We know your dad is special, and he deserves only the finest, most thoughtful gift. Hobnob has put some thought into this whiskey roundup with ideas that can appeal to dads with sophisticated taste and even those who might have a bit of a sweet tooth. From tastings to baking, read on to discover some cool ways to honor and delight your dad. 

Irish Whiskeys

The Irish love to tell a tale, and these whiskies do their part. They come from the renowned Dublin Liberties Distillery. In the late 1800s through the 1900s the Liberties district in Dublin was the home to creatives, thinkers, distillers, and brewers—and had a reputation for being a bit on the seedy and wild side. Here you can find some special bottles to open on Father’s Day.  

Dublin Liberties  The Dublin Liberties Irish whiskeys have been carefully crafted by master distiller Darryl McNally, one of the most highly skilled master distillers in Ireland. The Dublin Liberties Copper Alley (seen in the photo at the top of this post) is an award-winning limited edition 10 year old Single Malt, matured in bourbon casks and finished in 30-year-old sweet oloroso sherry casks. It’s named after Copper Alley, which was the oldest street in Dublin, where a copper coin was minted in the 17th century. 

Only the Irish would find humor in naming its whiskey this way. The Liberties Murder Lane is an award winning premium Irish Whiskey, aged for 13 years in bourbon casks and finished in unique Hungarian Tokaj sweet wine casks. Murder Lane has been named after an unmarked alleyway known as Murdering Lane, that connects Bow street and James Street. Tasting Notes: caramel apple, vanilla pod, toffee and slight honey dew melon. Easy on the palate with vanilla sweetness and juicy pears and apricot jam. Finish is medium to long, with biscuit-y flavors and a warming pineapple rind. Limited to 600 bottles, few bottles remain.

Dead Rabbit Whiskey  You may have enjoyed a wonderful night on one or more floors of The Dead Rabbit in downtown Manhattan. Now you can experience a whiskey crafted by Master Distiller, Darryl McNally, in collaboration with Jack McGarry and Sean Muldoon, the founders of that famous New York bar, that aims to capture all the edge and attitude of the legendary Irish. It is a five-year old blend featuring Irish malt and grain whiskey, finished in virgin American oak for 5 years. 

All the Irish whiskies are available for purchase directly from the distillery at theDLD.com

Cocktail in a Bottle

Hercules Mulligan For the dads who love a good Old Fashioned, offer one that comes ready to drink. Hercules Mulligan Rum & Rye is based on a historic recipe from Hercules Mulligan, an Irish immigrant and spy from the revolutionary era. It is a 50/50 blend of three Caribbean aged rums and three homegrown American rye whiskeys. Fresh, organic ginger is macerated in the blend, and a splash of bitters is added, ensuring the libation can be enjoyed on the rocks as a ready-made Irish Old Fashioned. 

Hercules Mulligan can also be used to enhance a variety of cocktails, as seen in the photos below, so pamper your pop with a few of these. herculesmulligancompany.com

Irish Coffee

2 oz Hercules Mulligan
4 oz freshly brewed coffee
.25 oz simple syrup
heavy cream, lightly whipped
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Fill a glass with hot water and let stand to warm the glass. Discard the water and add everything but the cream. Stir. Top with heavy cream and freshly grated nutmeg. 

Mulligan Mule

2 oz Hercules Mulligan
.5 oz fresh lime juice
5 oz ginger beer
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Combine Hercules Mulligan and lime juice in a Moscow Mule mug, or other glass, with ice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with lime wheel and a slice of fresh ginger. 

A Tailor’s Highball 

2 oz Hercules Mulligan
5 oz tonic water
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Pour Hercules Mulligan into a glass with ice. Top with tonic water and garnish with lime wheels. 

Whiskey DIY

If your dad likes to do things his way, we’ve got the gift for you. Dad can personally design and package his very own whiskey. Launched in 2021, Designer Dram empowers anyone to become a whiskey designer, using the very same premium whiskey source as high-end brands such as Joseph Magnus, Barrel Whiskey and Old Bones Bourbon. There are a possible 21,252 different combinations, so you can be sure to get something personal and unique. Finish it off with a choice of 29 label styles to which you can add a personal logo.

There are two ways to get that special bottle: Select your whiskey profile on the website. A full bottle is then blended by a Master Distiller. In about 4 weeks you will receive it, complete with custom label and a lead-free crystal decanter. $169. For a more hands on experience, the Whiskey Experience offers a blending kit with a sample from all the Designer Dram barrels (seen above). Play around with the mix until you get it perfectly right, then finalize your order and have that full bespoke bottle created. $219. designerdram.com 

Get a Taste

Fine & Rare  One of my favorite spots in NYC is offering the Ultimate Father’s Day Whiskey Tasting. Fine & Rare, the place that specializes in live jazz, stunning cocktails, delectable menu offerings, and hundreds of carefully curated bottles of rare spirits, is pulling out all the stops on Sunday, June 19th at 6:30pm. 

