Top Tipples For Dad

Sipping and aged rums, beers brewed 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle and a cocktail seasoning to gee up a Gin & Tonic, these are just some of the top tipples we recommend for gifts for Father’s Day (or any day or relative for that matter!).

Transport Dad to the Caribbean with one sip of El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum, often voted the world’s best rum. Made with sugar cane grown on the banks of the Demerara River in Guyana, South America, El Dorado 12 Year Old is rich amber in colour with a super attractive nose, packed with aromas of sugar, honey, banana, toffee, raisins and sultanas.  The ripe, rich and balanced flavours deliver a sweetness after which the finish is delightful, elegant and dry.  A real stand-out on the drinks shelf. 

El Dorado 12 Year Old can be served on its own, with or without ice, or mixed into luxurious cocktails.  Why not use El Dorado in classic cocktails such as the Old Fashioned or the Sazerac for alternative twist.

Where to buy: RRP: £38.54, Spirited Wines –http://www.spiritedwines.co.uk/el-dorado-12-year-old-rum.html

Where to try: For an El Dorado Old Fashioned, try Mojo Bars in either Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester.  For an original drink inspired by a Sazerac and an Old Fashioned, head down to NOLA in London’s Shoreditch to try the VEP Rinse. Created by Katie Darling whilst she was working at Bellocq in New Orleans, the VEP Rinse uses El Dorado 12 Year Old, stirred down with sweet vermouth and bitters before being served on a Chartreuse VEP rinsed ice cubes and finished with a hint of lemon oil.  It’s a rich drink with a light sweetness and subtle herbal overtones. 

Staying on the rum front but moving up towards Bermuda, the home of Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, a family secret has been revealed.   Kept under lock and key for over 155 years, Gosling’s deep dark secret is the Family Reserve Old Rum.  Crafted to the same exacting standards as Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, a key ingredient in the Dark ‘n Stormy cocktail, the Family Reserve Old Rum is left aging in once-used oak bourbon barrels until it has acquired an extra luscious, nuanced complexity, much like a rare Scotch or Cognac.

The bottle, which houses the Family Reserve Old Rum, pays homage to the champagne bottles that were salvaged from the British officers’ mess when the rum was first available.   They were sealed with black sealing wax and soon, people were asking for more of the ‘black seal rum’.  Today, each bottle is lovingly hand labelled, numbered, dipped in wax and placed in a straw-filled wooden box, reminiscent of days past.

Where to buy: RRP £54.35, The Whisky Exchange –http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-4483.aspx

Where to try: Home to the world’s most premium rum and gin offering assembled under one roof, the Merchant House which is tucked away on Well Court just off Bow Lane, is the place to sample the Gosling’s Family Reserve. Nate, Lewis and their knowledgeable team will be able to recommend the best way to enjoy this excellent rum.

Einstök Icelandic Pale Ale is brewed just 60miles south of the Arctic Circle in Akureyi in Iceland and was created by the first Icelander in fifty years to study on the prestigious brewing program at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh. 

Fresh from being awarded two gold medals at the Los Angeles International Beer Competition and the San Diego Beer Competition, Einstök Icelandic Pale Ale is the best of American and Bavarian craft beer traditions joined together with the finest Icelandic water to create this Viking version of the Pale Ale, where robust hoppiness meets smooth malty undertones. Cascade hops give it the American character, while Northern Brewer hops add just enough bitterness to make this ale refreshingly Icelandic.

Where to buy: 6 x330ml bottles of Einstök Pale Ale is £13.99 from Majestic Wine, or you can buy two cases for £10.99 each http://www.majestic.co.uk/Einstoek-Pale-Ale-zid28474;pgid=p55Cu3.ZrPlSRpdgt0CuBIWd0000M_oCKeFC;sid=avfS_2GAc9Th_jTQDSXZ_VGK8hMUavlkrGJEURdh?tracking=|searchterm:Einstok

Where to try: Ever fancied a beer cocktail?  Pop down to Oskar’s Bar in Dabbous in Fitzrovia where Oskar Kinberg has created The Drink With No Name combines Woodford Reserve bourbon, greengage ginger ale, lemon and Einstök Pale Ale, all in one delicious drink.

With summer just around the corner, give Dad the tools to make the ultimate gin and tonic or vodka and tonic. Like adding salt and pepper to a meal to enhance food, the equivalent in the drinks world is a dash of cocktail bitters, which are made from aromatic oils, herbs and spices.  The Bitter Truth are committed to sourcing the very best ingredients in the world to create these tinctures which add depth of flavour, balance and aroma to drinks. 

The Bitter Truth Tonic Bitters are easy to use and are a great and simple way to pep up a drink; just drop two dashes into your drink.  It’s especially good if your lime or lemon is looking a bit desperate, as the Tonic Bitters gives the drink a lovely sherbety taste.

Made with natural ingredients, Tonic bitters are made using Grapefruit, Sicilian lemon, lime and Seville oranges These leading flavours are backed up with herbal notes from juniper berries, coriander seeds  and spices such as mace creating a grassy-fresh bouquet like that of Japanese green tea.

Another bitter within the Bitter Truth range that is great for the home bar isThe Bitter Truth Orange Bitters. It provides an essential ingredient for classic cocktails such as the Martinez and the Manhattan and is also super with a few dashes dropped into a gin and tonic to bring out the citrus botanicals.

Where to buy: The Bitter Truth Tonic Bitters are available from The Drink Shop.com with an RRP of £14.42 as are The Bitter Truth Orange Bitters (£13.96): http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products/nlpdetail.php?prodid=13340  http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products/nlpdetail.php?prodid=5478

Where to try: Shrub and Shutter in Brixton has just launched its new cocktail menu and uses The Bitter Truth Orange bitters to bring out the fruitiness of the rums in the Citizen Kane cocktail.  The cocktail is an old fashioned style drink using St George’s Agricole & Atlantico private cask, smoked sugar and angostura.