Even though the holidays come at exactly the same time each and every year, the challenge of finding the perfect gift for all the special people in our lives never seems to get easier. From colleagues to classmates, and from family to friends, the list is endless.

But if we can bet there’s one thing that everyone appreciates getting, it’s this: great food. Especially from Nashville.

So, whether the ones you love live right here in town or they’re somewhere over the hills and through the woods, everyone on your list will be thrilled to unwrap the flavors of Music City this holiday season.

Check out our Nashville Foodie Gift Guide, featuring 10 of our absolute favorite local goods that would make for great gifts.

1. East Nashville Spice Company’s Original Spice Blend

East Nashville Spice Company has two popular spice blends — an original and a hot —but my husband Jack and I are partial to the former variety; we go through it like crazy! An all-purpose blend of 15 herbs and spices that are hand-mixed right here in Music City, this stuff goes well with everything from chicken and veggies to soups and stews. Shake it on your salad, sprinkle a bit into your scrambled eggs, or jazz up your marinades with this tasty blend. Find it at Abode Mercantile in East Nashville, at Batch in the Nashville Farmers Market, or just order it online from ENSC’s website.

*Photo Courtesy: East Nashville Spice Company*

2. Olive & Sinclair Peppermint Bark & Duck Fat Caramels

East Nashville’s favorite chocolatier, Olive & Sinclair is known far and wide for both their premium chocolate bars and their special holiday treats. Not only is their peppermint bark made with both their house made white chocolate (which takes six days to make!) and their 67% dark chocolate, but they also sprinkle hand-crushed peppermint pieces on top, making for a truly special treat. It’s the best bark I’ve ever had! Equally delicious are O&S’s famous Duck Fat Caramels, which aren’t technically a “holiday item” (they’re available year-round) but would make a very worthy stocking stuffer nonetheless!

3. Goo Goo Premium Selection Clusters

The Goo Goo Cluster was actually invented back in 1912, but the confectioners there today continue to innovate on that original candy, constantly trying to make something new and exciting. Using inspiration from both season and from collaborating with local Nashville chefs, Goo Goo produces their “Premium” line of one-off Goo Goo flavors that are only available for a limited time. Currently for sale online are the White Christmas Premium and the PB&P Premium (peanut butter and pretzel), but if you head into the Goo Goo Shop in downtown Nashville, you may be able to get your hands on one of those coveted chef collaborations, which tend to remain local. Talk about a sweet gift!

4. Acme Feed & Seed BBQ Sauces

The sauce-lover in your life will completely light up when they unwrap this fleet of sauces from Acme Feed & Seed. While each sauce can be purchased individually, I’d recommend springing for the Southern Sauce 6-Pack, which includes Acme’s entire selection of sauces: Texas Ketchup, Peace & Plenty, Southern Belle, Southern Gentleman, Southerner’s Revenge, and James Bros BBQ Sauce. Featuring product from both Acme Feed & Seed and their sister restaurant, The Southern Steak & Oyster, this sauce set is like a who’s who of southern Nashville deliciousness. Sauces can be purchased at the Acme Farm Store in downtown Nashville, and are also available online.

PS - if you want to try before you buy, I recommend heading down to Acme for a meal; all of the sauces are available for sampling in their restaurant!

5. Bang Candy Company Flavored Syrups

The Bang Candy Company is widely known for their decadent marshmallows and beautiful “sparkle bark,” but I’m a huge fan of their special syrups. Boasting flavors like Pineapple Jalapeño Cilantro, Spiced Smoked Orange, and Lavender Mint among others, Bang has a list of seven flavors that will provide an extra zip! for your holiday cocktails. Gift a bottle or two to the budding mixologist in your life, or even stick one in the stocking of someone who simply loves experimenting in the kitchen. These syrups can be used in baking and cooking, and serve as the perfect addition to add some pizzazz to your standard club soda! (Or champagne)

6. A Little Local Flavor Food Tour Gift Certificate

Whether it be a concert ticket, a plane ticket, or even just an I.O.U. to go on an adventure, I’ve always been a fan of giving experience gifts over tangible gifts. Not only does the promise of an experience offer excitement and anticipation leading up to the event, but the memories made are sure to last far longer than any tangible gift would. So, what better experience could you offer your favorite foodie than a walking food tour with A Little Local Flavor? Our tours are filled with great local eats, tasty drinks, and a whole host of Nashville history that makes for an incredible experience and an even better gift!

Purchase Gift Card

7. Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery Spirits, Apparel or Gift Certificates

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery has had a home in Marathon Village for going on five years now, but the distillery itself has a history that goes back for decades. What was once the most popular sour mash whiskey in the world, Charles Nelson’s Old No. 5 Distillery was shut down during Prohibition and never reopened. Decades later however, his great, great grandsons decided to revive the brand and its products. Purchase the whiskey-lover in your life a bottle of that original Old No. 5 Sour Mash Tennessee Whiskey, or try something a little different from the distillery’s Belle Meade Bourbon line. The distillery also offers tours for those interested in learning more about the company’s storied past as well as the process of producing their whiskey, and their gift shop is filled with apparel, glassware, and more! There are gifts aplenty both at the Distillery in Marathon Village, and online.

PS - A Little Local Flavor will be launching our new Marathon Village Spirits Tour in early 2020 and NGBD will be part of the tour. Keep checking in for updates on when the tour goes live!

Photo Courtesy: Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery

8. A Local Chef-Driven Cooking Class

If you really want to treat your favorite foodie to something special, treat them to a cooking class led by a professional chef! There are no shortage of skilled and knowledgeable chefs here in Nashville — all from whom we could most certainly learn a thing or two! — but there are a select few who offer such classes frequently. Chefs Chris & Erica Rains offer a variety of both cooking and mixology classes over at The Cook & I in The Gulch; Husk’s Katie Coss is teaching a class about sustainable cooking via USN’s Evening Classes (and there are tons of other great food- and beverage-focused classes within those offerings); and Food Network star, turned local Nashville chef Maneet Chauhan often offers regular classes at her various Nashville restaurants! The experience of cooking with a professional chef will leave you feeling both confident and excited to try out your newly-acquired skills in your own kitchen. Talk about a win-win!

9. Walker’s Bloody Mary Mix

A long-time favorite Nashville beverage brand, Walker Feed Co. is known around Music City for their fantastic, all-natural drink mixes. Made with fresh squeezed juices, premium ingredients, and zero artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, Walker mixes are ones you can actually feel good about drinking (and that actually taste good, too). Their Southern Bloody Mary Mix was the one that started it all, and it’s my go-to mix when I’m planning to have a mid-morning cocktail. Made primarily with tomatoes, fresh squeezed juices, and only the highest quality spices and ingredients, there’s a lot of goodness that goes into this stuff -- and you can taste it! Bring this as a hostess gift to a holiday party, or pack it up and send it to someone who needs a little taste of Nashville on Christmas morning.

10. Arrington Vineyards Wines

Sure, giving a bottle of wine as a gift around Christmastime may sound a little bit humdrum, but out-of-towners and Nashvillians alike will be impressed by a quarterly delivery of wine from Nashville’s favorite vineyard, Arrington Vineyards. The vineyard, which is owned by country music legend Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, proudly offers membership to Kix’s Wine Club. With four different clubs from which you can choose (red, white, mixed, or sweet), there’s a club for everyone. Additional benefits include complimentary wine tastings at the vineyard, invitations to exclusive events, and customized quarterly orders, plus more. I say...wine not?!