Gifts – BrewMinds

Bourbon Bottles for Father's Day

If you haven’t figured out what to get your Dad for father’s day yet it is not too late for you snag a great present and become his favorite child. The secret is bourbon. Here are a few special version bottles that are sure to make your old man proud this Sunday and are still readily available in most liquor stores. And don’t forget that June 14th is National Bourbon Day so you have two reasons to celebrate this weekend.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked: Woodford Reserve takes their finished bourbon and ages it again in a different barrel, this one twice as charred as the standard bourbon barrel. The result is a very smooth and creamy bourbon with just an edge of bite. I ordered this bourbon at a hotel bar and was seriously tempted to lick the glass when it was finished.

Maker’s 46: Maker’s Mark fans tend to be very loyal to their brand and unlikely to be swayed by gimmicks or flavoring. To make their special bottle they take the standard aged Maker’s Mark and then age them again inside barrels containing seared French oak staves. The idea is to create bolder, more complex flavors while eliminating the bitterness that usually comes with whiskeys that are aged longer. The Maker’s Mark fans I know seem to have embraced it and I can honestly say that I like it better than standard Maker’s. The 46 is complex with a sweet front and a strong finish.

Knob Creek Single Barrel: If your dad likes the bold flavor of Jim Beam’s pre-prohibition style small batch bourbon, you can make it a day with only an extra $10 and get him the single barrel. This is a big bourbon with a big finish, which you would expect at 120 proof. As much as I hate the cliché, this is a pretty manly bourbon. Give it to your dad to take along for a weekend in a cabin or sipping in the man cave.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed: If your dad will appreciate the pure flavor of a barrel proof bourbon but could do without as much burn this might be the bottle for you. Wild Turkey is already known for distilling at a lower proof so that they can bottle with less water. In their Rare Breed, they combine 6, 8 and 12 years old barrels but don’t add water so they all come out at barrel strength, in this case, a relatively modest 108.2 proof. It is a great value and despite Wild Turkey’s reputation as a rough and ready whiskey, it is surprisingly complex and smooth.

New Riff Ranger Program: Of course I can’t ignore fathers who are eager to support Cincinnati’s newest distillery and to get some pretty cool perks at the same time. For $60 your can buy your dad a membership to New Riff’s Ranger Program. Four years from now he will receive a hand bottled and personalized single barrel bourbon. In the meantime Rangers will receive a 10% discount on all non-alcoholic gift shop items, advance opportunity to purchase New Riff’s limited and rare releases, an insider newsletter, and exclusive invitations to bottling parties, including the bottling of his very own Ranger Bottle. For the dad that knows that good things come to those who wait.

List of Great Father’s Day Beer Gifts

With Father’s Day just two weeks away time is running tight to find your beer loving dad a great gift. I’ve compiled a quick list if you’ve run out of ideas.

Beer History

Audacity of Hops (my review) is a great introductory book to the history of the American craft beer movement. Dad’s into history, beer, or especially beer history will all enjoy this read.

For those beer history buffs with a special interest in Cincinnati I’d suggest Over-The-Rhine: When Beer was King. Even if you don’t like beer at all this book provides a gripping and interesting history of Cincinnati, including two riots and a Gatling gun on top of the courthouse!

If you want more of an event and a hands on history experience then the Cincinnati Brewery Tours can’t be beat. Again, beer fan or not everyone in or around the Greater Cincinnati area should experience one of these awesome tours.

Beer Tasting Guides

Beer: What to Drink Next I love books, especially as gifts. All three of these books make great coffee table books and excellent references for learning about beer. If your dad isn’t interested in homebrewing then I’m sure they’re interested in learning more about their favorite beer and how to enjoy it better. Tasting Beer (my review), Beer: What to Drink Next (my thoughts), and The Complete Beer Course will make any dad happy.

Magazines

I like to think of magazines as little gifts that show up every month. Reminding the person you’re giving the gift to of your awesome gift! Here are my three favorite beer-centric magazines:

Homebrewing

After long enough enjoying finely crafted beers many people want to try making their own beer. Your father may have already contemplated this, or many not even know it’s possible. Either way a great place to start is with a Mr. Beer Kit. This is a relatively inexpensive way to get a taste for the hobby.

If they’ve already been brewing for a bit then help them up their game with How to Brew or The Homebrewer’s Companion books. Both books are very similar and each has their own pros and cons. Personally I prefer How To Brew because it feels more up-to-date than The Homebrewer’s Companion. If you’ve had one or two of their batches and have been less than impressed then perhaps giving them a class at Osborn Brewing Brew-U School is a better way to go.

A gift card to your local homebrew supply store like Osborn Brewing is a great way to go if they’re already a master homebrewer. Your dad may already have a garage full of homebrewing equipment but I promise there is something he wants to upgrade or tinker with. At the very least he could use it for ingredients or a kit.

Other Stuff

41rGREsGzQL It’s somewhat sad how few people realize the importance the appropriate glass can play. I’m not going to say a beer is crap if it’s in a shaker pint, but an IPA in a Spiegelau IPA Glass certainly tastes better than one in a shaker pint. Something like Spiegelau Tasting Kit Craft Beer Glass Set also makes a great present because it’s one of those things someone is less likely to buy themselves and doesn’t know they need.

Growlers are becoming more and more common every day so it’s important to had a 41spCN7s1XL bad ass one. This Stone swing top growler is easily the nicest one I own. Great sturdy
construction, rocking Stone logo, handy-dandy thumb loop for pouring, oh and it’s a swing stop to help keep your beer fresh longer!

Finally something I always find myself in need of more of are tasting glasses and a swanky serving paddle to go along with them would be really nice. Check out this set from BeerLoved.com

Ok, so what did I miss? What’s are you getting your beer loving dad for this Father’s day?

Gifts for the beer lover in your family

It’s getting cold out (well, not today it’s 57), Christmas music is playing in every store, and winter ales abound. That all means the holiday season is upon us. Since this is QCD’s first holiday season and because I love shopping for beer and beer stuff I present the following post about beer gifts for yourself or the beer lover in your family.

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