Dad, dear Dad, today is your once-a-year day. Pop, you are in our hearts and minds and we thank you for putting up with us through childhood, the terrible teens and into adulthood. You were proud of our accomplishments. You taught us how to ride a bike and parallel park. You interrogated our new friends like a Crown Prosecutor. You didn't sleep until you heard us come home—after curfew. You helped us with our homework and our school projects. You taught us to take a chance, to not be afraid, to have confidence in ourselves–and we could call you at any time of day or night if we got into a "situation." You were over-the-moon when you became a grandfather. On Father's Day, to the person in our lives who is our father, or like a dad to us, you have shaped us and guided us, and whether we are near or far, we have our memories: we honour you and salute you dear Dad. While we know you want nothing except our love, it is in our nature to offer a small token of our esteem.
A Scotch-loving Dad will appreciate that you've gone that extra mile and chosen to gift him with Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel Reserve. Care has been taken. This whiskey has been aged for 14 years in ex-bourbon American oak casks and finished in charred new American oak barrels. Dad will recognize the smooth sophistication of Scotland with the sweet kick of Kentucky Bourbon. To sip neat or as a cocktail, this whiskey means a relaxing "me- time" for Dad; a few personal minutes to savour the joys of life and its small personal pleasures. In his later years, my Dad would pour a shot of whiskey into a tumbler every morning and sip it all day, enjoying its familiar warmth. To add a touch of Canadiana on this special day, try a Maple Old Fashioned.
Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel Reserve Maple Old Fashioned
2 oz. Glenfiddich 14-Year-Old Bourbon Barrel Reserve
0.75 oz. Pure Maple Syrup
3 Burnt Orange Peels
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
In a mixing glass, add two burnt orange peels, pour in Maple Syrup, bitters and whisky. Fill your mixing glass with ice and stir well. Strain over 1 large ice cube. Garnish with remaining peel.
Gin is one of the most popular spirits in Canada. The new and inviting 3 Lakes Spirits Co. Gin is Canadian-crafted and filtered with Grapefruit and Rosemary to a lovely perfumed flavor, sip after sip. Gin has a long-standing association with the British Royal Family. It has long been a part of British drinking culture, and the royal family's preferences often mirrored broader trends in British society. King George IV, Queen Elizabeth and generations of Royals set the tone of Gin consumption among the elite in Britain. It was a natural turn of events that Gin emigrated to Canada.
Valley Fizz Cocktail
1 1/2 oz 3 Lakes Spirits Co. Gin
4 slice cucumber
1 oz grapefruit juice
1 oz. lemonade
tonic water
In a cocktail shaker with ice, shake all ingredients except tonic water. Strain into old fashioned glass. Top with tonic water. Garnish with grapefruit chunk and rosemary sprig.
For a "Breakfast in Bed" Dad, surprise him with a fresh Bonut with his morning coffee. A flash encounter between a doughnut and a bagel has produced the Bonut: a simple, yet revolutionary merger of two breakfast staples. Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese, a staple in fridges long before most of us were born, (150 years,) has created two new and absolutely luscious cream cheese flavours: Blueberry and Pineapple. A marriage made in heaven, Bonut is the first-ever bagel/doughnut with the fruit cream cheese on top of an uncut bagel, not in the middle—elevating the morning bagel from boring to Bonut.
Come summer, the magic hour for a tall glass of iced tea is late afternoon—on the patio, at a picnic, or even in the kitchen. Four O'clock is a Canadian company that has created some astonishingly luscious tea that will satisfy the cravings of every iced tea sipper. Coconut Ginger Green Tea is a refreshingly bold infusion inspired by the vibrant flavours of Thai Cuisine. With the tart fruity taste of Pomegranate, the floral sweetness of Echinacea, and the strength of black pepper, this innovative tea is the ultimate match of opposing flavours. The taste of summer vacation is in the sprightly Lemon Ginger—both flavors are super energy booster. My favorite is Espresso Chai. It offers the best of both worlds: Indian Black Tea and espresso beans in one neat little bag. This tea is such a flavour indulgence, Dad might split his affections between Espresso coffee and a summer fling with a more exotic Chai Espresso Tea. Add Almond Milk for a Latte.
Espresso Chai Cordial
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
a pinch of salt
4 Espresso Chai tea bags
According to a recent survey, 93% of vegans admit to non-vegan cravings, and at the top of the list is Chocolate.
Add to that group those who are Lactose Intolerant. We all lust after luscious milk chocolate bon bons, and sadly decline. Now Lindt has brought to us Lindor Vegan Truffles. I have used them (unwrapped) to decorate a frosted cake, one truffle for each slice. These smooth, melt-in-your-mouth chocolates have an oat-based format and deliver the taste of milk chocolate, while the rich and smooth dark chocolate has a velvety, creamy filling. They come in 120-gram bags, perfect for gifting. Individually wrapped Truffles gleam invitingly in a candy dish on the table. The absolute joy in eating the first one, will cause even the most stoic Dad to immediately have another.