It was a milestone in my craft beer writing career when my dad switched from Budweiser to Dale’s Pale Ale. No offense, Bud, but I’ll die happy having had conversations about hops flavor profiles with my old man.
Admittedly though, converting my father into a craft beer geek means that shopping for Father’s Day gets more challenging every year. He’s now the proud owner of his own growlers and brewery t-shirts, and to take him on yet another brewery tour or to a beer dinner would be trite. He owns every beer cookbook ever written, and his glassware collection is getting out of hand.
If you, too, have created a monster out of your beer-drinking dad, if he’s a hombrew fanatic, or if he’s the guy who got you into the craft beer, check out these gift ideas for Father’s Day.
Buy Dad a Six-Pack
But not just any six pack. Instead custom make him one with six different beers. Get extra points for thoughtfulness with one of these specialty six-pack holders from BOOZEBIN. They are $14.99 for a set of four and can be customized with your own text.
Get even more points with a wooden six-pack carrier from Rocky Mountain Wood, pictured at the top. These rustic beer totes with attached metal bottle openers are $39.99, and can be engraved for an additional fee.
Support the Craft
Does your dad homebrew? Provide the packaging for his next batch with a set of personalized labels from Pepita Press. $10.99 gets you a sheet of six labels.
If your dad is in a homebrew club, he might appreciate the Beer Tasting Tool Kit by Jeff Alworth, which includes a style guide and tasting booklet, sleeves to conduct blind tastings, and templates for tasting notes. Find the kit online for about $25.
Satisfy The Home Chef
Sure, you can make beer can chicken without a new kitchen gadget, but handing dad a can of beer and a chicken might not be as effective as giving him a deluxe beer can chicken roaster by Steven Raichlen, the author of The Barbecue! Bible. This dad-friendly device costs $18.99.
No one can have enough barbeque sauce, especially when that sauce has been infused with beer. Williams-Sonoma has a set of three BBQ sauces—pilsner, pale ale, and amber ale—made with Boulevard Brewing’s American-style lager, pale ale from Southern Tier Brewing, and Shiner Brewery amber, respectively. The trio goes for about $35.
Craft Beer & Brewing
And, of course, for gifts that keep on giving, there are the Craft Beer & Brewing wallet bottle openers, Craft Beer & Brewing stickers, subscriptions to Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine®, and the new Craft Beer & Brewing online courses. If you can't decide, pick up a Craft Beer & Brewing gift certificate, and let your dad choose his own gift.
Fathers’ Day is Sunday, June 15. I hope you drink a beer with, or at least for, your dear old dad.