TOAST to Father’s Day this year with our top picks of spirits, wines and soft drinks. Choosing the perfect gift can sometimes be hard, which is why we’ve gone for a mixture of artisan and classic names.
This gives you the choice to find the perfect drink regardless of your budget. Read on to see our top picks.
Searcys 175th anniversary release
Searcys Classic Cuvée, Brut, English Sparkling Wine, NV
English sparkling wine is now synonymous with Champagne in terms of flavour and quality, so this special 175th-anniversary release from Searcys is the ideal thank you gift that is priced very reasonably. The wine showcases a collaboration between Searcys and Greyfairs Vineyard in Surrey, and has produced a vibrant wine which uses a blend of three traditional grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Expect notes of stone fruits and honey.
Searcys sparkling wine retails at £31 per bottle and can be purchased here
Clarendelle Bordeaux
Clarendelle Bordeaux Rouge 2016
This fine vintage from luxury French winemaker, Domaine Clarence Dillon, challenges traditional, embracing a self-sufficient production method using solar power. It is perfectly aged, boasting fragrant aromas of red fruit and blackcurrant, which is a result of rain and warm weather in 2016.
The wine retails at £19.80 a bottle and can be purchased here
World of Zing whisky cocktail
World of Zing, Whisky Lovers Cocktail Collection
Pre-mixed cocktails have reached a new level of sophistication, and this Whisky Lovers collection from World of Zing is the gateway to discovering new and interesting blends using the finest whisky. In this set, you can expect Yuzu Whiskey Sour, Leather & Walnut Manhattan, Seville Orange Old Fashioned and a Cherry Amaretto Sour. Each cocktail comes in a small 50ml bottle which you can serve over ice.
The cocktail set retails at £16 and is available to buy here.
Fever Tree’s new limited edition release
Fever Tree Limited Edition Passionfruit & Lime Tonic Water
G&T enthusiasts will already know about Fever Tree mixers, however, this special limited edition release is a flavoursome alternative to regular tonic water. It uses yellow Passion fruit from Ecuador with a blend of Tahitian lime. This vibrant tonic water is so versatile, that it will complement almost anything!
This limited edition release (500ml) retails at £1.90 and is available to buy here
The ready-to-drink cocktail pouch
Soho Street Cocktails, Pornstar Martini
This cocktail pouch is the ideal party serve as it offers the perfectly mixed flavours of a pornstar martini in one convenient pouch. All you need is a bottle of fizz to pour on top, and voila! This craft cocktail is made in small batches, meaning there is no sacrifice on taste. Unlike many other premixed cocktails, there are no artificial flavours or colourings in this.
The cocktail pouch retails at £28.99 and is available to buy here
Hattiers rum
Hattiers Rum, Egremont Premium Reserve Rum
South Devon-based rum makers, Hattiers Rum, create premium blended ages rums from the world’s finest rum countries. This blend uses rum from the Caribbean and Central America, but it boasts one secret ingredient that makes it extra special… pure soft water from the hills of Dartmoor, England! This rum is perfect for serving neat on the rocks or shaken up into your favourite rum cocktail.
The rum retails at £42, and is available to purchase here.
The Single Malt bottle and packaging
East London Liquor Company Single Malt
You may have stumbled across East London Liquor Company whilst in East London, or even whilst browsing stalls at Borough Market. The spirits brand has become a staple for their gin, but they have recently delved into the world of whisky. This Single Malt is their newest release, and it promises a rollercoaster of flavours on both the nose and mouth. Aromas of Szechuan peppers, ripe pineapple, oatmeal biscuits, peanut brittle, and a hint of cigar box have been noted on the nose. It doesn’t take much to imagine how memorable it will be sipping this from a glass.
The new East London Single Malt is out soon, RRP £55 – in the meantime you can also buy their London Rye® Whisky RRP £55 here.
Macallan 12-Year-Old
Macallan Double Cask 12-Year-Old
Anything from Macallan’s signature range is guaranteed to make a great Father’s day gift, but this 12-year-old expression offers subtle delicacies that are particularly enjoyable. Expect citrus notes with delicacies of toffee apple, butterscotch and caramel.
This bottle retails at £55 and can be purchased here
The Elephant Gin packaging
Elephant Strength Gin
This navy strength gin sits at the 57% alcohol mark, making it Elephant London Dry Gin’s bolder, boozier sibling. This fuller bodied gin boasts flavours of juniper, African buchu, orange peel and mountain pine to name a few.
An overproof gin such as Elephant Strength has one significant benefit. The flavours of the botanicals won’t get lost when they are mixed with other ingredients. It is the ideal option if you are a gin lover who wants to create a cocktail where the gin stands at the forefront of the palate.
Elephant Strength Gin retails at £38.90 and can be purchased here
Ron Santiago rum bottle
Ron Santiago de Cuba Extra Añejo 11-Year-Old
There is plenty of good rum on the market, but if you want something that’s a cut above the rest, this extra añejo (which translates to extra aged) expression has a fuller flavour, longer finish and lasting memories.
It is spicy and fruity in equal measures, and you can expect to detect grilled pineapple, cinnamon, black pepper, green banana and caramel on the palate.
The rum retails at £39.83 and can be purchased here.
Konik’s tale vodka
Konik’s Tail Vodka
This small batch Polish vodka uses three different grains: spelt, rye and wheat. With more and more consumers making the choice to avoid Russian vodka, this is the ideal alternative.
The vodka is filtered through birch charcoal which leaves it with a clean, yet lively flavour. In case you were wondering, Konik translates as horse in Polish.
The vodka retails at £32.99 and can be purchased here
Indian spiced rum
Cane Toad Rum, Khanage Wars Indian Spiced Rum
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but sometimes it’s fun to choose a spirit based on how the label looks. In this case, the whacky name and graphics on this Cane Toad Rum expression is out of this world.
As for its flavour profile, a mix of Caribbean rums is delicately blended with rum from Mauritius to encapsulate the sun and offer flavours of tropical fruit and well-balanced spices.
This rum retails at £25 and can be purchased here
The Jonnie Walker bottle
Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Whiskey is an exquisite combination of Scotland’s rarest and most exceptional whiskies, created using a selection of rare casks from the Speyside and Highland distilleries. Only one in every 10 thousand casks make the cut – a special gift for a unique dad.
What’s more is that Johnnie Walker Blue Label is offering an exclusive whisky and cheese tasting experience on Princes Street in Edinburgh. For the first time the public will be allowed access to this blended whisky giving customers an immersive, multi-sensory experience only available on the 19 June.
Priced at £135 and the experience is available here.
Plymouth gin bottle
Plymouth Gin
This award-winning classic craft gin has been distilled using the same blend of exotic botanicals, soft Dartmoor water and pure grain alcohol since 1793. It draws on Plymouth’s surrounding land, water, and traditions to create a quality gin. making it the perfect tipple for the discerning dad.
Priced at £27 and available from here
by Katrina Mirpuri