Father's Day drinks

An Old Fashioned, a Negroni and a Manhattan have three things in common: few ingredients, no juice as a mixer, and stirring instead of shaking. Stirring keeps the drink clear and adds just enough water to soften the alcohol; shaking introduces air and makes it cloudy. The water from melting ice is part of it, not an accident: without that dilution, a glass like this remains sharp. And large ice dilutes less than small ice because less surface area is in contact with the drink. That is why such a glass should contain one large cube rather than a handful of small ones.

Three glasses side by side say more than one glass of something expensive. Choose three whiskies that clearly differ from one another, for example a soft Irish whiskey, a sherry-matured one and a smoky one, and pour 2 cl into each glass. Arrange the glasses from light to full-bodied and use the same model for each glass; otherwise you compare the glass rather than the whisky. Put out a glass of water per person to cleanse the palate between pours, along with something neutral to eat. The tasting glasses are the right model for this; with six glasses, you can let two people taste at the same time.

Barbecued meat has smoke and charred edges, and that calls for a drink that can stand up to them. Bourbon with ginger ale works because the ginger cuts through the fat. A Negroni beforehand opens up your palate with its bitterness. With a sweet marinade, something bitter is more pleasant than something sweet; otherwise the sugar builds up. Pour short and cold, not large: a full glass is hard to drink alongside food.

Beer is at least as common at a barbecue as a cocktail, and it is easier to pour for a group. Pour it into a tilted glass and straighten it for the final pour; you’ll get a head of about two centimetres that retains the aroma. Do not chill glasses in the freezer: ice on the sides actually destroys the head. You can find the models at the beer glasses collection.

There is almost always someone who still has to drive, and they do not need cola. The bitter side of the classics can easily be recreated without alcohol: take a look at the alcohol-free Negroni or the alcohol-free gin and tonic. More can be found among the mocktails. Serve it in the same glass as the rest. NIX18: under 18, no alcohol.

Of all the things you can give for Father's Day, a glass is one that stays. A tasting glass suits someone who drinks whisky neat, while a heavy tumbler suits someone who prefers to make an Old Fashioned. Anyone who has nothing yet will get more use from a complete set of tools: take a look at the bar tools & cocktail sets. Mixed glass sets can be found among the glassware sets.