Jim Beam offers novel fix for holiday blues: hug-simulating pajamas

Bourbon brand Jim Beam is offering what could possibly be the weirdest gift for the holidays — hug-simulating pajamas.

The unisex red flannel “Kentucky Hug” PJ set looks like your basic comfy plaid pajamas, with one exception. There’s a removable panel that fits around the neck and shoulders. When activated, it applies pressure to those areas in a way that’s meant to mimic a real-life hug.

Super quirky? Sure. But should you find yourself away from loved ones this Christmas, perhaps missing their company alongside a bottle of Jim Beam, at least you can oddly give yourself a hug.

“The holidays are best spent cozying up with friends and loved ones over a bourbon. The reality is that we can’t always be together. This helps foster that spirit of connection, no matter your proximity to your people,” said Matt Plumb, senior director of marketing for North American Whiskey at Beam Suntory, maker of Jim Beam.

So why are they called “Kentucky hug” pajamas?

“You might be familiar with the concept of a ‘Kentucky Hug,’ a popular phrase among bourbon lovers,” Plumb said. “It’s what we call that warm feeling you get after your first sip of bourbon. We wanted to put our own literal twist on that term by creating pajamas that simulate hugs.”

A free hug still beats paying for one. But if you really need one, the limited edition PJs will cost you $25.

But if bourbon hugs, from imbibing or otherwise, aren’t your thing, there’s also beer-inspired nail polish.

Coors Light has invented a new way for beer drinkers to temperature check their glass of brew to avoid the unpleasant surprise of it being warm.

The silver colored nail polish, once applied, turns blue if the beer is cold enough to chill the glass and then your hand. (And it works with any beer, not just Coors.)

The company co-developed the $7 Chill polish with San Francisco-based nail polish brand Le Chat for “any beer drinkers who prefer cold to warm brew.”