If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you; and if there’s a Michigan lover on your gift list, look no further than these five iconic made-in-Michigan items.
1. American Spoon Jams & More
Help stock a loved one’s pantry with Michigan produce, even in winter. American Spoon’s extensive line of jams, jellies, preserves, and other jarred delectables are the answer.
At their preserving kitchen in Petoskey, a small kitchen crew makes all of American Spoon’s products by hand. All produce is sourced locally from farmers and foragers.
While they’re best known for their fruit jams and preserves, American Spoon also sells Michigan raw honey, maple syrup, granola, cocktail mixes, salsa, and more.
2. Shinola Watches
“You don’t know sh*t from Shinola” was the famous World War II-era insult that turned a defunct shoe polish brand into a 21st century Detroit watch company.
Shinola Detroit, established 2011, took the name when a team member apparently used the insult at a meeting intended to decide on the name of the company. Today, Detroit-based Shinola makes leather bags, jewelry, and even bikes. But their most iconic products are watches. Shinola timepieces are classically designed and built to last, with high-quality Swiss movements.
At a point in history when most people use their phones to track everything from the time of day to their heartrate, Shinola watches give us a chance to live life on analog.
3. Stormy Kromer Caps
The story of the Stormy Kromer Cap is one of Midwest ingenuity.
George Kromer—“Stormy” to his friends—was a railroad engineer. He was also a semi-pro baseball player. As such, he had the habit of wearing a baseball cap while on the train. The only trouble was it kept flying off. So, he enlisted his talented seamstress wife, Ida, to sew flaps onto the sides.
His cap stayed on, and in winter, his ears were warm. The Stormy Kromer Cap was born. The original cap, which is still for sale, features a band that extends around the sides and back and can be easily pulled down for a snug fit around the ears.
Today, Stormy Kromer manufactures a wide range of rugged hats and accessories in the U.P. at Stormy Kromer headquarters in Ironwood. They’re perfect for the hunter or fisherman in your life, or anyone who works or plays outdoors.
4. Carrom Boards
A bit off the beaten path, but IYKYK.
The Carrom Company has been manufacturing wooden board games in Ludington since 1889. Its most iconic game is Carrom, which Christian missionaries brought to America from Asia in the late 19th century. But Henry L. Haskell of Ludington was the Michigander who patented the game in the U.S.
Carrom is similar to billiards. Played on a square wooden board, players try to shoot small rings into corner pockets before their opponents. It’s fun for all ages. No tech in sight.
Today, Carrom is a Michigan icon. If you’re going to buy a board, it’s got to be from the Carrom Company.
5. Koeze Gourmet Nuts
Break out the nutcracker. These are the biggest mixed nuts you’ve ever seen.
Okay actually, they’ve already been cracked, unshelled, and beautifully roasted. But the best part is they do not skimp on the cashews—or what the company actually refers to as “Colossal Cashews… the world’s largest and most flavorful cashew nuts.”
You’re gonna need a bigger bowl. And are you even a Michigander if your grandma didn’t have a bowl of mixed nuts out on Christmas Eve?
A bag of Koeze nuts, founded in 1910 in Grand Rapids, makes a wonderful gift for your mom, your girlfriend’s brother, your boss, or yourself for that matter.
In addition to a wide range of gourmet nuts in hefty glass decanters, Koeze also sells fine chocolates, gourmet popcorn, and a cult-favorite peanut butter called Cream-Nut.
Before you add another item to your Amazon cart this year, look about you. Michigan’s got you covered.
Faye Root is a writer and a homeschooling mother based in Northern Michigan. Follow her on X @littlebayschool.
