Figuring out a way to honor the hero that is your dad on father’s day and more? A big feast and a tribute on social media is well and good, but more often than not, they’ll be more than happy with drinks and your company, of course.
While many would admit, albeit later on in life, that their first sip of alcohol was snuck away in some peer-pressed instance in the exuberance of their youth. Think late nights with friends, a weekend away from home, or those chaperone-free fragments of the dance. There is a sense of liberty that comes with initial drink, functioning as some sort of initiation into the world that only grown-ups are supposed to tread. Let it be known, you have to be of legal age to drink liquor, which comes with a responsibility including but not limited to knowing your limits, not driving, and keeping an eye out for those who can’t quite take it yet. This is why for a fortunate few, the first round of drinks ever was on and with their dad.
The unique relationship of father and child takes form in many ways over the years. From the clinging of infancy, the temperament of our youth, and the long drawn-out silences of our adolescent and adult years, there are pockets of moments carved out that erase all the challenges that is but natural. Whether it be an ice cream date as wee ones, an adventure into the great outdoors (even if it sometimes just turns out to be the grocery), or a few drinks to celebrate birthdays, father’s days, and just about any special occasion possible, there should always be time made for dad.
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Of course, this is in no way the only manner in which one can celebrate father’s day, but for many, drinks with dad is that special one-on-one time in one’s legal (we repeat) adult years to finally become more than just the old one and young one, but as equals fostering a bond as you would with friends on a weekend night out. No two fathers are ever alike, and so are their choices of alcohol. Whether one goes simple and straightforward with clean and full-bodied flavors of San Miguel Pale Pilsen, prefers the classic glass of wine, or appreciates the finer tastes of woody whiskies aging gracefully over time, it is all about the conversations and the company you keep in between swishes and gulps of your drink.
Here, after all those years, you not only have a good time, but in effect, bettering the relationship by eliminating the archaic societal expectations that have been drilled into our heads for so long, as well of a lowering of walls and you both have built up over the years. A toast to each other and to life in general, when you are so lucky to do so, there is really something special about having drinks with dad on father’s day or maybe even just a normal weekend, no special occasion needed.
Up For A Drink?
A toast the main men of our lives, our firm foundations and superheroes, we rounded up the drinks you can have with dad, especially on father’s day. But remember, drink responsibly, people.
Chandon
From vineyards spanning four continents, with wineries thriving in Argentina, California, Brazil, Australia, China, and India, Chandon, the sparkling wine of Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, finally finds its way to the Philippines. Unexpected in its inception and approach to the bright and bubbly, Chandon introduces us to its domain, running the gamut from bold to bouncy to the taste.
With three signature sparkling wines, there is a bottle of Chandon perfect for drinks between you and dad. Whether it be a preference of vibrant and elegant in a soft swirl of peach, apple, lemon, and pineapple countered with brioche in the Chandon Brut, fruity and delicate in the tender build of roses, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry and toast in the Chandon Rose, and the refreshing and sweet in the lingering and expressive combination of lemon, passionfruit, mango, pineapple, and honey in the youthful Chandon Delice, your discerning tastes are more than served one glass at a time.
Don Papa Rum
“And now, you dreamers, waken; come drink, and dance, and sing,” writes 2012 Palanca Award Winner Anca Bautista in collaboration with Don Papa Rum. “The dream you have been dreaming is the sweetest spell of Spring.” Now, spring isn’t exactly a season of the tropics, but as a verb, it means to leap, to move, to rise. This could be more apt now as the world works its way to rebuilding life as we now know it to be. Celebrating the message of hope, Don Papa Rum whisks us away to its Sweet Sugarlandia Spring where the whimsy of its locale and the warmth of its premium single island malt. In this visceral experience, you are introduced to four new decadent possibilities in delicious cocktail recipes you and dad can recreate and drink to namely, Jungle Nectar, Botanica Obscura, Avalon Awakens, and Descanso Bloom.
Johnnie Walker
Nothing can beat a classic, and in the realm of blended Scotch whisky, there isn’t a more recognized name than Johnnie Walker. Reliable and truly iconic, the brand keeps on walking into the foreseeable future with its familiar and well-balanced mix of sweet and peat. Two centuries later, here they are, still at the top of their game, figuring into many responsible drink sessions with you and your dad. Not without changes, however, Johnnie Walker celebrates its 200th anniversary with a new look in a limited edition bottle, as well as of a partnership with Support Your Friends (SYF) that features a range of merch that includes a shirt, bucket hat, and tote bag, which you can pick up at SYF’s website.
Macallan
In its constant pursuit of greatness and excellence, the unmistakable glint of gold in its glass case continues to glimmer many generations down the line. From fathers before to fathers now who’ve had their swigs of the Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old, the unrivalled commitment to the sensational draw of wood spices, raisins, and caramel, the lingering honeyed taste makes it a versatile serve you can take both neat or in mixes. Remember, perhaps as taught to you by your dad, there is no right or wrong way to drink whisky. Take it the way you want, the harmony of flavors are already there to enjoy.
