The best Maryland gifts to ship and share

For the coffee lover

Thread Coffee Roasters works to pay above fair-trade prices to their coffee farmers abroad, and they roast the beans in Baltimore. You can buy their beans in and around Baltimore, or you can ship them. You can also give a monthly subscription of fresh beans for $19-$25 a month. Personally, I’m a fan of the Kodukak light roast, sourced from Rwanda ($17 for a 12 oz. whole-bean bag).

Also locally roasted, and also delicious, is the coffee from Rise Up Coffee Roasters. To really knock the socks off your coffee-brewing loved one, I suggest the starter kit for $65 — five bags of coffee, shipped wherever. They’ll leave the beans whole or grind them to your specifications.

For the one with a sweet tooth

You’ve got a few of options here, so you can definitely choose your favorite. Baltimore is home to Berger Cookies and Otterbein’s Cookies, two local favorites with very different flavors. Bergers are floury and dipped in fudge icing. Otterbein’s come in a variety of flavors, but all are crisp and supremely buttery.

You can get a tin of Bergers for $29.99 on their website, and packs of cookies are available at shops all around Baltimore. My personal favorites from Otterbein’s are the chocolate chip cookies and the lemon sugar cookies (both $4.99 on their website or around the region).

And if you’re less into cookies, more into chocolate, look no further than Charm City Chocolates. They’ve got a charming storefront on The Avenue in Hampden and a robust online store. I’m personally a fan of their truffles ($27.50 for a gift box) and their chocolate-covered Graham crackers ($10 for a gift pack).

For the foodie

Among my favorite things about Baltimore and the surrounding area are all the incredible restaurants. And while it can be hard to share the food from your favorite places, it’s not impossible. Pappas Seafood Co., based in Baltimore County, will ship just about any of their food to any location in the United States.

You can get an 8 oz. crab cake ($26.95), a container of crab cake mix ($42) or a pint of cream of crab soup ($15). If you really want to impress, I suggest one of the dinner combos: dinner for two ($85) includes crab cakes, Maryland crab soup and imperial stuffed shrimp; the dinner for four ($169) includes even more.

For the homesick Marylander

What if your loved one is someone who used to live here, but moved? Even if they won’t say it, I’d bet they feel at least a little homesick for Maryland — it is America in miniature, after all. And what better way to remind your homesick former Marylander about how great the state is than by sending them something with the state flag all over it?

I can personally attest to how long these flag socks ($13.99) from Route One Apparel will last. If you want them to wear their state pride even louder, there’s this amazing looking Maryland flag Hawaiian shirt ($42.95) from the same retailer.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Baltimore in a Box as the near-perfect gift for someone who’s missing home. Prices vary, but shipping is free — you can send a box of Baltimore, a box based on Mr. Trash Wheel and so much more. You can shop online or check out their retail store in Hampden and customize a box.

For the amateur mixologist

Maryland has a proud history of distilling. Known as the “Wettest State” during Prohibition, Maryland and Baltimore officials alike looked the other way while the federal government banned alcohol. Old Line Spirits Company is known for its whiskeys and rums, distilled in Baltimore. Prices will vary, as will shipping costs — but the company’s website makes it easy to figure out how to ship their products in the U.S. by connecting you to a liquor store that will ship to an address you enter. Be careful, though, shipping is not available to all states.

Further to the west is McClintock Distilling Company in Frederick. Through a partnership with Potomac Wine and Spirits, they’ll ship anywhere in the U.S. I personally recommend the Matchstick Straight Bourbon ($49.99) and the Gardner’s Gin ($37.99). Both are made locally, with locally sourced ingredients. The bourbon is good on its own or in an old-fashioned, and the gin works great in any gin cocktail.