6. Dead Rise OLD BAY Cookbook, $15

Unless you actually were dead this summer, you are likely well aware of the locally famous Dead Rise Summer Ale, the beer into which Frederick based brewer Flying Dog incorporated Baltimore’s iconic spice, Old Bay. Shortly thereafter, Flying Dog also collaborated with some of the area’s top local chefs (Spike Gjerde, Bryan Voltaggio, and others) to create and publish a cookbook with recipes that highlight the use of Old Bay, local flavors and ingredients from the Chesapeake, and often Dead Rise itself.

We’re pretty sure that any of your local beer loving friends who also know their way around the kitchen would appreciate this collection of recipes that ranges from some stellar mac and cheese to a unique “Chesapoutine” to sweets like ice cream that incorporates Old Bay.

Oh, and think of it as a gift to the Chesapeake Bay as well. According to Flying Dog’s website, a percentage of proceeds of sales of the cookbook are donated to the organization True Blue, “a restaurant certification and consumer awareness program that promotes sustainably-harvested Maryland Blue Crab.”