Here Dad, have a beer: Choice Father's Day brews ·CNBC
Tom Rotunno
Updated
So you've procrastinated and haven't gotten a gift for dad? Not to worry.
Forget the tie, as Dad probably doesn't need another one. Take the opportunity to get him something he can really enjoy: a quality brew.
Below is a variety of suggestions for beers you have a good shot of finding at a decent liquor store or bottle shop (subject to brewery distribution of course). With a large amount of unique beer being produced in the marketplace, there is surely something to be found for every type of beer drinking dad.
For the dad who has enjoyed the same beer year after year, for no reason other than it makes him happy, this Father's Day may be the chance to introduce him to some of the innovative brews in the beer sector. Pilsners are a good place to start.
After shunning the style, more craft brewers are experimenting with pilsners and lagers, so there are plenty to choose from. Among the more popular include Victory Brewing Company Prima Pils, one of the first craft brewers to embrace pilsners; and Prima Pils, which remains one of the best examples of the style.
Also, Firestone Walker Brewing Pivo Pils is brewed as a classic German pilsner, with its West Coast-style dry hopping helping to set this one apart.
If your dad has fully embraced the craft revolution by helping to make the India pale ale (IPA) the most popular style of craft beer, here are a couple suggestions to give him the hops he so badly craves:
SweetWater Brewing Hop Hash has a double IPA that checks in at 7.8 percent alcohol by volume (abv). It packs a pungent hop punch that your dad will love.
Lagunitas Brewing's A Little Sumpin' Sumpin Ale is a chance to get dad off the IPA train while still giving him the hit of hops he has come to expect. This wheat ale drinks smooth, but has enough bite that he won't go through hop withdrawal.
For the dad that likes his beer thick and dark, there are two options.
AleSmith Brewing Company Speedway Stout is for the beer- and coffee-loving dad. A classic sipping stout brewed with Ryan Bros. Coffee. with a rich dark color, and 12 percent abv, this is one that Dad will want to slowly savor.
Stone Brewing's Imperial Russian Stout delivers on Stone's promise to "pour like Siberian crude and taste even heavier."
This is your chance to take Dad on a European vacation, minus the hassle of airline travel. Beer is a way of life in Belgium but you can easily give him a taste right here at home.
Brewery Ommegang's Abbey Ale is brewed with licorice root, star anise, sweet orange peel, coriander and cumin. This burgundy colored brew is both sweet and savory, masking its 8 percent abv.
Deschutes Brewing's Stoic is a quadruple ale brewed with pomegranate molasses, and aged in rye whiskey & pinot noir wine casks. The result is a full-bodied beer with an 11 percent abv that can sneak up on Dad if he's not careful.
The father who enjoys his time in the fresh air but still pauses to savor the moment may like these portable, canned beers that can be enjoyed around the campfire.
Oskar Blues Brewery founder Dale Katechis was the man who made canned beer cool again with his Dale's Pale Ale. However, don't overlook Old Chub, a scotch ale described as "brewed with dash of Beachwood-smoked malt."
San Francisco's 21st Amendment Brewery Brew Free or Die IPA gets a lot of attention for its creative beer names and unique can designs. Still, this IPA will give your dad a hop bite he can take with him on go.
Shandies and Radlers-beers mixed with a soft drink or juice-are divisive among beer purists. If that's Dad's thing, Leinenkugel Summer Shandy dominates the market. Each year, more breweries are hopping on this lemonade/beer mixture bandwagon, making more of them available.
Boulevard Brewing puts its own spin on the classic shandy style by making the Ginger Lemon Radler. It adds just enough ginger to break up the lemon sweetness, and the result is an easy-drinking, refreshing summer drink.
Widmer Brothers Brewing Hefe Shandy: The base for this is the classic Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen. Lemon drop hops and has some of the sweetness you'd expect in a shandy, but is more beer-like than the typical shandy offering.
Hop drinkers who don't want to lose their edge can partake of the crop of lower alcohol "session" beers on the market this summer.
Founders Brewing's All Day IPA was one of the first to offer a lower alcohol offering as a "session" brew, and helped popularize that craze. Many have followed, yet few have matched the success of the original.
Harpoon Brewing was among the first brewers in the Northeast to rally around the now ubiquitous IPA style. This summer, they are dialing it down a notch with its Take 5 Session IPA.
For the dad who is likes to dabble in all styles, sour ales are a good way to help him push his beer boundaries.
Goose Island's Brewing Juliet is fermented with wild yeast, and aged in wine barrels with "9,000 pounds of blackberries." Part of Goose Island's "Sour Sisters" series of beers, this tart and fruity beer is a good way for dad to expand his palette.
Odell Brewing Friek is American wild ale that ferments several ales with wild yeast and tart cherries. The blend is then aged in oak barrels with fresh raspberries, and added to the final blending. The result is beer that is both sweet and sour.
