The phrase “Dad Beer” has taken on a negative connotation in recent years, culminating in the reference receiving its own Urban Dictionary definition. The short version is that the slang of “Dad Beer” is synonymous with “Legacy Lager,” beers that are light in color, watered down and lacking in flavor. For Father’s Day this year, skip the Old Style and Pabst Blue Ribbon and instead share these more relevant and flavorful craft brews with your dad as a gifted mixed six-pack.
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Intro to Hops: Dogfish Head 60 Minute
Introduce hops in a safe environment with Dogfish Head’s flagship beer, 60 Minute IPA. This is a standard-bearer IPA, continuously hopped with 60 additions over 60 minutes, drawing from a choice blend of Northwestern varietals. If your dad couldn’t pick out the bittering or citrus hop notes in a beer before, he’ll be ruined forever.
The Belgian Primer: Ommegang Witte
Ommegang Witte is light and effervescent with a nice interplay between sweet wheat malts and the bright spicing. But for someone not used to a more robust yeast characteristic, the full aromatics and slight fruitiness of the house Belgian strain become the star attraction.
Refreshing Fruit: Boulevard Ginger Lemon Radler
Boulevard created Ginger Lemon Radler to be a fresh take on the old-world technique of mixing soda or lemonade with beer to create a thirst quenching drink to support cyclists. While fruit beers can range from the decadently sweet to the mouth-twistingly sour, the lemon here is a refreshing education on how fruit can enhance ale.
Taste those Malts: Founders Porter
For an introduction to dark beers, Founders Porter is a sweet and smooth addition to the six pack that brings in elements of chocolate and caramel to create a robust but easy to drink ale.
The Best Part of Waking Up: Samuel Adams Nitro Coffee Stout
If dad celebrates the dawn of each day with a cup of Joe, then a coffee stout may just the thing to win him over to drinking craft beer. Nitro Coffee Stout is an in-your-face blend of coffee, molasses and roasted malts with the creamy mouthfeel and big fluffy head that only nitrogen carbonation can provide.
When All Else Fails: Evil Twin Hipster Ale
There’s a very good chance if your dad has been sipping High Life for the last thirty years that the other beers in this list may not pique his interest. Let him know that “Dad Beers” are alive and well in the newer generation with this throwback from Evil Twin. Hipster is a cracker-crisp take on the legacy lager with slightly dialed up hops and malt characteristics to be a more flavorful variation of his usual brew.
