Alcoholic treats for Father's Day

Russian Standard Gold Vodka

Hosting a range of subtle sweet notes including honey, almond and vanilla, Russian Standard Gold is a unique combination of Dmitri Mendeleev’s classic vodka formula and carefully selected extracts of Siberian golden root.  What’s more, every bottle is housed within striking gold packaging in order to create the ultimate golden gift for loved ones this Father’s Day.

Available in all good supermarkets and off licences, as well as Selfridges and Harrods. RRP £20 (70cl). www.russianstandardvodka.com

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• Liz McClarnon's foodie blog

Adnams specialist handcrafted spirits

Adnams First Rate Gin (left), which is made with a blend of East Anglian wheat, barley and rye, plus 13 botanicals including Juniper berries, coriander seed, cardamon pod, sweet orange peel and liquorice root, and Adnams North Cove Oak Aged Vodka (right), matured in French oaked barrels in cellars below the Copper House distillery to deliver aromas of vanilla and spice with a rich butterscotch finish, both offer an interesting alternative alcoholic gift this Father's Day.

Adnams First Rate Gin 48%abv 50cl - £24.99
Adnams North Cove Oak Aged Vodka 50%abv 50cl - £25.99

For more information, visit www.adnams.co.uk

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Le Faîte Saint Mont

Traditionally, long ageing red wines were passed on to future generations and these wines were identified with a wooden or zinc label. Thus Producteurs Plaimont have chosen to renew this tradition with Le Faîte du Saint-Mont.

This powerful and structured red is deep in colour well balanced with oak, which respects the full fruit and the complexity of light vanilla notes and soft tannins. The Faîte Red will age superbly well and its concentration and suppleness make this wine a natural choice to serve with T-bones, roasted meat and stews.

Available from Weavers Wines (£18.73).

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Duvel Collection Glassware Gift pack

The Duvel Collection, which already numbers three bespoke designs, harnesses the creativity of Dutch artist Parra, the typographer Denis Myers, and inspirational printers Eley Kishimoto. Using the iconic Duvel glass as their canvas, they have put their own individual stamp on its generous contours, creating a must-have gift and collectors’ item for those in love with art -or with Duvel’s subtle charms.

Individual bottles of Duvel available at Waitrose, Asda and Sainsbury’s (£1.75 per 33cl bottle).

Gift pack available at www.duvelcollection.com - contains 2 bottles of Duvel and glass (£10).

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• Liz McClarnon's foodie blog

Courvoisier

If you're feeling particularly generous (and flush), why not splash out on Courvoisier's XO Imperial (pictured, left) – crafted from a blend of over 40 cognacs and aged for up to 35 years – and retailing at a mere £102.48.

For a more affordable alternative, opt for Courvoisier VS (pictured, right) which retails at £22.53 and is perfect for mixing or drinking neat.

Courvoisier VS is available at all good supermarkets and off licences.

Courvoisier XO Imperial 70cl is available from selected Waitrose stores and www.thedrinkshop.com.

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Whiskys from Glenfiddich

Admittedly, there may not be many of you out there willing or, more to the point, able to shell out £10,000 on a bottle of Scotch for the old man but just on the off-chance, you may choose to invest in Glenfiddich's 50-year-old bottle variety (pictured, left).

A more realistic gift - retailing at £28.29 - is the 12-year-old variety (right). Aged in American and Spanish oak casks, it delivers complex rounded flavours with elegant notes of fresh pear and subtle oak.

For further information on Glenfiddich, visit the Glenfiddich website.

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• Liz McClarnon's foodie blog

Healey's Classic Cornish Cider

A premium oak-aged matured cider that has taken time to perfect. It is a medium cider with a good balance of both sweet and dry, and has been stored in oak casks for up to three months in cellars at Healey’s Cyder Farm in Cornwall.

A a very well-balanced cider with a hint of sweetness and mouthwatering refreshment - a beautiful lingering finish with hints of oak and tropical fruits.

Find out more at www.thecornishcyderfarm.co.uk

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Maker's Mark

Maker’s Mark is a handcrafted bourbon whisky distilled in Kentucky. World-renowned for its smooth flavour and iconic hand-dipped bottles dripping in crimson wax, it is perfect to sip on its own, chilled with ice to raise a glass to honour Father’s Day.

Available from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Morrison’s (£25).

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• The Guy Decoder
   
• Liz McClarnon's foodie blog

Assorted beers from Greene King

For the beer drinker in your life (from left to right)...

