REMEMBERING DAD

A Gift for Our Great Guys

by Doc Lawrence

Dad is my hero and life mentor, a combat veteran who still despises war. He is a rock-solid citizen and family man who is dedicated to good things like food, friendship, fine wines, cocktails, and his country. He leads by example and has an open mind. Through him, I earned an education, received badly needed discipline, learned the importance of a work ethic and was instilled with the unyielding belief that love triumphs over evil.

I found a few gifts that should bring a smile, hoping that these inspire readers to remember our grand guys on Father’s Day.

If he’s a virtuoso at the outdoor grill he will enjoy his name on personalized barbecue tools and even a mug (from personalzationmall.com.) TempFork Thermometer is the grill master’s best friend and will digitally tell him when the delicious pork loin is done. The handsome stainless steel Grill Mill from William Bounds crushes peppercorns or sea salt rather than grinding them. When the weather isn’t cooperating, the George Foreman Control Temp Grill-Griddle with fat-reducing elements, two removable non-stick grilling plates and a griddle for whipping up eggs and bacon will keep Dad happy. It actually removes up to 42% of the fat from 80/20 ground chuck beef.

The Ninja Master Prep Professional is a revolutionary 6-blade device that allows Dad to evenly chop, mince, dice, blend and puree in seconds. Perfect for the home chef who believes in speed without sacrificing quality. Another kitchen helper is the Black & Decker Powerful Die-Cast Blender, a sleek design featuring 750-watts of power and digital controls. Gotta love the 1-oz. measuring cup. (At Target.)

Always well groomed, Dad is a snappy dresser who glows decked out in nice clothes. Monogrammed cufflinks (from thingsremebered.com) is an elegant gift. For shaving and skin care, the Double Play Kit (from EverymanJack.com), or G for Men does wonders for the shaving experience. (gformencare.com.) The high fashion Dad loves functional watches. Casio has the Edifice Black Label Collection black timepieces with slight color accents designed in a racecar motif. A rugged, stylish timepiece, Casio’s new Pathfinder PAW-5000-1 features self-charging, self-adjusting technology, tough solar power and Wavceptor Multi-Band 6 Atomic Timekeeping Technology, adjusting automatically for daylight savings or leap year.

A high-power LED beam, waterproof Rogue II flashlight (from ICON) is superior to bulky flashlights and lasts a lifetime. GOAL ZERO has a portable solar power energy generator, The Guide 10 Adventure offering compact and portable solar power. It folds down to the size of an ipad, providing power to all handheld electronics, giving 1-3 hours of extra juice and doubles as a recharger. It’s a superb emergency kit.

Put some MoJo in his kitchen and grilled food with Bland-Aid, “exotic condiment and Hot Pepper Sauces From Far Away Places,” that comes in a six pack set sold by Half Moon Bay Trading Company. halfmoonbaytrading.com. Many men have a sweet tooth. Chuao Chocolatier is a premier artisanal producer and their outstanding products are available at select Whole Foods Market, Crate & Barrel and chuaochocolatier.com. Graeter’s Ice Cream is the super-premium hometown ice cream out of Cincinnati since 1870, made in the traditional French Pot process for irresistibly creamy ice cream with rich chunks of chocolate chips and all-natural ingredients. (Will ship:graeters.com.)

Beautifully balanced and aged 15 years in Kentucky oak, Mount Gay Rum Extra Old from Barbados qualifies as a sipping rum with the luxury of an aged Cognac and the beauty of a delicate Bourbon. Luxurious Appleton Estate Reserve 12-Year-Old is an exceptional blend of rums aged for 12 years. Created for savoring, here’s a masterpiece of elegance comparable to small batch Bourbon.

Dad will love the Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve, the brand’s first-ever single barrel Bourbon. Aged 9 years and boldly bottled at 120 proof, it features rich wood, vanilla and caramel notes that distinguishes rare Bourbon. Another Bourbon choice is Basil Hayden. Aged 8 years, at 80 proof it has a spicy, warming finish that makes it enjoyable to sip, mix into one of Dad's cocktails or add flare to his cooking. Maker’s Mark 46 is this hallowed brand’s first new Bourbon in 50 years. It actually starts out as fully matured Bourbon and then goes through an additional aging process with seared French oak staves.

The elixirs from South of the Border have a special place for those Dad’s who make their own recipe Margarita’s. Tequila Herradura Silver, aged in the heart of Mexico’s tequila region in American oak barrels, is an essential ingredient. It’s comes in a hand-blown glass bottle. I’ve visited the magnificent distillery and recommend this enthusiastically.

A bottle of Canadian Club Classic 12 or the new kid on the block, Canadian Club Sherry Cask (aged in Sherry barrels from Spain), are winners. Likewise, DEWAR’S Signature – one of their best marques, or DEWAR’S 18, voted best blended scotch at New York’s Ultimate Spirit competition, will satisfy the man who loves bagpipes. Cognac is a gourmet’s essential. Few can compare with regal CAMUS VSOP, fairly priced to boot.

Everything is available at your local spirits retailer.

Almost like a magician, Dad can exhibit his cocktail skills with his new exquisite crystal Bormioli Rocco Capitol Decanter and serve drinks in the Bormioli Rocco Capitol Double Old Fashioned Set of 4 or 6 glasses. A gift that lasts.

A Clingo for Father's Day? It holds any wireless device through "stick to it" technology and is safe and handy for travel. Clingo can be used to mount his wireless device in the office, car or anywhere.

Sunglasses are appreciated. Fatheadz is stylish and practical, made for larger than average heads like Jay Leno’s. Ill-fitting, often so-called unisex sunglasses, can ruin an outdoor experience. Polarized and impact-resistant. For Dad the traveler, a lightweight carryon that converts to a backpack is a blessing. CompuDay Photo250 holds and protects cameras, laptops and electronic gizmos and is a snap to open for airport security.

Dad’s are national treasures. All of us are proud of you and on this special Father’s Day, we join in a unified voice to shout out “Thank you!”

(Unless retailers are listed in this article, each product other than alcoholic spirits can be found and purchased through Amazon.com.)