, sells a variety of art from local artists. One favorite is the collection of work by Bri Bowers, who creates neighborhood prints of Louisville's most loved neighborhoods. Each neighborhood print features iconic landmarks associated with the neighborhood.

COST: $25

Work the Metal, 1201 Story Ave., workthemetal.com

With a pair of socks for everybody, Work the Metal's silly sock wall offers shoppers a fun chance to buy socks across a variety of themes. If you're looking for memes, animals, bourbon, sports, or more, Work the Metal has it on a pair of socks. The tall socks are soft and warm, promising to keep the recipient's feet cozy all winter long. Adding these creative socks to a friend's wardrobe is sure to give them a conversation piece for the future.

COST: Socks range from $12-$15

The Little Loomhouse, 328 Kenwood Hill Road, littleloomhouse.org

This Kentucky Landmark and National Register of Historic Places stop in Louisville just south of the Iroquois neighborhood offers a hands-on gift activity where guests can choose from three types of tours, including a fibers tour, a historical tour, and an evolution of the facility tour. Additionally, The Little Loomhouse, known for its rich history in weaving and textile art, allows visitors to pair tours with a mini-weaving lesson where guests can weave a "mug rug" (also known as a coaster) to take home.

COST: Tour with mini weaving lesson, $17

Multiple locations; sunergoscoffee.com/subscriptions

Give the gift of caffeine in a cup. Louisville is home to many beloved coffee shops worth a visit, but you can also get a taste of the good stuff at home via coffee subscriptions. Along with brands like Quill's Coffee, Sunergos Coffee offers a subscription service, giving you the option to get a bag of locally-loved coffee weekly, twice a month, or monthly, shipped to your door. You can choose the type of coffee blend and frequency at your convenience. "This means you will always get roasted to order coffee!" as the Sunergos website says.

COST: Subscriptions start at $10.50

4207 Shelbyville Road, heimerdingercutlery.com

If the foodie in your life is looking to stay on top of their kitchen chops, a well-sharpened knife would be a handy addition to their toolkit. Heimerdinger Cutlery, which has been in business since 1861, sells scissors as well as kitchen and pocket knives and offers sharpening services, available in the shop and online. Patrons can bring their knives in for sharpening, to be ready for return within a week or two. For more info about the services, call 502-897-9552. Heimerdinger Cutlery is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

COST: Prices vary by item. Sharpening services start at $8.50 per knife

11722 Old Shelbyville Road, keepingitcharcuterie.com

Looking to wow someone with the way cheese, meat, crackers, and other items can weave together, while also giving them the gift of something scrumptious to snack on? Charcuterie boards have upped their game in recent years, and Keeping it Charcuterie is a local player in the business of these artsy creations. Keeping it Charcuterie offers arrangements for seasonal charcuterie boxes and boards, coming in several sizes and customizable options. The small operation offers seasonal boards, which would surely impress on a holiday party table.

COST: Build your own box starts at $50, a themed board starts at $63, and a grazing table starts at $14 per person.

multiple locations, paulsfruit.com/Shop/Category/1/Gift-Baskets

Move aside, flowers. Why not send a basket of locally-grown fruit? Paul's Fruit Market, which has been around for six decades, might be a go-to for groceries, but it's also a great destination for gifts. Some of Paul's baskets include assorted fruit, cheese, crackers, cookies, and the Kentucky classic Modjeskas from Bauer's Candies, based in Lawrenceburg. Other baskets come with beer cheese as well as steak filets, with tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers. Each basket is individually hand-packed and can be shipped across the country.

COST: Gift baskets start at $44.95

can be found at multiple locations, drinkponyboy.com

When it comes to bourbon or something else to sip on, Louisville has no shortage of giftable items. A new one is Ponyboy Slings, a bourbon cocktail-in-a-can company started by a Louisville couple and launched in 2023. The inventive carbonated beverage, with a funky 70s theme and the “Chill it. Pop it. Giddy up." motto, comes in flavors such as Derby Cream Soda, My Cherry Amour, and Bourbon Popstar. The cans are available at local liquor stores, as well as the recently-opened NuLu shop, Goldie's, where patrons can buy a single can or a four-pack.

COST: A four-pack is priced at $12.99 and up

louisvillefoodtours.com

Recently named a top activity worldwide by TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards for 2024, Louisville Food Tours is a delicious way to spend an afternoon or evening learning more about Louisville’s food landscape.

Locally owned by Lia and Jeremy Garcia, who’ve blended their decade-long experience in travel and education into every tour, these guided walking food tours are more than just a bite. Each one is a delicious journey through Kentucky’s rich history, served in Louisville’s most beautiful and historic neighborhoods, such as NuLu, Whiskey Row, and more. Each guided tour stops in multiple locations where guests will taste and sip items specific to the history of the neighborhood.

COST: Staring at $119

louisvillemegacavern.com

Enjoy an afternoon of high-flying adventure located 100 feet below ground at the Louisville Mega Cavern's Neon Rush Zipline Experience. The world’s only fully underground zip line course located inside the Mega Cavern, 1841 Taylor Ave., is a series of six ziplines and two challenge bridges combined with a thrilling glow-in-the-dark twist that transforms the caverns into a vibrant spectacle of color, light, and music.

Riders must be at least 7 years old to take part in the two and half hour adventure and online reservations are recommended. Gift cards are available for the Neon Rush Zipline Experience and the equally thrilling Mega Quest underground aerial ropes challenge course ($39.99).

