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USA Today
10-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
10 best and most affordable bourbons for Father's Day 2025
10 best and most affordable bourbons for Father's Day 2025 Whiskey isn't just for the dads out there. But it's so ingrained as a reliable gift for the drinking patriarchs out there that it's become an easy cheat for Father's Day. Need a gift? Got $50? Congrats, dad, you're getting some booze. That $50 mark is a nice middle ground in the world of bourbon, even as prices rise. You can still get several good bottles for half that price -- Old Grand-Dad, come on down. You can find good bottles at twice the cost or more. My purpose during our Father's Day week-long whiskey extravaganza is to provide a solid array of options and run through all the whiskeys I've been lucky enough to sample and review this past year. THE BEST FLAVORED WHISKEYS FOR FATHER'S DAY: Some picks for your dad! And, friends, there are plenty. This is only the first half of our bourbon breakdown, with more to come as well as dives into the worlds of rye and Scotch. Today, we're talking about the more affordable bottles out there that will clock in around that $50 mark, even if some of these distilleries offer much more expensive offshoots that are similarly worth your time. Let's talk a look at some moderately priced whiskey. Old Forester Let's start with an easy win. Find yourself a bottle of Old Forester -- a proper value with old school bonafides and a tradition of great taste -- and you don't have to worry about whether or not the intended recipient will like it. Old Forester continues to innovate, which is why I'm talking about the 100 proof, 1924 edition here (it's more than $50. I'm breaking my own rule one review into this. We're doing great!). It's also been my go-to gifting bourbon because it's a) inexpensive and b) really, really good. This is a whiskey that's been around forever and leans into various tweaks of that history. Vitally, there's no expression I've had of theirs I don't like. The 1924 pours a healthy mahogany. It smells big and boozy with lots of those oak notes you'd expect from a 10-year bourbon. There's also cherry and a little bit of caramelized sugar and vanilla that makes everything a little more luxurious. The vanilla carries you through the first sip, showing up the second it hits your lips and lasting well after it has cleared your esophagus. It's dense and smooth, showcasing that age with a little sweet oak and that big creme brulee flavor. While the warmth you'd expect from a 100 proof liquor rolls in toward the end, it brings nice deep tones with it that give you plenty to linger on after it's gone. There's a wonderful balance of sweet and spice that ultimately tilts toward the former. There's a lot of dense dessert flavors that give way to just enough spice to flip from juicy to dry. It's really a lovely dram -- even if, at about $110, it's a pricy one. Makers Mark French Oaked The label promises the classic Maker's Mark bourbon, aged in virgin French oak staves. I'm not sure why they put "virgin" on there -- pretty much all bourbon barrels wind up as one-time-use items before being shipped overseas to coddle Scotches or age fancy stouts in craft breweries across the states. But the promise of French oak suggests a sweeter Maker's Mark with more vanilla and tannins than the typical batch. The smell off the top backs this up. There's some minor vanilla, but a big heap of floral/woody aromas that give it a sharpness that sets it apart from the sweeter bourbons on this list. As you'd expect, that's how each sip finishes, but we'll get there. The sweetness I didn't pick up from dunking my nose in the glass shows up on your tongue. The vanilla is front and center, and it rolls with a little caramel and cinnamon to give you a nice sweet/spice combination that pushes you toward that oak. Ultimately, that's going to determine whether you like this bourbon or if it's just something you drink. It's not especially complex, but it's smooth and sippable. At $40 it's a pretty solid value and a dram you won't feel badly about slipping a couple ice cubes into. Actually scratch that; you shouldn't feel badly about drinking your whiskey with ice anyway, you do you. All Nations Bourbon The bottle itself is simple and streamlined -- though the "all nations welcome except Carrie" is printed on a white-on-white scarf across the bottle's neck, which makes it feel like more of an Easter egg than the bourbon's namesake. That's nitpicking, though. It pours a rich caramel color. It smells lighter than the color suggests. You get corn and oak and vanilla, but it's a little weaker than you'd expect from a Kentucky whiskey that clocks in at 92 proof. The bourbon is very smooth up front. You're welcomed with sweetness up front that lingers throughout