Greene King IPA is a refreshing and 'sessionable' real beer. It is often described as being a perfectly balanced ale and is characterised by the hoppy taste and aroma that comes from the use of Challenger and First Gold hops combined with pale and crystal malts.

Old Speckled Hen has a full, smooth flavour and is very easy to drink. Its rich amber colour and superb fruity aromas are complemented by a delicious blend of malty tastes.

St Edmunds is a golden beer that has been specially brewed to be served cooler than traditional ales, making it the perfect choice for summer.

Abbot Ale is an established favourite with discerning beer drinkers. An iconic brew, Abbot Ale is brewed for longer to achieve its distinctive taste - full of ripe fruit characters, a malty richness and superb hop balance followed by an intense bittersweet finish.

Available nationwide at all good supermarkets and off licences.

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• Liz McClarnon's foodie blog

Savanna Chill Pack

Savanna is a premium dry ‘New World Cider’ from South Africa. It is produced with Granny Smith apples from the Western Cape and is the world’s 3rd best selling cider. 

Available from Tesco and Sainsbury’s (£12.48).

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• Liz McClarnon's foodie blog

Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey

A completely unique expression of Irish whiskey and a revival of one of the oldest methods of making it (by drying the malting barley over peat fires).

It recently won Gold Medal & Best in Class at the International Wine and Spirit Competition

Available from Waitrose, John Lewis Foodhall, Odd Bins, Selfridges, House of Fraser, The Whisky Shops, Royal Mile Whiskies and Milroys (£26.99).

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Isle of Arran whiskys

Arran 14-Year-Old with a taste of toffee apples and hazelnuts followed by dates, chocolate orange and spiced tea cake. With a sunset copper colouring, the whisky also has a lovely smell of dried fruits, vanilla and toffee. (£39.99).

Or get him the distillery's first peated malt, the limited edition Machrie Moor, with a subtle aroma of fudge, coconut and spice. (£39.99).

Both available from www.arranwhisky.com and selected stockists nationwide.

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Hopping Hare ale

An uplifting grapefruit flavour and floral hop aroma make Badger’s new Hopping Hare a thirst quenching and characterful ale to drink as the seasons change.  Lightly golden and with a crisp refreshing taste and higher hop flavour, Hopping Hare is a premium bottled pale ale with real body.

Available from Tesco and Sainsbury’s (£1.75 per bottle).

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Limited Edition Innis & Gunn Triple Matured Oak Aged Beer

Burgundy red in colour and smartly packed in its own gift box, Triple Matured is a smooth operator that balances oak and malt with fruity characters.  Like dads everywhere who mellow with age, this beer is mature – in fact it’s been triple matured, then aged for 99 days.

Available in select Tesco Stores from Monday 30th May.

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Mount Gay Rum

Mount Gay Rum Extra Old Barbados Rum is a skilful blend of the finest old spirits, carefully selected from aged reserves. It is the result of hundreds of years of respecting the time-honoured traditions of rum production.

Once sipped and savoured, the connoisseur experiences the warmth of a well-rounded, exceedingly smooth, light bodied spirit; possessing such finesse as only time can bring.

Available in all good supermarkets and off licences (£29.95).

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The Single Malt Whisky Flavour Experience Gift Set

An affordable way to introduce your Dad to the world of whisky. It features four miniatures, each a contrasting whisky, together with The Flavour Map - a guide on tasting single malt whiskies. Available at Tesco and whisky specialists (£12).

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Limited Edition Appleton Estate 30-Year-Old Jamaica Rum

For a particularly high-end gift, why not splash out on Appleton Estate 30-Year-Old Jamaica Rum, the oldest rum commercially available in the world.

With only 70 bottles available in the UK, your dad will gain considerable kudos when pulling this out of his drinks cabinet.

It is a hand blended luxury rum with a mahogany hue and winter aromas of baked pear, maple and spice with a distinctive note of orange peel – the hallmark of all Appleton Estate Jamaica.

With such lofty credentials comes a fairly lofty price - £500 available exclusively at Harrods.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label

Johnnie Walker Blue Label is the perfect gift for those who appreciate the finer things in life. Available in a specially crafted gift box, Blue Label is blended from the rarest and most expensive Scotch whiskies in the Johnnie Walker reserves and is the jewel in the crown of the prestigious Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky portfolio.

Available at all good supermarkets and off licences.

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• The Guy Decoder
   
• Liz McClarnon's foodie blog