You’ve got him the card, you’ve wrapped his comedy slippers; but you know what might really make the dad figure in your life happy this Father’s Day? How about a delicious gin cocktail, tailored specially for him?! In honour of Father’s Day, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite fictional dads - simply match your own father figure to the character he most resembles to find the perfect cocktail to suit him that you can share with him! Happy Father’s Day, gin lovers.
If your dad is most like: Homer Simpson from ‘The Simpsons
…Then make him a: Beers’ Knees
Perhaps your dad - like Homer - wasn’t ever going to win the Dad’s Race at your school Sports Day, but he loves his family secretly even more than he loves watching the telly with his feet up and a beer. Luckily, there’s no need to deprive him of the beer with this twist on the classic Bee’s Knees!
BEERS’ KNEES
1.5 oz Aviation gin or similar
1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and water)
3 oz Widmer Hefeweizen or simlar German beer
Lemon wedge to garnish
Combine gin, juice and honey syrup in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a collins glass with or without ice. Top with beer and garnish with lemon. (Recipe courtesy of Aviation Gin.)
If your dad is most like: Don Draper from ‘Mad Men’
…Then make him a: Gibson
Does your dad look sharp in a suit, mixes a flair for blue-sky thinking with an uncanny ability to make money, and knows how to spend it in style? Then he’ll be right at home with this savoury cousin of the classic Martini, a preferred tipple of those suave city slickers on TV’s most stylish show.
THE GIBSON
75 ml gin (something neutral)
15 ml dry vermouth
1-3 small pickled pearl (cocktail) onions, to garnish
Add the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a few cocktail onions.
If your dad is most like: Arthur Weasley from the Harry Potter books
…Then make him a: Santerre
Quirky, inventive, gentle, fair, ever-curious, as well as a fiercely protective, loving father figure not just to his own brood of children, but also to his son’s best friend, we all secretly want an Arthur Weasley in our lives. This lively cocktail pays tribute to one of fiction’s best dads and best red-headed heroes.
THE SANTERRE
60ml Romeo’s Gin
60ml ginger beer
30ml carrot juice
30ml lemon juice
2 drops hot sauce
1 jelly candy, to garnish
Fill a highball glass with ice and add the gin, carrot juice, ginger drink, lemon juice and hot sauce. Mix gently. Garnish with the candy and serve.
If your dad is most like: Darth Vader
…Then make him a: Darth Vader
Is your dad more of the, er, strong, brooding, commanding type - but who ultimately would sacrifice anything for his child? Then you should use the Force to whip him up one of these powerful concoctions. Just don’t try using a light sabre afterwards - it’ll only end in trouble!
THE DARTH VADER
1/2 oz of Vodka
1/2 oz of Gin
1/2 oz of Tequila
1/2 oz of Light Rum
1/2 oz of Jagermeister herbal liqueur
1/2 oz of Triple Sec
Pour the vodka, gin, tequila, triple sec and rum into a Collins glass filled with ice, then top with Jagermeister.
If your dad is most like: Mr Bennet in ‘Pride and Prejudice’
…Then make him a: Bennett
Is your dad a long-suffering, quietly witty, patient and supportive fellow with a great line in dry quips in the face of a loud, uncontrollable rabble of wive(s) and children? Then he shares much in common with Jane Austen’s most famous literary father figure. Pay tribute to his warmth and wisdom with this almost-eponymous gin cocktail.
THE BENNETT
2 oz gin
¾ oz fresh lime juice
¾ oz simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Lime wheel, to garnish
Shake all ingredients with ice to chill, then strain into a chilled glass. Garnish. Recipe courtesy of Imbibe.com.
If your dad is most like: Uncle Phil (Philip Banks) from ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’
… Then make him a: Bel-Air
With a bark that was much worse than his bite, while Uncle Phil often had flaming rows with his nephew, he ultimately loved Will fiercely and over the course of this iconic ‘80s TV show became the close father figure that Will never had. If you have an Uncle Phil in your life, why not show your appreciation for him with this classy tipple?
THE BEL-AIR
2 oz gin
1 oz apricot brandy
1 tsp grenadine
Shake all the ingredients together and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
If your dad is most like: Ned Stark from ‘Game of Thrones’
… Then make him a: House Stark Martini
Honest, loyal, down-to-earth, Ned Stark provides the moral compass for his six children in a world of corruption, and the lessons in compassion and fairness he instils in them prove invaluable in their lives to come. If your dad is your hero, whip him up a House Stark Martini this Father’s Day. Drinking horn optional.
HOUSE STARK MARTINI
100ml tonic
30ml gin
Lemon Juice
Caster Sugar
Pour the tonic into a plastic container and put in the freezer until completely frozen. Put some sugar in a saucer. Smear the rim of a Martini glass with a little lemon juice and dip in the sugar. Take your frozen tonic out the freezer and crush it up with a spoon. Add the crushed tonic ice to the Martini glass. Pour gin and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over the top.
Looking for more inspiration? Try our cocktail hub for recipes for hundreds of gin drinks!
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