Nothing says ‘I love you, man’ like a Father’s Day craft brew

If you’ve shopped for Father’s Day cards recently you’ve no doubt noticed the glut of Hallmark greetings that cater to dad’s unquenchable thirst for beer. I recently counted no fewer than five different variations on the “Hey Dad, you deserve a beer on Father’s Day!” theme at the local Rite Aid, and I think this is one case where the greeting card writers have it right. Dad does deserve a frosty brew, and Father’s Day is just about the best excuse to share a craft beer with your pops.

Even if dad isn’t a craft beer fan (or much of a beer drinker at all) there are some great options that just might change his mind. He probably doesn’t want another tie or cheeky coffee mug. I’d wager he really wants the chance to share an experience with his son or daughter. Give him what he wants with one of these craft brews.

Gordon Biersch 25th Anniversary Dunkle

This dark lager is both approachable and complex, and it has a light body that belies its bold, roasted malt flavors -- and the color to match. The beer is a throwback to the first batches made at Gordon Biersch’s Palo Alto brewpub in 1988, and the new bottles are the perfect size to split with dad. It’s the beer I’d bring my pops on Sunday (he likes dark beer, but not strong or heavy brews).

Stone Enjoy By 7-4-14

Is you father a hop-head? Few things will satisfy a craving for the bitter essence of Humulus lupulus like this heavy-hitting double IPA from the San Diego brewery. The latest release in the Enjoy By series is one of the largest, most widely distributed yet, and it features a potpourri of different hop varieties that bestow the brew with a complex aroma that shifts from piney to fruity to earthy and grassy and back.

Beachwood Still Life Stout

If an inky, full-bodied stout is more your dad’s speed, I’d suggest this deliciously different double stout. A collaboration between the lauded Beachwood Brewery and Long Beach’s Still Life Tattoo parlor, the nearly 9% alcohol stout is enriched with a heavy dose of oats that create the thick, velvety mouthfeel, and an addition of malt smoked in Beachwood’s own smokers. The brewers managed to pack an enormous amount of flavor in the beer, including some elusive and savory umami notes.

Monkish Selah

You dad doesn’t like beer you say? More of a wine drinker? Track down a bottle of this new saison from Monkish Brewing in Torrance and change his mind. I’m pretty conflicted about recommending this beer simply because I’d like to be able to find more bottles of it myself, but it’s just too good to keep secret. Selah is a farmhouse-style ale full of earthy, peppery flavors that are intensified with an addition of the wild yeast brettanomyces. The “brett” dries out the beer and adds notes of tropical fruit and wine grapes, and these flavors are further highlighted by dry-hopping with some seriously flavorful hops (Galaxy, Mosaic and the Japanese Sorachi Ace, if you’re keeping track). Monkish is quietly making some of the best beers in Los Angeles, and this is perhaps the best they’ve released yet.

A growler of something fresh and local

The above recommendations just scratch the surface of the available brews that your father would love to share with you on Father’s Day, and one of the best options is to get a growler (or two, if you’ve got siblings) filled to split with pops. Like the macaroni necklaces and finger-painted gifts from your childhood, your dad’s going to love the thought no matter what you fill the jug with. The real gift is getting to share the craft beer with his children. That said, Smog City has just released their first double IPA, and the early reports are DEATH BY HOPS is another homerun from the Torrance brewery.