Sunday is Father’s Day: That special day when the men and women of America gather together to try and make up for all the hell they raised.
But here’s an important secret: The last thing in the world Dad wants to do on that special day is get woken up early, have to eat cold eggs and burnt bacon in front of an audience before he’s even washed his face, then spend all day at some stupid park his wife wants to go to.
We know, we know. But that’s what we do every year! Well, let this year be different. Let this day be special. Let this holiday be that one day of the year where Dad is happy he bailed his boys out of the clink and bought his girls all that crap they needed. This Fathers Day — give Dad the gift of awesome.
Stop! Don’t panic. It’s not as hard as it sounds.
From the best rye whiskey in America to a homemade gin kit, The Daily Caller is here to help.
Whistle Pig Straight Rye Whiskey
After a long day of distilling whiskey at Mount Vernon Distillery last year, we sat by the fire to enjoy a cigar with Master Distiller Dave Pikerell. What does one ask a master distiller? Well, our fist question was, “What’s your favorite rye?”
Good question. For two reasons.
1) Because Dave is a master. After more than a decade at the helm of Maker’s Mark, he is now overseeing the recreation of George Washington’s whiskeys, as well as running a number of operations. (BEDFORD: TheDC distills George Washington’s whiskey at Mount Vernon)
2) Because Dave was quick to answer, pulling a bottle of his own Whistle Pig out of his bag. And then another. Because we polished off that first one in about an hour.
Because Whistle Pig is really that good.
On the nose, we smelled nutmeg and orange, with hints of vanilla. On the palate, that orange and vanilla carried through, and were joined by honey. The linger, though, is where the spice is. And boy, do we love it.
At $70 a bottle, 100 percent rye, and 100 proof, this isn’t a drink to throw back with a crowd: It’s a sippin’ whiskey.
The Homemade Gin Kit
Is Dad more of the hands-on type? Then check out the Homemade Gin Kit. The concept is awesome. The instructions are simple. And the product is delicious.
And it isn’t even hard to get — just takes some planning and a few days for delivery. (We know: Next year.)
Basically, how it works is a box arrives with juniper berries, a blend of spices, a couple of glass bottles, a funnel and a screen. Now, it isn’t actually distilling — it’s more flavoring, and the kit doesn’t include the booze, so in addition to picking pops up the gear, folks are going to need to add a bottle of vodka. If this step is neglected, Dad WILL be disappointed in you.
We went with Tito’s Handmade Vodka from the Mocking Bird Distillery in Austin, Texas. Not only is this one of our favorite vodkas, but it’s made in Texas, U.S.A. And last time we checked, any other country is treason. At 80 proof, this bad boy ran us $20.
After adding the berries and aromatics, and waiting 36 hours, dad will be left with a spectacular concoction.
Light greenish-yellow in color, the nose is sweet and distinctly floral. On the palate, what we smelled comes through strong. It’s also got a hint of spice, like cinnamon, on the back end. Distinct, without the bite that a lot of gins have. Pine needles. It’s also heavier and richer than the average gin — something we enjoyed.
Good on its own or in a martini, this is a good gift even if dad isn’t a big gin guy. Because hell, it’s fun.
And for $39.95 plus a bottle of vodka, it isn’t going to kill anyone’s wallet.
George Dickel Barrel Select Tennessee Whisky
So rye and gin kits are cool. But so is Tennessee Whisky. So if Pops doesn’t like spicy, or just doesn’t like work, give George Dickel’s Barrel Select a try.
Strong and woody on the nose, there’s a hint of vanilla at the end.
On the tongue, the Barrel Select is more reminiscent of a scotch than a bourbon. It’s smokey, but also has a mellow sweetness on the end that reminds us of corn.
Now, this is pretty cool. Because when George Dickel first started making whiskey in the late 1800s, he dropped the “e” in “whiskey,
declaring his beverage the equal of any scotch on the market. And he was right.
At 86 proof, dad will be psyched. And at $45.99 a bottle, so are the kids.
Russian River Brewing Company’s Pliny the Elder Double India Pale Ale
But what if dad doesn’t care for the hard stuff? No problem. We have a beer for that.
See, our buddy’s date brought a couple of bottles of Pliny the Elder back from California the other day (because she is a rock star), and the first thing we thought was, “We’ve got to tell everyone we know about this.”
Rated 100/100 by Beer Advocate, this IPA is one of the best IPAs we’ve ever had. Named after a first century Roman naturalist, philosopher and military commander who was one of the first to write about hops (before dying in the explosion of Vesuvius), Pliny the Elder doesn’t look like a lot of the serious IPAs we’re used to seeing: It’s lighter — a golden color with a medium carbonation. On the nose, we detected pine and cedar.
But on the taste buds, our first thought was, “Boom.”
Because this is the kind of beer Dad can drink all afternoon. Though at 8 percent, he’ll get tanked. Which is fine. It’s his damn day.
Bitter and strong at first, this beer burns the sides of the tongue but is gentle on the top. Easily one of our top five IPAs, the one problem with this beer is it’s hard to get a hold of. While Oregon gets a bit, it’s mostly distributed in California. So call a friend.
Plus, dad will forgive for only spending $30 (a 6-pack) on his present if you have to go through a lot of work to get it.
So stop screwing around on the Internet, and get to work.