If you're like me, this week is probably prime holiday gift purchasing time. Black Friday mayhem has well since waned, but plenty of days are still left before I have to pay the FedEx Overnight tax on my tardiness.

If you have a beer lover in your family, you're in luck: Continued growth in the craft and specialty beer markets means more beer-related products than ever before are hitting store shelves and web retailers, many of them new for the 2008 season.

Case in point: One of the world's oldest glass manufacturers, Spiegelau, has introduced a new line of "Beer Classics" -- glassware shaped for traditional beer drinkers' tastes, but with an eye towards innovation (pictured above). After spending the past 500 years primarily focusing on wine-related products, Spiegelau's Beer Classics apply that experience and expertise to creating lightweight pints with the delicate feel you'd expect from wine stemware, quickly becoming the most elegant of my go-to glasses. With each two glass set packaged in attractive and shipping-friendly tubes, these make great last minute gifts. I even saw them sitting register-side at a local beer shop which can feed into anyone's gift purchasing laziness.

But if you're not looking to drop $30 on a couple of beer glasses (especially if your favorite beer enthusiast tends to break more than he washes), here's another great gift idea that can have a personal touch: Buying branded glassware direct from a beloved brewery. Most breweries offer glassware on their website. The prices can be (please note, I say "can be," not "are") more reasonable and you know your purchase isn't just supporting your favorite brewery in appearance, but financially as well.

Whether your approach is upmarket or down-home, beer glassware is always a great gift, and one that can (and should) be used immediately! (Yes! I am advocating testing our your new beer glass on Christmas morning!)

[Photo Credit: Spiegelau]