Must-Have Merch to Gift to Food And Drink Obsessives
Words: Hannah Lemass
Nothing says “I love you” like a piece of merch that represents a deep-rooted passion or interest. Many people have a band, TV show, or sports team they adore, but there’s another group of folks whose passion is food and drink. For them, grab a piece of merch so they can rep their favourite bar, restaurant, or brand all year round.
The Cure Line
Nobody does merch like Mo Chara. Building on the success of last year’s merch collaboration with Beamish, the two legends are back together again with this run to celebrate the Mo Chara lad’s new documentary The Cure, The Fairies, The Folklore. The pieces, which include three tees, a sweatshirt, a cord cap and a pint glass, feature gorgeous illustrations from Ruan Van Vliet.
Greetings from Wicklow’ Bundle
You do not have to be from Wicklow to appreciate the beauty of this impeccable merch. For just €30, you can get your hands on this bundle, which includes a tote bag, print and stickers featuring illustrations from Kenya Dempsey. It celebrates the brand’s Wicklow roots and is a love letter to the Garden of Ireland.
Adam & Eve Caps
Bambino always hit the mark with their merch, but these caps (€25) are particularly cute. With an adorable illustration of Adam and Eve (bits obscured by fig leaves of course). It reimagines the forbidden fruit as an even more impossible to resist slice of Bambino’s finest.
Irish Icons Bauble Set
We have been following Maya Grisham for a while now, but 2025 has been a particularly big year, with even the great CMAT herself sporting one of their bags on the red carpet. We are most recently obsessed with their line of Christmas ornaments (€150 for set of four), which includes a pint of the black stuff and of course that iconic golden block of Kerrygold butter.
Un-Buyable T-Shirts
You cannot simply purchase these shirts from Dublin’s most iconic burger shop. No, you get these babies for free from 12th to 19th December with the purchase of vouchers of €50 or more. Well worth it. Give your pal the voucher and keep the shirt for yourself, perhaps?
Retro Jersey
Earlier this year, the Football Special team released a limited run of jerseys (€70). The link between football and one Donegal’s most famous export, (second only to Wee Daniel) is a fundamental part of its origin story, so a jersey just makes sense. Supplies are low due to the fervent success, but there are still a few left to nab while you can.
Budgy Smugglers
Cloud Picker has tonnes of merch to choose from, but the budgy smugglers (€54.95) are by far the most fun. The bright colours and skimpy fit are simply too much to resist. They would make a great gift for the exhibitionist coffee lover in your life.
T-Shirt
This little stunner features a charming illustration from Brandon O’Rourke of teh iconic Meath Street pub itself. It comes in black and white, and €20 out of the €25 price tag goes towards the Lucky’s staff fund. So in a way, you are giving back to your favourite team of servers at one of Dublin’s best bars.
Elsewhere on Char: These Are the Must Try Christmas Sandwiches on Just Eat Right Now
