Sunday is Father’s Day and your dad deserves a drink. You can go the easy route and crack open a sixer of his favorite beer. You can step it up a notch by bringing over your dad’s favorite Scotch, bourbon, rye, tequila, or gin to drink on the back porch. Or, you can win Father’s Day by actually making your dad a cocktail he’ll love.
If you do, mix up one of these drinks that bartenders told us are worthy of their dads.
Natasha David, bartender at Nitecap in New York
“Dad should be drinking some refreshing and transporting like the ‘Ultimatum.’ It’s made with Novo Fogo Cachaçha, Gin, Cocchi Americano, Lime Juice, Ginger Bitters and is shaken with a Lime Leaf to give it an additional layer of flavor. It’s pretty gulpable!”
John Maraffi, Beverage Manager at Clifton’s Republic in Los Angeles
“Dad’s drink whisky, and there is nothing more classic than an old fashioned cocktail. For Father’s Day at Clifton’s Republic, we will be doing a Patron signature Añejo barrel old fashion with chocolate bitters.”
Mario Flores, Bartender at Maple & Ash in Chicago
“The Scotchy Scotch Scotch with Glenorangie 10-yr. Scotch, David Nicholson 1843 Bourbon, Cocchi di Torino, Grand Marnier, and an Ardbeg float. It’s stirred and its boozy, yet balanced. The smokiness is something all Dads can enjoy and you only need one or two to get the job done.”
Colin Coleman, Beverage Director at Playa Provisions in Play del Rey, California
“When I think of dads, I think of manly men doing manly things. My dad has been drinking a 6 pack of Bud Heavy and playing beach volleyball after a long day of construction work for 30 plus years. But on Father’s Day, I’d expect him to celebrate with a well-crafted cocktail like a Bobby Burns, which is highland scotch stirred well with a quality sweet vermouth, a touch of Benedictine and a dash of chocolate bitters to enhance the subtle flavors hiding in the mix. It makes me think of Don Draper drinking a martini but dressed like a lumber jack.”
Akos Orosz, Bar Manager at Westbound in Los Angeles
“Growing up in Hungary, anytime I saw my dad or grandfather come home from a long day of working, the first thing they would drink was a cold White Wine Spritz or “Fröccs,” as it’s called in Hungarian. It’s almost always made with homemade wine, usually a dry Furmint wine made from grapes people in the countryside would grow in their gardens just for this purpose. White Wine Spritzes are one of the most overlooked mixed drinks in the USA; I only see ladies ordering them in bars in Los Angeles. But to me, it is the perfect, refreshing cocktail for hard working dads this Father’s Day and something every son should make for their dad.”
Tara Shadzi, Lead Bartender at BOA Streakhouse in Los Angeles
“When I think of fathers, I think of a gentleman drink…Fathers are the ultimate gentlemen, which speaks to the most classic gentleman drink…a Manhattan. Our bar manager, Josh Renfree, combines Knob Creek Rye with delicious Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth in an oak barrel. Aged for 28 days, this Manhattan is like a fine wine. The flavors meld together to create a surprisingly lush, delicious, and smooth Manhattan that is unexpected and complex. Bitters, an Italian aged cherry, and the right amount of stirring equals pure perfection.”
Billy Fabel, bartender at FireLake in Minneapolis
“My dad would be drinking a Grain Belt in the car but that was a different era. I could also see him drinking a bourbon and ginger ale.”
Drew Lucido, Bar Manager at Taste in St. Louis
“I like to make my dad the drink that I created in honor of him. It’s a mash up of his two favorite cocktails – the Blood and Sand and the Vieux Carre. It’s called a Gaslight Square.”
