Gifts For Dad

Bourbon & Liquid Center Chocolates

"The father of a daughter is nothing but a high-class hostage. A father turns a stony face to his sons, berates them, shakes his antlers, paws the ground, snorts, runs them off into the underbrush, but when his daughter puts her arm over his shoulder and says, 'Daddy, I need to ask you something,' he is a pat of butter in a hot frying pan." — Garrison Keillor

By Doc Lawrence

It’s a day of celebration. Father’s Day allows us 24-hours to say something from the heart and toss in a gift or two that affirms love and gratitude. Over the years, I’ve discovered that these men have more varied tastes that perhaps commonly believed. Flowers? Men grow them, put them in vases and many artists and photographers I know do wonders with them using their cameras, canvasses and paint brushes.

Then, there are chocolates. I confess a desire for them on the hour and there are many special chocolates with built-in appeal to my gender. And, there’s no need to overlook Bourbon and Whiskey, a favorite of patriotic men since the days of George Washington.

Lecia Duke’s heralded Texas-based Quintessential Chocolates is the leading producer of hand-crafted liquid center chocolates. Many include wines, whiskies, bourbons, liqueurs and tequila. My favorites for Father’s Day gifts: The trifecta of Garrison Brothers Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey and Kentucky Bourbon. They can be easily purchased online (http://liquidchocolates.com). Combine a few boxes with a bottle of something exciting and watch the smiles begin.

Bourbon has never been more popular. Instead of giving Dad a commonly available bottle, try one of the more exclusive brands. Michter’s Single Barrel Bourbon is delightful. Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon and 1792 Small Batch Bourbon are noble products. Then there’s Garrison Brothers Bourbon, a Texas delight with stunning flavors. Combine a gift bottle with liquid center chocolates and season tickets to the symphony. (Don’t underestimate Dad.)

For the father who creates culinary treasures in the kitchen and is a wizard at the outdoor grill, consider these three cookbooks. A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook: Recipes from Ignatius J. Reilly's New Orleans (LSU Press), Tujague’s Cookbook (Pelican Publishing) and Southern Thymes Shared (Pelican Publishing). Collectible Bourbon books are easily purchased through Amazon and here is a winner. Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage, by Michael R. Veach (University Press of Kentucky), is a masterpiece by one of the country’s top Bourbon authorities that merits a prominent place in dad’s library. 

Look for more gifts this year that mirror his love for originals whether art, garden tools, books by Thomas Jefferson or a beautifully restored and framed image of his grandfather.