The tasting features six specially curated whiskies not readily available, with their in-house sommelier guiding the way. Guests will start with a signature cocktail, then the tasting will be accompanied by a light snack platter. A commemorative whiskey glass is the souvenir of the day. Approximately 1.5 hours. $250 per person. Due to the close proximity of class seating, they request all guests be vaccinated before booking this class. (If you’d like to stay for dinner afterwards you must make a reservation through OpenTable.) 

Private Tasting Class If a Father’s Day Tasting is not do-able, then you could opt for something more intimate and personal. Schedule a private tasting class for Dad and his favorite friends. Gift cards are available for purchase. fineandrare.nyc

Hard to Find Sips

Speaking of tastings, here’s a gift that keeps on giving. A subscription to Blind Barrels is the key to expanding a whiskey lover’s horizons beyond the brands they know. The focus is on smaller distilleries and the many new craft distilleries who have taken whiskey to new heights with experimental mash recipes and innovative distillation/aging methods. 

Blind Barrels subscribers will be treated to four unique and hard-to-find 50 ml samples of American whiskey four times a year. The bottles are simply labeled A, B, C, and D and are accompanied by a tasting table. A QR Code reveals the spirits’ distillery, mash, abv, tasting notes, and the distillery back story. You can also reserve to have a “spirits guide” accompany the blind tasting. blindbarrels.com

Dessert Time

This Dublin distiller marries whiskey to a coupla’ sweet partners. The Dubliner Whiskey Liqueur’s warm whiskey tones are laced with honeycomb and sweetened with smooth caramel. Great for a touch of sweetness at the end of the night, or included in a cocktail for a light concoction. Use it to sweeten an Espresso Martini, a coffee liqueur shot, or a refreshing citrus mix. See recipes below. dublinerwhiskey.com

Java Juice

50 ml Dubliner Irish Whiskey & Honeycomb Liqueur
30 ml espresso
5 ml simple syrup
pinch of sea salt
Coffee bean for garnish (optional)
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Shake all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker until chilled. Fine strain into a chilled, stemmed cocktail glass. Grate a coffee bean over the drink to garnish.

O’Spresso

20 ml Dubliner Irish Whiskey & Honeycomb Liqueur
10 ml Mr Black Coffee Amaro (or alternative coffee liqueur)
heavy cream, lightly whipped
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Give the spirits a quick stir with ice to chill and strain into your shot glass. Gently float the lightly whipped cream on top—try using a spoon to help the cream float nicely on top of the shot if it’s easier for you.

Magic in Monto

25 ml Dubliner Irish Whiskey & Honeycomb Liqueur
25 ml Aperol
25 ml pineapple juice
5 ml simple syrup
15 ml lime juice
50 ml sparkling wine
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Add all ingredients except the bubbles to a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain over fresh ice in a wine glass. Top with sparkling wine and stir gently to mix. Garnish with lime wheels.

Scottish Flair for Sweets

This is the gift for the dad who loves to bake and cook. Coinneach MacLeod a.k.a. The Hebridean Baker, known for his videos on TikTok, has debuted his cookbook, The Hebridean Baker: Recipes and Wee Stories from the Scottish Islands. From his home on the Isle of Lewis, the most northerly of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, MacLeod shares their culture, language, traditions and legends, and some mighty recipes. One or two does include whiskey as an ingredient, as you might have guessed. 

In the book you’ll find 70 classic recipes plus rustic, old family favorites, like his Aunt Bellag’s clootie dumpling recipe, his recipe for Scots Flummery, which according to legend, Flora MacDonald was halfway through a dish of when she was arrested for her part in helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape following his defeat at Colluden in 1746, and what sounds like a heavenly twist, his recipe for Whiskey Tiramasu. See the recipe below for a taste of the book. hebrideanbaker.com

Whisky Tiramisu

This authentic Italian dessert has been given a Scottish twist by replacing the traditional sweet Marsala wine with whisky. This boozy dessert is perfect for making in advance, with just a final flurry of cocoa powder needed before bringing it to the table.

6 eggs
200g sugar
250g mascarpone
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250ml double cream
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150ml whisky
250ml espresso coffee
30 Savoiardi sponge fingers (you can always make these Italian ‘lady’s fingers’ biscuits yourself if the fancy takes you!)
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Cocoa powder, for dusting
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Separate the egg whites and yolks. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and creamy. Stir the mascarpone into the egg mixture until well combined.

In another bowl, whip the double cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.

In yet another bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks, then fold these lightly into the mascarpone cream mixture.

Mix the whisky and espresso in a shallow bowl. Quickly dip each sponge finger into the bowl for 2 seconds. Layer half the sponge fingers on the bottom of a glass serving dish, then top with half of the mascarpone cream.

Repeat the dipped sponge finger layer, topping with the mascarpone cream.

Cover and rest in the fridge for at least 6 hours. Just before serving, dust a generous layer of cocoa powder on the top.