the sip. You get the corn mash that makes up the bulk of the ingredient list in a way that creates a moderate cereal vibe to the whole proceeding. You get a little warmth and just a minor amount of salt. There's a braid of fruit that lingers throughout -- raisins, apricot and a little bit of cherry. There's also a little bit of dark chocolate, which is light but shows up once you start looking for it. It's not the most complex bourbon, but it's got layers at a reasonable price -- about $40 per fifth. Hogsworth Bourbon I'm not sure a pig dressed as Boss Hogg is the way I'd go with my premium whiskey offering. But it feels like a shot at WhistlePig, the company Raj Bhakta (see above) founded and was forced out of six years earlier, and pettiness is one hell of a motivator. There's a chance there are some Michael Jordan qualities to this spirit. Or maybe it'll be a big sloppy mess, like a pig in seersucker. The average age of the bourbons and Armagnac blended here clocks in at 9.3 years, though the concentrations create room for some fuzzy math. The 60 percent of the spirit that's made up of bourbon is roughly five years old. The Armagnac ranges from 11 to 42 years, though there's only five percent of the oldest French brandy in the mix. This, of course, will not matter if it's great. And about $50 for a 42-year-old drink, even if it's a pretty minimal amount, still counts as a nice little conversation piece. It pours a lovely mahogany. It smells luxurious and intriguing. There's some vanilla and caramel right off the top. You get a little granola as well -- oat and raisin, maybe a little cherry -- in an appealing balance. The drink itself is lighter than expected. It's whiskey up front and Armagnac in the back, which could be a turn off for someone looking for a pure bourbon. You begin with sweet oak, pepper and some baking spice. You quickly transition to the heat and booze of a brandy, which would probably make for a great, weird Wisconsin hybrid old fashioned but instead clashes here. Despite my place in Madison, I tend to reserve brandy for big, sugary old fashioneds (also, I enjoy digging out the cherries with a cocktail straw because I am a child). The blend here is a bit abrasive, particularly if you're not an Armagnac drinker. A little ice mellows it out and makes the transition a bit easier. It's sweeter and smoother, but this is a big swing that doesn't quite pay off. Still, it's complex enough to sit and sip with even if it isn't the easiest drinker. It's not harsh, and while there's warmth it doesn't burn. There's a lot going on, and it'll be a nice challenge for an experienced drinker at a reasonable cost. There's value in that. Whistlepig Piggyback Bourbon This six-year bourbon has a bit of a lighter complexion for a well-seasoned dram. The smell off the pour is a bit stronger, leaning into your standard bourbon sweet-and-spice behind vanilla, raisin, pepper and a little cinnamon. It's nice -- familiar but bold. It's not overly sweet up front, instead leaning into that warmth that would make it one hell of a sip on a cold New Hampshire night. It's not overpowering, but it is cozy, setting the tone for the flavor that follows. You get a little honey and citrus, along with the cinnamon that keeps the "fireplace sipper" vibe rolling. The spirit is medium dense but lingers on the finish. You're left with notes of honey and fruit and spice that all seem to hit in equal parts. It sticks with you a while -- not in a way that's a problem, but in a way you do notice. It lacks the punch of Whistlepig's ryes, and that's gonna be a bug for some drinkers and a feature for others. For me, it's a pleasant experience all the way through. It's bold when sipped neat but retains its swirling flavors over ice. At a reasonable $40 to $50 per bottle, it's a solid value too. Whiskey Row Triple Wood I'm excited to try this new bourbon out of Louisville. There's the connection to epicenter of great bourbon, obviously, but I also love Laphroaig's Triplewood. That's not aged in the same combination of virgin oak, cognac and sherry casks Whiskey Row's core expression is, but the association is enough to hype me up. It pours a touch on the lighter side color-wise. You can smell the sherry and cognac influence right off the top. That stone fruit sugar blends with the spice of the malt and a little bit of oak and licorice to give off a pleasant swirl of big flavors. The fruit carries through to the first sip, but it's lighter than expected. A bit of spice lingers in the back before a little smoke and oak clock in for a long, lingering finish. It eventually ends dryly, inviting you back for more. The second sip brings more baking flavors into the mix -- brief sprinkles of bread dough and pepper to go with that sweet-but-acidic stone fruit profile -- because getting into that smoke with just a little bit of vanilla