DRAFT Magazine

By Zach Fowle

Ah, dear old dad. Father. The old man. In one way or another, he made you into the person you are today. Fathers are worthy of celebration, as President Calvin Coolidge recognized in 1924 when he proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. President Nixon established it as a national holiday in 1972, and since then loyal sons and daughters have been plagued with the question: What gift to buy to show appreciation for the man who had at least a 50 percent share in your creation? A dilemma, to be sure, but this year we’ve got you covered with a list of beer and gear that’ll allow you to properly honor thy father this coming Sunday.

BEER
Dad’s Little Helper Malt Liquor
This seasonal offering from Rogue Ales ain’t your daddy’s malt liquor. A mixture of sweet, crisp Midwest corn, Oregon Crystal hops, and a method of lagering at higher temperatures results in a beer that’s won numerous medals for taste since its release, including Best Malt Liquor at last year’s World Beer Championships.

Honey Do-Wit
Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant’s newest addition to their Bottled Reserve collection honors the fathers who’ve labored under the hot sun mowing lawns, cleaning gutters, and doing all those other chores that kept the family from completely falling apart. The Belgian-style double witbier, brewed with orange peel, coriander, and orange blossom honey, has a distinct fruit character and clean, dry finish that’s great in warm weather and is a fine — if not completely adequate — reward for those years of hard work.

Sprecher Brewing Co. Brewery Tours
Sometimes, the best gift you can give dad is a little bit of your time. Spend it well at Sprecher Brewing Company’s Father’s Day celebration, which includes tours of the brewery, commemorative glasses for sampling beers and gourmet sodas, and an outdoor area for grilling your own hot dogs and schooling dad in games like Bung Hole Toss and Let’s Fish.
Price: $6 adults, $5 seniors, and $3 minors. Call 414.964.2739 for reservations.

GEAR
Sonos Multi-Room Music System
Dads love their gadgets. They also love their music. The Sonos Multi-Room Music System covers both bases. The set of wireless devices can be connected to any existing stereo or pair of speakers in the house, allowing dad to blast Zeppelin in the den, Skynyrd in the garage, and Beatles in the back yard. Plus, the music and volume in each room can be programmed from one location with the Sonos Controller or an iPhone or iPod Touch equipped with the appropriate app. Dad never even has to leave the couch.
Price: Starting at $350. Available at www.sonos.com and Best Buy stores nationwide.

Sport-themed Bottle Openers
While we’re on the topic of what dads love, let’s talk sports. For the avid golfer, opening beers with bottle openers crafted from salvaged wood and iron golf club heads will compliment any day at the links. Baseball dads will appreciate the baseball bat opener, with a diamond-shaped handle of maple taken from actual bats used in major league games.
Price: $79.95 for baseball bat opener, $59.95 for wood golf club opener, $69.95 for iron golf club opener. Available from Red Envelope.

Beer Holster
Make your dad the coolest dude at the ranch with a beer holster perfect for the brew-loving cowboy on the go. The leather holster snaps onto any standard belt and can carry a 12-ounce can or bottle. Buy two and challenge him to a duel. Draw!
Price: $34.95. Available from Red Envelope.

LP Coasters
Well-worn LPs serve a new and greater purpose as coasters for dad’s glass of beer. Each set contains six different albums labeled on both sides and protected from moisture by a layer of clear vinyl. No refunds if placing your beer atop Bon Jovi’s “Slippery When Wet” results in heartbreak.
Price: $24.95 for a set of six. Available from Red Envelope.

Mondaine Sport II
Style, substance, sophistication — goofy dad never really had any of those things. But a faithful son or daughter will find few watches better to remedy the situation than the Mondaine Sport II. The watch — released specially for Father’s Day — features a water resistant 42mm steel case with lugs and screws plated with rose gold, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal casing, and Mondaine’s iconic white dial and signature red second hand. Though the goofiness may never be cured, at least dad will look good.
Price: $395

Luminox Navy SEAL Anniversary Series 6300 and 8800
Dads can be mysterious figures. Maybe he was driving to his boring desk job every morning. Or maybe he was traveling underground to the headquarters of a top-secret government spy network. A man like that needs the appropriate timepiece — like the Luminox Navy SEALS Anniversary Series, watches based on the designs of those used by the US Navy SEALS since 1994. The Navy SEAL Anniversary Edition Series 8800 features a durable 45mm case, bezel and caseback built of high-tech carbon-reinforced polymer, while the crystal is specially hardened and tempered mineral glass that is highly scratch resistant. A double gasket crown guarantees water resistance to 200 meters. The Navy SEALS 6300 Anniversary Series is also water resistant to 200 meters this series and have steel-cased carbon fiber dials. Each watch houses tiny, self-powered micro gas lights installed into the hands and hour markers that require no external light source to charge them, and glow continuously for more than 25 years. Dad will be ready for whatever he’s involved in–whether it’s saving the world from diabolical madmen or simply getting through his 9-to-5.
Price: $295 for Anniversary Edition Series 8800, $650 to $850 for Anniversary Edition Series 6300

– Zach Fowle is a former DRAFT staff member who enjoys few things more than conversations with his dad over a beer.