Is whisky the best drink to give on Father's Day?

Unusually Father’s Day, which comes up this weekend, is celebrated on the same day in Britain, the US and France. I must say I think the hype for these ‘special days’ has got a bit out of hand but if mothers are pampered, hey, why not fathers too?

The stereotype gift, judging by the ads and editorial coverage, is a bottle of whisky but how many fathers want that, particularly at this time of year? Not all dads are pipe-smoking, golf-playing, slipper-wearing whisky lovers (certainly not the French fathers, I would have thought) though I suppose by the time their children get to the stage of being able to organise them a Father’s Day gift of this type it’s fair to assume that they’re over 45.

Even then that doesn’t mean they have identical tastes and interests. My husband, for example, would be almost totally uninterested in a bottle of whisky but if the children gave him a bottle of Bandol (his current favourite pour) or a particularly beautiful wine glass or a bottle of French Caribbean rum he’d be happy as Larry. (In that respect he’s probably more like a French père.)

For other fathers it could be a bottle of great white Burgundy, a quirky gin, an old madeira or sherry or an intriguing mixed case of Belgian beers.

Two general principles about gift-giving when it comes to drinks: first, don’t buy something of which the recipient has great specialist knowledge and you have none. A disappointing Bordeaux or Burgundy is much worse than a bottle of wine they don’t normally drink. A similar type of wine from another region, say, a Bordeaux blend from California, Western Australia, South Africa or Chile would be a much better option.

And don’t always give the same bottle. Poor old dads tend to get saddled with the vinous equivalent of socks and handkerchiefs. He may - probably does - have a favourite wine or whisky but its unflattering to suggest he hasn’t got the imagination or isn’t sufficiently open-minded to drink beyond that! Behind every dad there’s a young man . . .

Image ©karandaev - Fotolia.com

If you’d like be able to check out all the food and wine pairings on the site you can buy a bundle of credits here to access my premium content.

And/or for regular updates on what and where I’ve been eating, drinking and travelling sign up for my weekly newsletter Eat This, Drink That, Live Well.