Once again Covid has hit the household so I thought what better to do with my downtime than suggest some goodies to celebrate the men in our lives. Fathers day is coming around quickly and instead of socks why not get them something a little special this year.
Lets start off with something small but mighty! The Haier I-Master Series 5 Home Barista Hot Drinks Machine is a little god send for anyone who loves a decent cuppa! It is eco conscious and doesn’t use pods! Operated by LED touch controls and in a compact design this really is a fabulous gift for the man who has everything! RRP £149 (currently £79 on offer!)
The AA are launching its 2024-25 Walking Guides, just in time to gift that Adventurous Dad out there.
The series features: Devon, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire and Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, North Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire. These revamped editions include updated cover designs, full colour maps and full introductions to each walk with information on local interests. So, whether Dad is drawn to the tranquil beauty of country lanes or the rugged allure of remote trails, a handpicked selection of UK walks promises to switch up Dad’s standard routes and let them experience all the countryside has to offer.
The new 50 Walks In guides are £13.99 and are available to purchase from Amazon and all leading bookstores.
As Father’s Day approaches, immerse yourself with exquisite flavours and unparalleled luxury with Pierre Marcolini Chocolates. From velvety truffles to exquisite pralines all handmade in Brussels. Make cherished moments to share with the dads, family and friends in our lives. The symphony of flavours and craftsmanship creates the perfect gift for all to enjoy this year.
Malline Truffles – £39
Box of 36 handcrafted truffles. A delicate cocao-dusted chocolate shell enveloping a smooth, flavoured ganache – bursting with flavour yet still exquisitely light.
Prezzee is a digital gift card which can be redeemed at more than 190 retail outlets including Miller & Carter, Adidas, Arsenal FC, Beer52 to name a few. This provides dad’s with the gift of choice while allowing the gift giver the options of gifting anything from £5 – £500.
The Yonex YHD123 Unisex Hoodie blurs the line between sportswear and everyday style, blended with a premium level of comfort. The modern, colour-split design is sure to stand out, whether you’re wearing it on your way to the court or in your everyday life.
Featuring everything you’d expect, such as a kangaroo pouch and a hood with a drawstring, this hoodie is made from 100% high-quality polyester, finished off with Yonex’s signature branding. It’s also ergonomically designed, with the intention of not restricting your swing if you wear this on the court. RRP £40.99
The Bon Vivant
If your father enjoys the drama of popping corks and keeping everyone’s glass full gift him this Lachetaur Crémant de Loire. It is structured, fine and round with a good length and persistent effervescence. A touch of lemon and berry fruits, lemon, tangerine, exotic fruits on the nose and translucent, brilliant, pale yellow with silver reflection. Serve as an aperitif or with seafood.
Wine: Lachetaur Cremant de Loire
Price: £16
Retailer: Ocado
The Philanthropist
While Neethlingshof Estate has a long and rich tradition of wine making in Stellenbosch it is also home of The Pebbles Project; a NGO that enables children from farming communities to access quality education programmes and health, nutrition and social work services. Additionally, in recognition of the estate’s commitment to eco-sustainability seeing 172 hectares given over to conservation, it was awarded WWF Champion Conservation status. Gift their Neethlingshof Estate Pinotage 2021, full bodied and rich with notes of ripe red plum, black cherry cloves and a hint of sweet tobacco. Great with dark chocolate and rich cheese.
Wine: Neethlingshof Estate Pinotage
Price: £14.95
Retailer: Wadebrige Wines
The Historian
Maison Calvet could quite possibly be Bordeaux’s oldest wine brand. Established in 1818 in by Jean-Marie Calvet in the town of Tain-l’Hermitage, in the France’s northern Rhône region. Calvet built the company up to became one of the leading négotiants (wine merchants) in France. The Calvet Sancerre is an excellent example of their most popular wines; an aromatic bouquet with white flowers and citrus fruits aromas and flinty notes combines richness, liveliness and aromatic persistence.
Wine: Calvet Sancerre
Price: £18.50
Retailer: Ocado
The Double Dutch discovery box is the perfect way to get to know some of the iconic mixers & tonics. Packed full of flavour, mix up with your favourite spirit or sip solo, this assortment of 4 Double Dutch flavours is sure to get the party started.
Included in the Discovery Box
- x2 150ml Cucumber & Watermelon mixer
- x2 150ml Pink Grapefruit Soda
- x2 150ml Skinny Tonic Water
- x2 150ml Pomegranate & Basil
- RRP £14 from Amazon or Double Dutch directly.
CleanCo was founded in 2019 by entrepreneur and British TV personality Spencer Matthews, CleanCo has rapidly grown to become the world’s leading independent non-alcoholic spirit brand.
With a portfolio spanning Clean T (Tequila), Clean G (Gin), Clean G Rhubarb (Rhubarb Gin), Clean R (Rum), Clean V (Vodka), and Clean W (Whiskey), CleanCo offer an unrivalled range of non-alcoholic equivalents to full strength spirits, without compromising on experience, taste, aroma, or mouthfeel. Having recently won numerous awards including Great Taste and IWSC, CleanCo continue to dominate taste-led innovation in the non-alcoholic category worldwide. CleanCo is available at all leading supermarkets and online via www.clean.co for £16.
