November 2023

Rhum Clément VSOP 80, $40

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Rhum Clément VSOP 80

  • Gold medal winner, Beverage Testing Institute
  • Founded by Homère Clément (mayor of Le François, Martinique)
  • Hints of chocolate, fig, ripe plum, amaretto, and red wine
  • Add your favorite crushed fresh fruit

Buy Rhum Clément VSOP 80, $40, at VintageGrape.net

Buy Williams-Sonoma Classic Highball Glasses,
Set of 4, perfect for summer cocktails, $44, at Williams-Sonoma.com

Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year, $130

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Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year

  • Rated number 1 bourbon in the world by the World’s Spirits Championships
  • 4th generation bourbon distillers
  • Made with corn, wheat, and barley
  • Wheat gives softer, smoother taste
  • Aged minimum of 10 years
  • For the never-impressed-by-anything

Buy Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year, $130, at WineDelight.com

Buy Riedel Vivant Bourbon Glasses, set of 4, ideal for sophisticated liquors, $39.99, at Target.com

U’Luvka Vodka Signature, $55

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U’Luvka Vodka Signature

  • Has won dozens of gold medals and awards
  • Inspired by the 17th century Polish Royal Court (some say vodka saved the life of King Sigismund III)
  • Distilled 3 times from wheat, rye, and barley
  • Flavors of spice, citrus, aniseed, and butter
  • For the discerning drinker who likes the taste of vodka

Buy U’Luvka Vodka Signature, $55, at DrinkUpNY.com

Buy Marquis by Waterford Vintage Oversized Martini Pair Glasses, perfect for drinking it straight, $29, at Macys.com

The Best Under-the-Radar Liquor Picks

By Lindsay Leff


Stock his bar for Father’s Day by giving our top under-the-radar spirits picks as Father’s Day gifts. From the best vodka distilled in Poland to the number one Belgian beer brewed in Michigan, there’s a bottle for every mixologist to make the best hard liquor drinks around.

Best Vodka:
For the discerning drinker who likes the taste of vodka. Has won dozens of gold medals and awards.
Buy U’Luvka Vodka Signature, $55, at DrinkUpNY.com

Best Gin: For the traditionalist, a classic gin. Best mixer—a splash of your favorite liqueur.
Buy Distillery No. 209 Gin, $37, at Deandeluca.com

Best Rum: Gold medal winner, Beverage Testing Institute. Add your favorite crushed fresh fruit.
Buy Rhum Clément VSOP 80, $40, at VintageGrape.net

Best Tequila: For those who like to drink it straight. Triple distillation for a cleaner taste. Buy Inocente Tequila Plata, $50, at ColumbusWines.com

Best Bourbon: For the never-impressed-by-anything. Rated number 1 bourbon in the world by the World’s Spirits Championships. Buy Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year, $130, at WineDelight.com

Best Scotch: Great over ice with a dash of lemon. Single-malt whiskey. Buy Auchentoshan Scotch Single Malt 18 Year, $110, at GrandWineCellar.com

Best Beer: For the adventurous ale drinker. 2004 and 2005 Great American Beer Festival winner. Buy Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza Ale, $14.16, at InternetWines.com

Read Up Before You Drink Up:

Buy The Hour: A Cocktail Manifesto,
$11.53, at Amazon.com

This witty manifesto lays open how and why we drink.

Buy The Modern Mixologist: Contemporary Classic Cocktails, $23.10, at Amazon.com

As visually tasty as the cocktails themselves.

Buy How’s Your Drink?: Cocktails, Culture, and the Art of Drinking Well, $11.20, at Amazon.com

Wall Street Journal columnist Eric Felton’s engaging exploration of cocktail culture and history.

The best websites for liquor purchasing and tips:

  1. ArtofDrink.com • From chemist to mixologist, born-again bartender Darcy O’Neil posts unique cocktail recipes.
  2. MasterofMalt.com • Bonkers about whiskey as well as other under-the-radar spirits. They’ll send free samples, so you can try before you buy.
  3. ForScotchLovers.com • An online community for all things scotch, including reviews, the Whiskey Explorers Club, and a store.
  4. Vinquire.com • The ultimate wine-and-spirits search engine for everything from common red table wine to hard-to-find bourbon.

Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza Ale, $66.50

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Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza Ale

  • 2004 and 2005 Great American Beer Festival winner
  • Belgian, golden ale
  • Brewed in Dexter, Michigan
  • Aged in large oak casks and fermented again in its bottle
  • Strong spicy flavors of hops and wild yeast
  • For the adventurous ale drinker

Buy Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza Ale, $14.16, at InternetWines.com

Buy Riedel Vinum Brandy Snifter, set of 2, great for your special beers, $66.50, at Zappos.com

Distillery No. 209 Gin, $37

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Distillery No. 209 Gin

  • Created in 1882
  • Distilled 5 times in San Francisco
  • Hints of juniper berry, bergamot orange, cardamom, lemon peel, and cassia bark
  • For the traditionalist, a classic gin
  • Best mixer—a splash of your favorite liqueur

Buy Distillery No. 209 Gin, $37, at Deandeluca.com

Buy Lenox Glassware Tuscany Highball Glasses, set of 4, just right for mixed drinks, $39.99, at Macys.com

Auchentoshan Scotch Single Malt 18 Year, $110

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Auchentoshan Scotch Single Malt 18 Year

  • Single-malt whiskey
  • Triple distillation for a more delicate flavor
  • Hints of citrus, green tea, toasted almonds
  • 1 of the 3 remaining distilleries in the Scottish Lowlands
  • Great over ice with a dash of lemon

Buy Auchentoshan Scotch Single Malt 18 Year, $110, at GrandWineCellar.com

Buy Calvin Klein Gable Double Old-Fashioned Glasses, set of 4, perfect for lowballs, $80, at Macys.com

Inocente Tequila Plata, $50

Classic-Martini-Glass-250 Inocente Tequila Plata 

  • Made from blue agave
  • Floral flavors with hints of raspberry and vanilla
  • Triple distillation for a cleaner taste
  • For those who like to drink it straight

Buy Inocente Tequila Plata, $50, at ColumbusWines.com

Buy Bormioli Rocco Party Margarita Stemware, set of 4, fill it with something frozen, $34.50, at Amazon.com