to boot. There's a lot to consider, leaving this more of a novel than a pamphlet when it comes to reading through all the influences lurking under that grain. It never punches you in the face with any one big swing, but instead lets a lot of small flavors float through each sip and lets you unpack it. That's a nice thing, particularly at an approachable price point of about $50 per fifth. Kentucky Green Code Bourbon Let's being with the bottle. The exterior is 100 percent paper -- though maybe not the cap -- and it very cool if a little, uh, un-sturdy. There's a mark on the bottle that says "press here to recycle" and I am extremely tempted to do just that, even knowing that probably means dumping $50 of bourbon all over myself (it turns out there's a plastic bladder inside keeping your whiskey safe). Invasive thought aside, it pours a little lighter than some of the other bourbons on this list. The smell follows that lead. There's a little vanilla, some honey and oak -- all the flavors you'd expect from a Kentucky bourbon -- but it's far from overpowering. It tastes a little young, but it doesn't burn. It's a lineup of flavors that don't feel fully developed, instead giving you lots of small ideas instead of a few big ones. There's vanilla, honey, citrus, cinnamon, caramel and baking spice. It warms up toward the end, but nothing off-putting. It's nice, but the spirit inside may not be as interesting as the bottle itself. Even so, it's a nice combination -- a solid pour over ice that may be better as a beginner-to-intermediate bourbon compared to its peers. Coppercraft Distillery Straight Bourbon Michigan is having a nice whiskey resurgence recently. Joseph Magnus was revived from the ashes of the bourbon collapse and produced a wonderful malt. Coppercraft's offering clocks in at 97 proof, but there's no report on how long it's been aged. Since the distillery was founded in 2012, I'm gonna venture that it's fewer than 13 years (per the internet, it's a blend of five- and nine-year spirits). It's a little light in color. The smell promises some sweet fruit flavors that would make me think this was aged in a few wine casks. There's a minor brandy vibe that cuts through the malt to create a unique profile. That sweetness rolls through the first sip. For a spirit distilled in the Midwest (in Indiana, in fact) there's a lot of tropical fruit flavor involved. There's a little peach, cherry, banana and clove that emerge as the first thing you get. The sugars involved linger long after it has left your lips. It's a little bit like a vanilla wrapper on a nice cigar -- Coppercraft isn't giving us White Owls here -- that helps the boozy Mary Poppins its way to your stomach. Underneath is a little bit of pumpkin bread-type spices that work well with those fruit flavors. It's certainly a unique spirit, and while it isn't a classic bourbon it's still a very interesting, extremely sippable expression. Coppercraft is a modest buy at $50 that showcases the versatility of a northern bourbon (yes yes, it's not from Bourbon County, I understand and do not care). There's a lot to chew on with each sip, and while that sweetness may be a turnoff for some it's an easy win for me. Old Elk Slow Cut Pouring this unveils a wave of sweet honey citrus and fresh cut wood. A weird combination, maybe, but one that works. It's a lovely mahogany and generally looks like a proper dram. The texture is a bit denser than similar whiskeys, especially considering it's been blended down to 88 proof. That's not a complaint; it's a little thick and coats your tongue nicely. It works because the spirit itself leans into the smooth, homogeneous traits of a blend. I'm getting some nutmeg, vanilla and other sweet eggnog spices in the mix before a gentle finish that uses that sugar to land the plane with only a few bumps. A little further reading suggests that's all intentional. Old Elk's Slow Cut is designed to water the spirit down to that softer 88 proof without losing flavor to the boil-off system shock of introducing large amounts of water to the process at once. So it's slowly filtered in to create a lighter drink that retains some hallmarks of a cask strength malt. This results in a softer sip that may lack some of the complexity of similar bourbons, but also eliminates some of the harshness that comes with it. Bigger, boozier blends require a bit of compartmentalization to rise above the proof and find its flavors. That's an easier task with Old Elk Slow Cut -- which, it should be noted, still clocks in at a solid 44 percent alcohol by volume. All in all, it's a nice intermediate drink and a solid value at around $40 per bottle. Plus, and this is important, it's got a heavy wooden cork cap, which makes it feel a little more expensive. So if you're looking for a proper whiskey for someone who likes but maybe doesn't love the spirit -- but