I have to admit: Father’s Day hasn’t exactly been top of my mind for me this year. With everything going on in the world, I haven’t devoted the time or attention that I normally do to planning the day (or a gift) for my dad. (Sorry, Pops!) I imagine I’m not alone. The good news? There’s still time to get your father a present. One of these might do the trick.
Thanks to social distancing, my family is having a virtual Father’s Day celebration this year. If you can’t be with your dad this Sunday, send him the Father’s Day Weekender Gift Box from Zingerman’s, the beloved gourmet market located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The selection comes in an impressive wooden drum and includes sweet treats (a black magic brownie, a sea-salt pecan blondie and a small coffee cake), bags of sea-salt potato chips, Virginia peanuts, sausages, two loaves of bread and peanut brittle.
While Le Creuset may be famous for its line of cast-iron pots and Dutch ovens, the company makes a range of other products. It introduced a new collection of enamelware this year; its serving tray is perfect for ferrying drinks and food from the kitchen to the living room or to a table outside. Plus, it’s attractive enough to sit out year round.
Even if your Dad’s cocktails aren’t a work of art, they can at least be made in one. Vermont-based glass blower Robin Mix has a line of hand-blown barware, including a gorgeous mixing glass and a stunning punch bowl. His interest in mixology should come as no surprise: One of his daughters is award-winning bartender Ivy Mix, who co-owns Brooklyn bar Leyenda. His other daughter is Tess Mix, Half Full’s creative director.
John Tebeau has immortalized some of his favorite bars and restaurants around the United States in beautiful drawings and paintings. He published many of them in his 2018 book Bars, Taverns, and Dives New Yorkers Love: Where to Go, What to Drink, but he also sells prints and original works of art on his website. You can also commission him to create a piece depicting your father’s favorite watering hole.
Cocktail Kingdom made its name with its selection of high-quality barware. The company recently debuted a series of Japanese knives, including the versatile Nakiri Knife, which can cut like a paring knife and chop like a chef’s knife. It has a Pakkawood handle and an intricate 6.8-inch Damascus blade composed of 67 layers of steel.
