I’m not just a wine and drinks specialist, I’m also into my third decade of being a dad. My expert opinion on being one is that the greatest gift fathers can get is some downtime with their kids. Sitting at the table for a meal with a glass of wine, or a cocktail or mocktail, happens to be my favourite version of this. If that time is going to include a present, here are some Father’s Day gift ideas for boozy dads.

Something Old

If the budget is really big, then Iron Gate out of Calgary just happens to be running Canada-wide fine wine and spirits auctions, respectively this month. You could bid on a very special bottle of something that’s been in a cellar for a while. For instance, a bottle of Yamazaki Hospitality Limited Edition 25 Year Old Single Malt Whisky looks good for a starting bid of $7,500. Or, I’d be happy to stick with the classics on a lot of six bottles of 1982 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac, which, last time I checked, was bidding at only $3,750.

Something Local

Canada’s biggest city happens to be close to the country’s biggest wine region, Niagara. But just about every big urban centre has a brewery, cider house or a distillery nearby. Most will offer some kind of tasting experience, or a combination with a purchase. I think fathers deserve bubbles as much as mothers, so, on Father’s Day, I would be very happy to open a bottle of Stratus’ 2017 Blanc de Blanc or a Blue Mountain Brut Rosé 2022 from the Okanagan.

Something Vague

My wife says I shop for wine like she shops for clothes, and I enjoy the thrill of the hunt as much as the prize. A gift certificate is a double present for an enthusiast. In most of Canada, that will practically mean one from the provincial liquor monopoly, like the LCBO or SAQ, but if there’s a local private option, try an importing agent like Cavinona or Dandurand.

Something to Drink Out of

Most of us could use an upgrade for whatever we use to drink whatever we drink. This could be just two really nice glasses for Dad and a companion (I drink out of the iconic Iittala Thule tumblers). Or, it could be fancy patio glasses for summer – there are some really cool plastic glasses that look like crystal, like these Sole Shatterpoof wine glasses from Hopson Grace.

Something Obvious

Dads are often a fairly prosaic bunch – we don’t need surprises. If you ask us what we want, we might demure, but ask us what kind of drink we’d like, and you’re more likely to get a helpful answer. Who’s going to turn down a free drink (especially if it’s made from a bottle of Victoria’s Empress Purple Gin, hint, hint)?

Malcolm Jolley is a Toronto-based wine and food writer and the wine columnist for The Hub. His work has appeared in The National Post and Chatelaine, he has travelled widely to report on winemakers and wine culture around the world and publishes a wine club newsletter at mjwinebox.com.