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Your dad has worn the same belt for 10 years and hasn’t put on a tie since the Clinton administration, so why are you going to give him one of those tired old gifts for Father’s Day once again? Take it from a dad: Booze is well-known as the international currency of fatherly love. With that in mind, the Drinkhacker staff has weighed in with 8 top spirits selections that will make this Sunday a memorable one.
Father’s Day presents have a tendency to drift towards one of two categories: things dads actually want and things we convince ourselves they want. Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel hits solidly in that first column. It’s a bourbon made by a man who learned the craft from his father, in a distillery his father built into something legendary, in an area of the country treating distilleries how places in Europe treat cathedrals. The Buddha of Bourbon also must be one hell of a dad, otherwise Eddie would have opted for another career path.
Remember that beach trip when you were younger and dad got so over served on Mai Tais that he told you the real way he and your mother met? Remind him about that memorable night with this bottle. His bar cabinet could probably use a rum restock anyway, and besides being a great sipper and mixer, Mount Gay is made by the longest running rum distillery in the world. A great old rum for your great old man. Just keep an eye on his Mai Tai count. $18 [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE]
A bottle of Jack Daniel’s may seem like the Father’s Day gift equivalent of yet another necktie. But chances are good it was the first whiskey you and your pop shared together. Or maybe the first whiskey you stole from his liquor cabinet. Either way, it should bring back memories. Like another necktie, that bottle of Jack may just look good on the shelf, but there’s a decent chance it gets used. Or regifted back to you come holiday season.
Scotch and a cigar. Is there anything dad likes more? It probably wasn’t you from the ages of 12 to 20. If you’re looking for a fancy single malt to help say “Sorry about stealing the car those few times”, this selection from iconic Highland whisky-maker The Dalmore is a good way to start. It’s rich and dignified and sweet. All the things dad couldn’t be because of you.
This one’s for the father-in-law that doesn’t judge your life choices or disapprove of you marrying their kid, while simultaneously showing that you have the whole quality-to-dollar ratio on lock. It says “you’re alright in my book,” especially if at the stage of your relationship where Blue or Gold is more appropriate. Make him earn it.
Dos hombres means two dudes. Sell it as your father and you, just two bros having a margarita together, remembering a long history together. It may be a cheesy way to position a bottle of tequila, but trust us, it’ll work out just fine once he cracks it open. Sorry, ladies, this one doesn’t work as well for you, though you can try taking a Sharpie to the label and changing it to Un Hombre y una Mujer, we suppose. Report back.
At this point in history, every dad is expecting a bottle of bourbon in June. Surprise, pop! This year we’re going old school and upmarket and turning you into the brandy drinker you always knew you could be. Delamin’s “Pale & Dry” works great for any dad, but if your father is either extremely fair-skinned or acerbic in wit — or, of course, both — you can get extra mileage out of the gift.
A veteran journalist, the author of four books, a published poet, and an award-winning winemaker, Christopher Null has more than 25 years of experience writing about wine and spirits. He founded Drinkhacker in 2007. He also writes regularly about the science of booze for WIRED and is an occasional contributor to ADI's Distiller magazine. He has been a judge for both the American Distilling Institute Judging of Craft Spirits and Whiskies of the World spirits competitions and often works as a consultant, developing formal tasting notes for spirits brands around the world.