Monkey Shoulder
While many purists will furrow their brows and purse their lips at how the rest of the modern world takes their whisky, there are those curious and creative sorts that champion the robust flavors of its blend as made for mixing. And this is what Monkey Shoulder is all about. According to Samuel Ng, Regional Brand Ambassador for the brand, “We want to encourage people to get playful and mix things up using Monkey Shoulder as a base for their at-home cocktail concoctions.” For its summer fare, it introduces its summer packs of 100% malt whisky with the tropical punch that is the Monkey Colada and the ticklish trickle of its Ginger Monkey all for your pleasure despite the obvious limits of life at the moment. “Go wild, get creative, and don’t forget to crack out the party games and funky playlists for an elevated experience throughout.”
Rio Strong
“We pledge nothing but a crazy strong experience,” these are pretty strong words to associate oneself with, and yet Rio Strong stands by it in nothing more than a can. Deceptively simple at a glance, the vodka-based flavored cocktail has all the pomp of a zinging elixir in the ease of its to-go case. A new way to experience drinks with dad during father’s day, you might want to try this ready-to-drink cocktail that is a one-two-three punch of low calories, unmistakably fruity taste (grapefruit, calamansi, peach, and lemon), and a strong buzz in just two words: Rio Strong. While you can drink straight out of the easy to open can, you can also further delight yourself with fun mixes such as a Mojito, French 75, Greyhound, and Berrie Slushie.
Santa Ana Gin
From spirits aged in wood casks to liberal inspirations from the yellowed pages of nostalgia, when on the conversation of liquor, time plays an important role. Taking us back to the golden and glorious era of Manila in the 1920s, Santa Ana Gin recreates the glamour of the days gone by in a bottle. Elegantly housed in a glass bottle that harkens to the art deco movement, the luscious gin is a celebration of distinctly Filipino flavors that the world can not only appreciate as a novelty, but as a permanent fixture in their home bars.
Bottling optimism and opulence, Santa Ana Gin is distilled in the Charente region of France with seven traditional botanicals namely juniper, bitter, orange, angelica, orris roots, and fennel. What gives this blend an edge is an introduction of distinctly Filipino flavors to its abundance such as ylang-ylang, alpinia, calamansi, and dalandan. While it is a love letter as it is to a part of history, Santa Gin is a purely contemporary drink that many generations will surely enjoy.
Tamnavulin
With such a colorful story to its name, one that counts a sad closure and a jubilant re-opening in 1995, Tamnavulin has a full experience, as well as the Scotch whisky tradition down pat. Elevating the experience in its current two decade run, the single malt Scotch whisky has evolved from its fresh and fruity core, developing surprisingly deep and robust flavors that keeps you coming back for more sips. Branching out in prominence with the best of Speyside, Tamnavulin stands out in the market as more than just the mill on the hill, but a choice for many connoisseurs and casuals in the focused landscape of whisky. Whether it be Tamnavulin Double Cask or the Tamnavulin Sherry Cask, this will be a well-appreciated choice during father’s day where you and dad can drink with nibbles of chocolate or popcorn on the side. Glorious indeed.
BONUS: Run, Rabbit, Run x Merry Moo Ice Cream
If you and dad are not into the drinks in the traditional sense of the word, then you might fancy a little frozen delight? A coming together of two favorites, Run Rabbit Run, a Poblacion-based speakeasy that has been offering up some delicious serves even amid the pandemic, and Merry Moo Ice Cream introduce us to the cocktail ice cream. Yes, you read that right. Double the delight, double fun, the signature best seller of Run Rabbit Run, the refreshing Floppy Ears, is shaken and churned with Merry Moo Ice Cream’s smooth recipe, scooping up refreshing mounds of magic.
BONUS: Honest Junk
When the internet was led to believe that snacking was wrong, a conscious and curious crew in the Philippines sought to turn the tables with its hypothesis of the right kind of wrong. If snacking is wrong, they thought, then perhaps it can be made right with nature-derived ingredients and superfoods. The result of this undertaking is Honest Junk, a proudly Filipino brand that has tickled the fancy and tastebuds of its market with its delightful selection of healthy snacks such as the moringa-fortified gummy bears and cookies enriched with superfoods. Leaning further into their brand proposition, Honest Junk played with Gummy Spikes, a line of gummy bears infused with liquor, in moderation of course.
Careful and considered with its combination of 100% natural fruit juices, moringa, and no added refined sugar, it proved to be a hit. This year, their Gummy Spikes takes on more Filipino flavors with its collaborations with Archipelago by Full Circle Craft Distillers, Don Papa Rum, and Engkanto Brewery. From Apple Arctini Gummy Spikes (ARC Lava Rock Vodka), Signal No. 4 Gummies (Don Papa Rum Masskara Rum), and Elixir Gummies (Engkanto Pale Ale), snacking is made complete where every nibble is a dash of a drink, one with a bit more kick than usual.
(Featured photo from The Simpsons)
