A Tip Of The Hat To Dad

If your dad is a discerning drinker and prefers locally made goods, wrap him up a bottle of Dad's Hat Rye this Father's Day. This small batch distillery out of Bristol, PA in Buck's County is a relative newcomer to the craft spirits scene, but has already staked its claim with two fine products (Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey and White Rye), with two more on the way (Port Barrel-Aged Rye Whisky, and Vermouth Barrel-Aged Rye Whiskey).

In addition to being headquartered just about 20 minutes north of Philly, all of the rye they use is also from Pennsylvania. Rye whiskey itself is a proud Pennsylvania tradition – before Prohibition, rye was a big business in the state, with individual distilleries making hundreds of thousands of gallons of the stuff each year. Tradition is important to the folks at Dad's Hat – they named their company itself after founder Herman Mihalich's father's penchant for carefully choosing just the right hat to wear each day, which they view as a symbol of "optimism, quality, polish and finish."

The tall, slim Dad's Hat bottles would be a handsome addition to your Pop's bar set up. And if he's a whiskey man, he'll appreciate the spicy, clean notes of the ryes, on the rocks, straight up or mixed into cocktails. The Pennsylvania Rye has a deep, smooth flavor thanks to its time spent in charred white oak quarter casks. The White Rye, which is bottled right from the still, is clean and pure, and its clear color is an unexpected and cool twist to the usual brown bottle.

Dad's Hat can be found in PLCB stores, as well as well-stocked wine and spirits shops in New Jersey. If Dad geeks out over how things are made, you could really wow him and set up a tour of the Dad's Hat distillery on a Saturday afternoon. More info is available on their website.