Finding the perfect gift for the man you probably shared your first alcoholic beverage with can be easier said than done. You could buy him a case of the champagne of beers or even a bottle or three of the first whiskey you shared with him–which are, for the record, still good options–but if you really want to secure your spot as the favorite spawn, you’ll do a little more work and get him one of these gifts. We won’t guarantee that these gifts will make you the favorite, but if we were your Dad, we’d appreciate these a lot more than just picking up a case or bottle of what we usually drink.
Norlan Vawe Highball Glass
If your dad is anything like ours–cards on the table, here–he’s probably never heard of Norlan and the revolution they started in the world of beverage hardware. Want to really make him smile? Get him a Vawe Highball Glass or two for all of his favorite highball drinks from the whiskey / ginger and the rum / coke, to the Scotch / soda and gin / tonic.
$55
Classic Tonic Syrup
Whether your old man is making a gin and tonic, a Hugo or a slightly more fizzy old-fashioned, if he’s a regular drinker, he needs some quality tonic. Don’t make him use the bottled options from the big brands, get him some W&P Classic Tonic Syrup that’s carefully crafted from cane sugar, quinine and citrus. Turning this syrup into tonic is like five seconds more work, and it’s absolutely worth all the extra effort.
$12
Nixon Sentry Leather Watch
[Partner] If your dad is like ours, he appreciates the classics. A pair of great denim. A stiff Old fashioned. A stylish timepiece. Nixon’s Sentry Leather watch raises the bar on what dad taught us to expect from a classically good-looking watch. 42mm design with the Nixon twist of faceted applied hour indices. Custom molded hands, day/date window and enamel filled crown. 23mm wide leather strap with 18 different dial/band combinations. Whether he’s making a drink or heading to happy hour with friends, he’ll look great with the Nixon Sentry Leather on his wrist.
$150
Barillio 23-Piece Bartender Cocktail Tool Kit
Let’s be real–if Mom isn’t happy, Dad isn’t happy. Give him all the tools he needs to make a great cocktail for both of them, along with enough easy pourers and bottle stoppers to take care of the entire family holiday party. In short, this has all the tools he’ll need to prepare cocktails for the family, guests (invited or otherwise) and since everything is dishwasher safe, cleanup is easy.
$60
JFR Glass
It doesn’t matter if he’s serving up batch old-fashioneds, bespoke boulvardiers or classic caipirinhas, your dad needs a great set of glasses to serve or enjoy all of his favorites. You won’t do better, and he’ll love, all of the 8oz, hand-blown, unique glass options that JFR Glass has to offer.
35+
Cocktail Codex
Death & Co is a decade institution in the world of cocktails, so it’s safe to say they know what they’re talking about when it comes to alcoholic beverages. Their Cocktail Codex is “a comprehensive primer on the craft of mixing drinks that employs the authors’ unique ‘root cocktails’ approach to give drink-makers of every level the tools to understand, execute, and improvise both classic and original cocktails.” We’re not generally huge fans of “cocktail cookbooks,” but this one breaks the mold because it will make anyone that reads it a better mixologist.
$23
Rabbit Axis Lever Corkscrew
The Rabbit Corkscrew–something we’re absolutely sure your parental units own at least one of–completely changed the way we all open bottles of wine at home. The Rabbit Axis takes that revolutionary mechanism and upgrades it for the better with a pivoting shape, easier cork removal and in-arm storage for the foil cutter and extra spiral.
$50
Coleman FlipLid Personal Cooler 5 Quarts
The idea of a tiny, 6-pack cooler isn’t new, but it’s also one of those things that the elder statesman in your life isn’t going to buy for himself just for a solo fishing trip. Even if he’s more mixed drinks than brews, this fits the bill because it’s the perfect vessel to get him into directional freezing and making his own crystal clear ice.
$11+
Faceted Whiskey Glasses
4 glasses. Made in Italy. 11 1/4 oz. Dishwasher Safe. In addition to all those features that any dad is sure to appreciate, these faceted whiskey glasses also look great, can accommodate a cube or two, and they’re as low-maintenance as they are eye-catching.
$27
Angostura Lemon, Lime & Bitters
Angostura is the default, go-to bitters maker when it comes to cocktails, but they recently branched out into the world of “sparkling non-alcoholic beverages” with their Lemon, Lime & Bitters concoction that tastes like a heavenly combination of perfect Sprite or 7-Up mated with their aromatic bitters. It’s good straight. It’s even better mixed with whiskey, vodka, rum, gin, amaro and, well, we’ve mixed it with everything on our bar carts and it never disappoints.
$4/can
Cocktail Kingdom Stepped Jigger
Getting the proportions just right when you’re making a mixed drink is a giant pain in the ass without the right tools. Forget measuring with a traditional shot glass, adjustable jigger or by eye because this stepped jigger uses 1930’s technology that makes it almost impossible to screw up the classics that are measured with 1/2 oz, 1 oz, 1 1/2 oz, and 2 oz pours.
$28+
Weller Full Proof
If you’re at all familiar with the availability of higher end Buffalo Trace spirits, you’ll know this one is a bit of a stretch given how hard it is to lay hands on Weller Special Reserve or 107 at retail. But if you can find a bottle of the recently released Weller Full Proof and your dad is a fan of whiskey, this is the gift that will keep on giving–assuming, of course, he decides to share it with you.
$50
