Food & Drink

Find the Perfect Local Booze for Father’s Day

Struggling to find the perfect gift? It's as simple as picking up a bottle

By AJ Rathbun June 10, 2019

Fathers-Day-Etched-Bottle-W

Father’s Day is right around the corner, and if your dad likes a good drink, look no further. The best present you can pick up is a bottle filled with a tasty tipple made from one of our awesome local distilleries. But which bottle? To help you out, we’ve made some picks below based on what drink your dad tends to like best. You can buy us a drink to thank us!

If Your Dad’s an Old Fashioned Drinker…
Woodinville Whiskey Co. Straight Bourbon
Whiskey-loving dads will love this bourbon, named 2016 Craft Whiskey of the Year. All the grain used to make it – corn, rye and malted barley – is grown on the Omlin Family farm in Quincy, Washington, and its vanilla, caramel, and baking chocolate notes ending in a slight sweetness go deliciously in this classic drink. Also, you can have your bottle custom etched to personalize it for your pops (you can get any of the regular Woodinville Whiskey Co. whiskeys in a custom-etched, via laser-engraving, bottle, too, if you want to go with a different variety). 

If Your Dad’s a Martini Drinker…
Scratch Distillery Martini Style Gin
This organic wheat-based gin was crafted specifically to make a mighty Martini, with 17 vapor-infused botanicals driving the lush flavor, which is highlighted by an approachable juniper-ness and layers of spice notes that leisurely unfold through the lingering finish. It pairs nicely with whatever your dry vermouth of choices is and pairs equally well whether your dad goes with a twist or olive! The gin-loving folks at this Edmond’s distillery also have a Gin and Tonic style gin if dad leans that direction. 

If Your Dad’s a Margarita Drinker…
Brovo Spirits Orange Curaçao
While the tequila choice is important, the orange component in a Margarita is often overlooked – and it’s crucial. This enchanting curaçao is made in WA from a global ingredient assortment: a base of neutral cane spirit (white rum), neutral grain spirit (vodka), and aged French brandy, three types of dried orange peel (sweet Californian, bitter Laranha from Curaçao, and Seville from Spain), an array of spices, and Maui raw brown sugar. End result: a luxurious orange-ness with perfect balance that delivers better Margaritas.

If Your Dad’s a Wine Drinker…
Seattle Distilling Company Brandy
I know, this may seem a little counter-intuitive (why not just buy dad wine?), but while we also enjoy wine, after a big father’s day dinner, dad’s going to love a new smooth – and this brandy is not only, of course, a close cousin to wine, but also superbly smooth. Made on Vashon Island with Washington grapes and aged five years in Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks, it unveils a lovely fig, vanilla, and raisin experience when consumed. Also, it’s a limited-edition, which means it’s even more special.

If Your Dad’s a Blood Mary Drinker…
Chambers Bay Distillery Rán Vodka
Even though this wheat-based vodka made in University Place is named from the Norse goddess of the sea, it still makes a swell choice for fathers who like the classic morning tomato-and-spice drink, or vodka, or really unique spirits. The key is that there’s a pinch of sea salt from San Juan Island coastal waters in it. Adding no more than a nice hint of salt and ocean, that salt still buoys while playing friendly with the other grain and spice notes in the vodka – and it makes the savory Bloody even better.

If Your Dad’s a Daiquiri Drinker…
Puget Sound Rum Company Rum47 White
Created at the 47th parallel (in Woodinville) while using a traditional Jamaican style pot still, and made from organic unrefined whole cane sugar, or panela, from a small farm in Columbia, this rum can transport a some sips of the tropics to island-loving- and Daiquiri-dads. While it’s a white rum and carries a great crisp nature, it also has a stitch more heaviness than most – which is a good thing here, as it equals more spice and flavor mingling with the lime and sweet Daiquiri components.

If Your Dad’s a Kir Royale Drinker…
Sidetrack Distillery Cassis
Those dads who tend to want to have a bit of bubbly elegance accompanying their sipping will adore this Cassis, made at a distillery-on-a-farm outside of Kent. It’s magic comes from blackcurrants (cassis is French for blackcurrents, though those used here are grown right on the farm), a tiny dark fruit that contains a friendly tartness – heightened, I believe, by being grown in the Pacific Northwest climate – which, along with a soupçon of tangy sweetness, combines wonderfully with any sparkling wine.

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