A Grand Tour of American Makers · Story-Filled Gift
Open a generous collection built from the counters, cabinets, pantries and bottling works that inspire Gift With a Story. Choose their coffee, tea, honey, fruit butter, mustard, sodas and candy, then discover a curated assortment of Pennsylvania favorites, coffeehouse treats and vintage sweets alongside them. Stories, pairings and a Grand Contraband Field Guide turn the crate into a journey through the makers and traditions behind everything inside.
The Story Behind the Crate
The Grand Contraband Crate is designed as a tour through the world of Gift With a Story. Coffee comes from the counter, tea from the cabinet, Pennsylvania favorites from the pantry and soda from the bottling works.
Then come the sweets: a coffeehouse bite, a classic candy and a few pieces from the Vintage Candy Counter. Each part has its own maker, place or tradition—and each one adds another chapter to the crate.
A Little From Every Counter. A Story Behind Every Piece.
$69.00
At a Glance
From the Coffee Counter Choice of American Coffee
From the Tea Cabinet Choice of Oliver Pluff Tea & Awckland's Honey
From the Pennsylvania Pantry Choice of Bauman's Fruit Butter · Unique Pretzels · Pilsudski Mustard
From the Bottling Works Choice of Two Reading Soda Works Flavors
From the Sweet Counter Choice of Goo Goo Cluster & Small-Batch Biscotti
From the Hidden Stash Curated Vintage Candy Assortment & One Rotating Surprise
A Little From Every Counter. A Story Behind Every Piece. Brew the coffee, steep the tea, open the pantry, pour the soda and uncover something sweet. Each stop inside the crate introduces another maker, tradition or piece of American food history.
Grand Contraband Field Guide · Product and maker histories · Tasting and pairing notes · Serving and recipe ideas · Personalized occasion story
The Stories Behind the Grand Tour
The Grand Contraband Crate brings together makers, places and traditions from across Gift With a Story. From the coffee counter and tea cabinet to the Pennsylvania pantry, bottling works and candy counter, every stop inside the crate has a story of its own.
From the Coffee Counter
Horn & Hardart, Café du Monde and Red Door Coffee represent three distinct American coffee stories: the New York Automat, the cafés of the New Orleans French Market and a modern Pennsylvania small-batch roaster. The recipient chooses which tradition joins their crate.
From the Tea Cabinet
Oliver Pluff & Company brings historic tea traditions to the cup, while Awckland's Honey adds a locally gathered touch of sweetness. Together, they bring a quieter tea-table ritual to the crate.
From the Pennsylvania Pantry
Orchard fruit butter, Pennsylvania pretzels and bold mustard bring the pantry side of the state into the crate. These are the kinds of foods made for spreading, dipping, pairing and setting out to share.
From the Bottling Works
Old-fashioned glass-bottle soda brings the fizz, color and nostalgia of the neighborhood bottling works. Two chosen flavors give the recipient another part of the crate to make their own.
From the Sweet Counter
A classic Goo Goo Cluster brings chocolate, caramel, peanuts and nougat to the crate, while small-batch biscotti provides the crisp coffeehouse companion made for enjoying alongside a freshly brewed cup.
From the Hidden Stash
A small curated assortment of vintage American sweets adds one final stop to the Grand Tour. Familiar classics, candy-counter curiosities and a rotating surprise bring different decades of American candy history into the crate.
Together, these makers and traditions turn The Grand Contraband Crate into the fullest expression of Gift With a Story: coffee to brew, tea to steep, pantry favorites to share, soda to pour and something sweet waiting at the end—with a story behind every stop.
More Than What's Inside the Box
The products are only part of it. We bring together American makers, the stories behind what they make, recipes and serving ideas, and a personalized occasion story chosen for the person receiving the gift.
What They Open
Thoughtfully chosen goods from makers, places and traditions with something worth discovering.
What They Discover
Product and maker history gives them something to read, remember and share long after the box is opened.
What They Do With It
Recipes, pairings and serving ideas turn what's inside into something to make, taste and enjoy.
Why You're Giving
Choose the occasion and we'll include a story created around the reason you're giving the gift.
Still looking for the right story?
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