Hensol Castle Wild Strawberry & Hibiscus Gin. RRP £30.00
A beautiful pink gin, bursting with wild strawberries and hibiscus flower, is a luscious twist on our classic award-winning Welsh dry gin. 70cl – 40% ABV. Hensol Castle Distillery is the only craft distillery in the UK that can be found in the cellars of a grade-I listed castle (Hensol Castle).
Chopin Potato Vodka
Hailed as the world’s most awarded potato-based vodka, this exceptional Polish spirit is produced between the months of September-December, using a special high-starch potato variety. The vodka has earned Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and prestigious Gold Medals from the Chicago Beverage Testing Institute’s International Review of Spirits Award. It features a full-bodied character with hints of green apple, citrus, and fresh cut grass, embraced by a creamy, rich mouthfeel. The palate culminates in a clean black pepper finish, transitioning into gentle notes of hazelnuts and soft lemon peel. Ideal in a classic martini. RRP £56.99 Amazon
Camus VSOP
Camus VSOP is an intensely aromatic and elegant Cognac which reflects the quintessential flavours of its terroir. VSOP uses grapes from different Cognac regions to bring elegance and intensity to the spirit, some of which originate from the renowned Cru of Borderies. Camus carefully select and then blend the finest eaux-de-vie matured in only the best French oak barrels to bring a perfect balance of precious woody notes, fresh tropical fruit, and a deep, floral character. Camus VSOP Cognac can be served neat or in classic Cognac cocktails such as the sidecar. RRP £54.25 from Spiritly
Mina Real is an ecologically sustainable mezcal made with maguey slowly cooked in a brick kiln without the consumption of firewood. The cooking method highlights the plants’ bright floral bouquet without burning an industry average of 2.5kgs of firewood per litre produced. Utilizing a combination of both modern and historical techniques, the maguey honeys for Mina Real are fermented intact with their crushed maguey piña fibers, followed by a double distillation in pot stills for pronounced earthiness and character.
Mina Real Mezcal Blanco
70cl | 46% abv | £45
Mina Real Blanco is made with agave Espadín in Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca. The agave used in this mezcal are grown at about 4,800 feet above sea level. Once harvested, the agave are steam roasted in a cantera limestone kiln oven, milled with a shredder, fermented in 1,400 litre pine wood vats using airborne yeast, and double distilled in a small clay-pot still.
Mina Real Mezcal is made at Destileria Real de Minas in Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca. This is the same distillery that makes Mezcal Don Amado. While Don Amado has several releases that are made with various agave, Mina Real is made solely with agave Espadín.
Tasting Notes: Smokey, bright mineral notes on the nose. Smoother, with light earthy soil tones on the palette. Citrus is in the background.
Master Distiller: Germaín Arellanes Santo
Picaflor Mezcal celebrates the hummingbird and its integral role in the pollination of the agave plant. Double distilled in 350-litre copper pot stills, this artisanal mezcal is hand-crafted in San Luis Del Rio, Oaxaca using traditional techniques ensuring a smooth finish. It is dedicated to all the men and women that have worked hard to make this mezcal special – the mezcal producers obtain a “hand-to-hand” philosophy, in which the mezcal is bought directly from its producers and then brought straight to the table of the final consumer.
Picaflor Mezcal Espadín
70cl | 42.9% vol | £47
Type: 100% Espadín.
Picaflor Mezcal celebrates the hummingbird and it’s integral role in the pollination of the agave plant. Double distilled in 350-litre copper pot stills, this artisanal mezcal is hand-crafted in San Luis Del Rio, Oaxaca using traditional techniques ensuring a smooth finish.
Tasting Notes: Slightly smoked and well-balanced taste. Hints of passion fruit, ripe pineapple and citrus. Full bodied on the mouth and harmonious after taste. Fresh undertones with a herbal touch that ends with sweet cooked agave notes.Agave Notes: Angustifolia Haw (Espadín)
In the highlands of southern Mexico, the renowned Arellanes family has been crafting one of the region’s most celebrated mezcals since the late 1700s. Eleven generations of continual mezcal distillation with a legendary commitment to craftsmanship and experimentation have culminated in a spirit that is simultaneously complex and approachable. Don Amado is made from earthen roasted maguey hearts which are, after crushing, fermented together with their piña fibers for a rich maguey character. The mash is then double distilled in small traditional ceramic clay pots.
Don Amado Mezcal Rústico
70cl | 47%abv | £69
Don Amado Mezcal Rústico is the flagship expression of the Real de Minas Distillery, Don Amado Rústico is made using the historic method of slowly roasting fully-mature Espadín maguey hearts on firewood embers, before natural fermentation with airborne yeast and a slow double-distillation in ceramic pot stills.
The minero clay-pot still is quite prevalent on the nose with aromatics leaning towards ash, crushed walnuts, roasted corn, and savory spices. A bright, citrus Espadín maguey palate is well balanced against notes of caramel, butterscotch and fresh herbs.
Master Distiller: Germán Bonifacio Arellane
Have you done your Father’s Day shopping yet? Did you find anything you think our readers might be interested in? Link below in the comments.