does like fancy things -- this could be your jam. Jeptha Creed Bottled-in-Bond First off, the bottle is lovely. Raised glass in the shape of antlers or branches and lots of light gold flourishes against a library of mahogany. It looks great on one of the upper shelves of your local package store or adorning a home bar. Right away, it looks like a solid gift. As a bottled-in-bond whiskey, you know you're getting a spirit that's at least four years old, distilled by a single distillery and clocks in at 100 proof. That means smooth flavors with a little bit of barrel to them (oak, vanilla) and some complex, boozy notes. These are all good things. The pour is that welcoming mahogany that helps make the bottle so appealing. It smells a little lighter than you'd expect. There's a certain spice you'd expect from a malt that leans heavily on rye (even if it isn't a rye). Jeptha Creed's hook is using homegrown Bloody Butcher corn. It does seem like that leaves a little sweetness to that aroma. That sugar comes through up front. The texture of the spirit is a bit thicker than similar bourbons. Then the corn hits. It's clean and spicy, weaving around the rye in a balance of sweet and heat. It's a minor journey from a soft start to a heavier finish, leaving a flourish of light flavors floating on top of that Bloody Butcher. You really get what's advertised between the corn and rye. It's not especially complex, but you do get some nice flavors underneath the surface of sweet and spice. A little orange and some caramel -- maybe a little maple too. Adding a little ice thins out that thicker texture without ruining the source. That makes it versatile and, at about $50 per bottle, a spirit that can be sipped neat, over ice or in cocktails without too many qualms. Previously in FTW's Father's Day week-long whiskey extravaganza:
Eater
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Inside Cass Corridor's New Beer Bar Pouring Czech-Style Beer Shots and Boilermakers
8 Degrees Plato, a beer bar that served as an epicenter for craft beer for 14 years since its beginnings as a small shop in Ferndale, closed in December 2024. The space, often described by regulars as the neighborhood's living room, has been taken over by hospitality veterans Erik Annonson, Elliot Hoffman, and partner Brittney Carnahan. Their new bar, Meantime, embraces the idea of an undefined stretch of time — a place where patrons can stop in for one drink or stay for several. After two weekends of lowkey service, Meantime is set to officially debut on Friday, May 23. The team has reimagined the 2,400-square-foot space and added their touches, complementing design work by local designer Danny Jacobs. Materials from the bar's previous life, including former baker's racks and wood from old bleachers once used as beer shelving at 8 Degrees Plato, have been repurposed as drink rails. Communal seating has been updated in favor of a couch and individual chairs. The original beer cooler remains, offering a selection of local packaged brews, classics like Coors Banquet, wine, cider, and a variety of nonalcoholic options. As temperatures rise, the large front windows will lift open, blurring the line between indoor and patio seating. The trio initially planned to open Side Pull Brewery, but when the 8 Degrees space became available, they shifted gears, installing two side pull faucets in tribute to the original concept. This faucet, commonly used for Czech pilsners, controls the beer's flow to create a creamy head, a traditional way to serve and enjoy the style. They've partnered with Hamtramck-based Florian East Lagers & Ales to brew a Czech-style lager that will serve as Meantime's house beer — a recipe originally intended to be the flagship at Side Pull. The beer can be enjoyed on its own, with a shot of Old Grand-Dad in the custom shot glasses Brittney Carnahan casts at Pewabic Pottery, or as a mlíko shot — a Czech-style pour that fills the glass with dense foam and just a bit of lager. The creamy, sweet shot, which resembles milk, is traditionally consumed in one go to capture the beer's aromatic head before it settles. While Meantime doesn't serve food, it will regularly host rotating pop-ups. Opening weekend features offerings from Bao Chicka Bao Bao and Gajiza Dumplins. Guests are also welcome to bring in outside food. Guests can also become a 'pal,' which is the beer bar's version of a mug club membership, for $80 a year. Perks include discounts on the house lager and house lager-and-shot combo, 15 percent off all drafts, in-house wine, and cocktails, 25 percent off on Mondays, 10 percent off merchandise, and access to three annual member parties. Meantime is located at 3409 Cass Avenue in Detroit ; open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday, and 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday. Sign up for our newsletter.
