It’s the summer of impromptu happy hours and long al fresco dinner parties. There’s no reason you need to keep showing up with an uninspired bottle of wine. I like to buy four or five of one gift and work my way through them, like pretty candles and votives or fancy liquors. Our Summer Hostess Gift edit will make it easier than ever.
If your friend is a true gourmand, bring over something they’ll be using long after the last dishes have been cleared. Really fancy olive oil and balsamic vinegar is such an indulgence, and your host will be reminded of you with every drizzle of this Williams-Sonoma set. What’s Gaby Cooking, one of my favorite cooking blogs, even has a Summer Party Set complete with infused olive oils and seasoning blends. One of my favorite gifts was this huge, three-pound bucket of beautiful Maldon flaky sea salt, perfect for sprinkling on summer veggies and desserts too. A bottle of something fun for the bar is always a good idea, and recently I’ve loved gifting non-alcoholic spirits, like this complex and yummy Seedlip.
Of course, if you’re going up to a friend’s house for a proper vacation, there are some bigger ticket items too. If you have a little time to plan, I highly recommend something monogrammed for a more personal touch. A stainless steel wine chiller, letterpress guest towels, linen cocktail napkins, and acrylic coasters make impressively thoughtful gifts, and you can use them while you’re staying there!
If you’re staying iwth someone for a serious vacation, then bring the gift of activities with you! Especially ones that help you unplug from screens. The Queen’s Gambit reinvigorated everyone’s love for chess, and a beautiful board with a luxe leather briefcase is great for a late-night game. Get everyone into the competitive spirit with a game of croquet, or bring a fun giant swan float for all the pool lounging you’ll be doing.
Shop the rest of our summer hostess gift guide below. You’ll be invited back every time, we promise.
All of our recommendations are curated by Susan & the In The Groove editorial team. In some, but not all cases, we receive a small commission for leading you to what, how and where to buy all this wonderful stuff.
