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20 Midwest Gifts Dads Will Love
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Ballpark Blueprints artwork
Marvin Larson and Thomas Young create hand-drawn, blueprint-style illustrations of ballparks, stadiums and golf courses. Unframed from $60. ballparkblueprints.com
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Scoville Unlimited honey
We loved the smoky heat of this habanero honey that’s made in Viroqua, Wisconsin, and sold exclusively by Chicago’s Yearbook Studios. Try this fiery honey drizzled over mashed sweet potatoes, grilled chicken or even pizza. $18 for 8 ounces. yearbookstudios.com
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Smith Shop bottle opener
Beer has gone craft. Shouldn’t Dad’s opener, too? When he cracks a a cold one, he’ll think of the Detroit blacksmith who forged this opener from one piece of steel. $95. smithshopdetroit.com
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Pappy and Company syrup
Pour this addictive bourbon maple syrup from Louisville over waffles, pie or ice cream. $38 for 12.7 ounces. pappyco.com
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Mollyjogger knife kit
Scrimshaw was the traditional craft of New England whalers. Use this nifty set from the Ozarks to etch a design on a bone-handled pocketknife. Ideal for crafty history buffs (or people called Ishmael). $48.50. mollyjogger.com
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Craftmade Toffee
We tried several flavors of Minnesotan Steve Kippels’ toffee, including one studded with caramel corn. All delish, but it’s hard to beat a perfectly executed classic: almond with dark chocolate. From $13 for 8 ounces. craftmadetoffee.com
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American Skillet Company skillet
These 13x8-inch Wisconsin-made cast-iron map pans make fantastic wall art. But they’re functional, too (just in case Dad gets a yen for wow-worthy corn bread). Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and the Michigan "mitten" are available; more to come. $125. americanskilletcompany.com
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Mr. City Printing print
St. Louis designer Tony Frankenberg turns latitude-longitude coordinates into graphic works of art. Many cities available; send him a message on Etsy for a customized print. From $35. mrcityprinting.etsy.com
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Sweet Jules Gifts caramels
Eight flavors of buttery, Minnesota-made caramel fill each 1-pound gift box. Our favorites were Fleur de Sel, Beer and Pretzel, Sicilian Orange, and Dark Chocolate and Salted Pecan. $42.95. sweetjulesgifts.com
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Le Papier Studio prints
This one’s for the pet-loving pop. Immortalize furry companions in custom silhouette prints from Chicago-area artist Vana Chupp. E-mail a pet photo, then select from a variety of colors and sizes (from 5x7 to 13x19 inches). From $45. lepapierstudio.com
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Death’s Door Spirits gin
This Middleton, Wisconsin, distillery takes its name from the dangerous water between the Door County peninsula and Washington Island. Ingredients include Washington Island juniper berries and wheat. $30 for 750 ml. deathsdoorspirits.com
Try it in our Jolly Gin Fizz, an effervescent, gingery cocktail, sweetened with pomegranate juice and spiked with gin.
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Sanborn Canoe paddles
Inspired by generations of canoe trips, cousins in Winona, Minnesota, craft striking, functional paddles that beg to be hung as decor. From $145. sanborncanoe.com
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Treat Bake Shop pecans
Milwaukee food writer Sarah Marx Feldner coats these addictive nuts in the perfect blend of sugar, savory spice and salt. Try them straight, as a kicky complement to cheese or sprinkled over vanilla ice cream. $14.95 for 7 ounces. thetreatbakeshop.com
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Beeropoly game
A college drinking game gets a handcrafted upgrade thanks to a husband-and-wife team in Nebraska. The game comes with six bottle cap player pieces, but we added our own to get more people in on the fun. $35 uncommongoods.com
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Bittercube bitters
Fathers will have a blast experimenting with these six flavors of bitters developed in Milwaukee. One of our fave combos: A few drops of the cherry bark add sweet depth to bourbon. $54. bittercube.com
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Faribault Woolen Mill Company log carrier
Dad can gather fuel for campfires and the fireplace in one easy trip with this Minnesota-made, wool-accented firewood carrier. $95. faribaultmill.com
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The Social Dept. T-shirts
Hand-printed in Ohio, these soft tees (available for every state and in other designs, too) strike just the right balance between Midwest pride and hipster snark. Adult and children’s sizes available. $25. thesocialdept.com
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Cedar Ridge Distillery whiskey
Credit the Midwest cornfields (and the distillers) of Swisher, Iowa, for this nationally acclaimed and oh-so-smooth bourbon crafted from corn whiskey, barley and rye. Check local liquor stores for availability. $36.99. crwine.com
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LeadHead Glass terrarium
Plants thrive in terrariums made of materials salvaged from abandoned homes. Assembled in Detroit, these artful glass planters come in a variety of sizes. From $45. leadheadglass.com
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Lillie’s Q sauces
Inspired by grandma Lillie’s Southern-style BBQ sauces, Chicago chef Charlie McKenna’s 11 bold flavors taste as sophisticated as they look. (Our tasters especially loved the sweet burn of Hot Smoky.) Choose any three 16-ounce bottles for a gorgeous gift set that arrives in a wooden box. $40. lilliesq.com
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