Father's Day: some drinks ideas

So it's Father's Day on Sunday. This I know because my daughter is going to have some friends for a sleepover. I will be up at 6am cooking breakfast I imagine, for several small females who refuse to eat my greasy food.

Which is as it should be...

If you managed to resist the socks I wrote about the other day and you already have slippers, you may be limited as to what to hint that your offspring ought to get you. My feeling is that a single malt would do nicely (and do drink it very sparingly - ignore the standard 'safe limits' in terms of units, I've recently had cause to find out they don't work if you have high blood pressure - less is always more).

If you want to drink small amounts then there are a number of ways of doing it. First go for something stonkingly expensive. Glenfiddich is a single malt that comes in a number of expressions; the 12 year old is probably the most popular, light, oaky, very pleasant with a drop of water. The 15 year old has a more depth and tastes a bit fruity; if your kids are adults and feeling flush, splashing out £50 on the 18 year old version (pictured) will make them very popular, you can tell them. Intensely sweet, the price tag means this one is really for the buff - do not under any circumstances drop hints for this one if you're planning to put ginger ale into it.

Tasting sets with small amounts of all three are also available, and these come from supermarkets which is helpful at this distance. Likewise another of my favourites, Penderyn (the Welsh one) has tasting samples available from a number of outlets, we're talking the signature 'Madeira' finish, another version in sherrywood and another which is oaked. The sherrywood is my personal favourite (this means the casks used to store it formerly contained sherry, imparting some of the flavour).

For a gift that gives for a little longer you could drop hints for a membership of Flaviar, if you're into your spirits. This sends boxes of five phials of expensive spirit for £24.99 a month, suitable for having friends round and tasting. They sent me a selection of Indian whiskies a few months back and very nice they were too; at the moment there's an offer for Japanese. 

They won't arrive in time for Father's Day, though. At this notice it may well be socks or nothing. I will be delighted with my Dennis and Gnasher tee-shirt and will pretend to be surprised.