Maybe your dad is a hardcore home-bartending enthusiast. Maybe he just likes to drink cool stuff. Either way, offer him any of the below bottles and you’re sure to be his favorite this Father’s Day. Caveat: Prices and product availability have been checked with retailers, but are subject to change. Happy shopping.
1) Mezcal Benevá Gran Reserva
Local lawyer Bonard Molina has teamed up with his wife and sister to start importing otherwise unavailable agave spirits from Mexico to the Washington market under the name Mayalen. Tim O’Rourke at Weygandt Wines—the Cleveland Park shop is one of a few spots that stocks Molina’s products—describes this mezcal as “somewhere between a peaty Scotch and a brandy, so long and smooth.” In other words, it makes a great gift for the dad with a healthy collection of Scotches who is always looking to try something new. A note about pricing: For a limited time, you can pick up a bottle for $99 at Weygandt. Once the full shipment comes in, expect this mezcal to retail around $150.
Available at Weygandt Wines.
2) The Botanist Islay Dry Gin
Islay (say “Eye-luh”), an island off the southern tip of Scotland, is known for distillers of very peaty Scotches, like Ardbeg, Bowmore, and Bruichladdich. The last of these also makes this stunning gin with the wild juniper that grows on that island, plus 21 other native botanicals. If your dad is a G&T or gin martini man, this is what you should buy him.
$32, available at Ace Beverage.
3) Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC9
Of course, some dads just want Scotch. This sought-after, limited-edition single malt is complex and creamy with a long finish, and comes especially recommended by Ace Beverage’s in-house spirits guide, Joe Riley, who calls it “very distinctive, with a fair amount of peat.”
$113, available at Ace Beverage.
4) Lillet Rose
So a pink fortified wine with a fruity nose is maybe not the first thing that comes to mind when you think “Dad,” but what year is it, anyway? Wine loving dads will appreciate this round-bodied libation from the famous French aperitif label Maison Lillet—its first new product in half of a century. As far as gifts go, the class-to-dollar ratio is pretty much off the charts here, and it’s very tasty too.
$20, available at Cleveland Park Wines.
5) Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao Ancienne Méthode
This collaboration between cocktail historian David Wondrich and Cognac maker Alexandre Gabriel is an excellent offering for cocktail nerds who want to experience old drink recipes the way they were intended—with an orange liqueur that’s less sweet and a lot more herbal than the other options on the market. But your dad need not be an academic sort of drinker to enjoy this lovely liqueur, made from unaged brandy infused with Seville oranges.
$28, available at MacArthur Beverages.
Related:
Father’s Day in Washington 2012