COST: Neon Rush Zipline, $114.99

homecuisineonline.com

Let someone else do the cooking. Now that's a true gift! Home Cuisine offers locally sourced, carefully prepared meals from Sandy Pike, the founder of Jack Fry's, and her daughter, Mae Pike. The weekly plans can be ordered in three-, five-, or seven-day options and come fully prepared, ready-to-heat, and enjoy. Choose from Classic, Paleo, Keto, and Vegetarian meal plans.

A fun new addition to HomeCuisine offerings is the Dinner Party in a Box. This four-course dinner party starting at $550 is delivered to your front door. Orders must be placed 72 hours in advance and each box serves eight to 10 people. Just heat, serve, and take a bow.

COST: HomeCuisine individual meal plans start at $57. Family meal plans start at $170. Gift certificates are available.

8670 IN-56, French Lick, Indiana, frenchlick.com

Guests first started visiting French Lick Springs Hotel, 8670 West State Road 56 in French Lick, Indiana, in the 1800s to reap the benefits of relaxation from the mineral spring waters that made this hotel famous. The Pulto Water mineral bath is still a draw 200 years later. Visitors can make the hour-long journey from Louisville to French Lick, Indiana for a resort getaway that includes golf, swimming, hiking, dining, and the 27,000 square-foot Spa at French Lick Resort.

A second spa is located in the adjacent West Baden Springs Resort and offers a full menu of pampering services for men and women.

COST: Starting at $85. Gift certificates are available online, by mail, or by calling 855-819-0408.

backroads.com

Couples, friends, and solo travelers will get a taste of bourbon country on a Backroads bicycle adventure tour. A leader in active travel, Backroads has been guiding travelers worldwide since 1975 and is now in Kentucky. The Bourbon Country Bike Tour is a five-day, four-night guided tour that begins in Louisville and ends in Lexington. Along the way, riders pedal through stunning farmland and Thoroughbred farms, make stops along the way and learn about the fine art of distilling and sample for the craft and big-label bourbons, and explore the roots of the Bluegrass State, from a historic Shaker community to traditional bluegrass music.

Overnight accommodations are provided in some of Kentucky's most unique places including Shaker Village, Kentucky Castle, and 21c Museum Hotel in Lexington.

COST: starting at $3,669

704 Central Ave.; derbymuseum.org

The Kentucky Derby Museum is one of the region’s premier attractions, celebrating the tradition, history, hospitality, and pride of the world-renowned Kentucky Derby. The museum store has numerous items that can be used as stocking stuffers. We like the Kentucky-shaped red and white magnet with the Louisville script design printed directly on wood. The museum also sells a Kentucky-shaped Louisville script red and white ornament, which features a fun design and adds a unique Louisville touch to any Christmas tree. Both are available online at derbymuseumstore.com.

COST: $8, magnet; $10, ornament

JD Becker's UK & UofL Superstore, 7521 Outer Loop; 2132 S. Hurstbourne Parkway; jdbeckerstores.com

JD Becker specializes in University of Louisville and University of Kentucky apparel, gifts, and accessories. For the Louisville sports fan, JD Becker has a large selection of Louisville gear for Christmas just in time for the big game in December. The men's black cotton crew features team accent colors and a screen-printed Louisville logo and the women's oatmeal crew neck sweatshirt is loose fitting made of 55% cotton and 45% polyester. It also has golf accessories, hats, jewelry, novelties, accessories for each school, and items for infants and toddlers.

COST: Men's Black Crew starts at $49.99; Women's Oatmeal Crew starts at $69.99. Free shipping on orders $75 and more.

731 Brent St., stonewareandco.com

The Stoneware & Company produces a variety of homeware, garden equipment, and more that are uniquely Louisville. Make an impression or start a conversation with a personalized Stoneware black or blue Fleur De Lis mug, a long-lasting gift that will be used every day.

The mug design is crafted on a jigger with the handle molded separately and applied by hand for a seamless appearance and lasting durability. So, although you may need to blow on your beverage to cool it down, the handle is always easy on the fingers.

The Black or Blue Fleur De Lis is painted on the front of the 14-ounce mug (the side that faces you if you are right-handed), with your custom personalization on the back. Trimmed in black or blue glaze along the top and bottom of the mug, a hand-painted stripe of black/blue adorns the handle for a special handcrafted touch. One line of personalization, in black/blue glaze, is available.

COST: $30, or $35 if personalized

301 S. Fourth St.; gotolouisville.com/travel-tools/visitor-information/

The Louisville Visitor Center has all things Louisville. Need help explaining to out-of-towners how to pronounce Louisville? The Louisville Visitor Center has the perfect t-shirt with different spellings, including Looavul, Luhvul, Loueville, Looaville, Looeyville, and, of course, Louisville.

The t-shirts are unisex and come in sizes small to 3X and children's sizes. It can be purchased at the Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

COST: Adult shirts start at $25 up to 2X and $28 for 3X, $15 for children.

Work the Metal, 1201 Story Ave., workthemetal.com

For the wine lover, consider getting something they can use to enjoy their favorite beverage.

Work the Metal, a massive boutique in Louisville's Butchertown neighborhood sells a variety of Louisville-themed gifts, including the Rolf Glass Fleur De Lis wine glass. The 18-ounce all-purpose wine glass is the perfect gift for any wine (and Louisville!) lover's collection.

COST: $17.50 each