Father’s Day is around the corner, and finding a gift that feels genuinely thoughtful can be harder than it should be. So we’ve done the tasting, testing and trying for you rounding up standout bottles, food gifts, entertaining essentials and memorable experiences for every kind of dad. Whether he’s a whisky devotee, a hands-on home cook, a wine lover or simply impossible to buy for, these are gifts with far more personality.
Dedicated drams: Callington Mill’s New Personalised Single Malt Whisky
Callington Mill has solved the perennial “What on earth do I buy Dad?” dilemma with a rather handsome personalised whisky offering. Choose from three Tasmanian single malts Sherry Cask, Port Cask or Peated Sherry & Port Cask then make it yours with one of six label designs. There are three areas to customise: add a name, date or cheeky in-joke to the front, then go big with up to 750 characters on the bottle spine for the heartfelt stuff (or the family banter). We tried the Ex-Port Wine Barrel expression and were seriously impressed. It’s creamy, aromatic and beautifully rounded, with a generous, luxurious feel that makes it dangerously easy to pour another. Bold call, but it has nudged Hibiki from the top spot as my current favourite dram. Each 700ml bottle arrives in a matching personalised gift box, so it feels considered before it is even opened. They are really beautiful boxes with a velvety feel to them. At $220, it is a splurge but for whisky-loving dads, milestone birthdays or someone who deserves more than another pair of socks, it is a gift with real keepsake appeal. Available online via Callington Mill Distillery. First time we have tried them and we love it.
Wild Turkey’s Austin Nichols Archives Gold Foil Edition
Inspired by the legendary “Cheesy Gold Foil” bottles of the 1980s, now some of the most revered and sought-after bottles in Wild Turkey history, Gold Foil marks the first release from the new Austin Nichols Archives Collection, with just 4,161 bottles available nationally. So get in FAST!! We tried Wild Turkey’s Gold Foil Edition (we had a mini bottle) it’s a seriously special Father’s Day pour for the bourbon devotee. This inaugural Austin Nichols Archives release is a 16-year-old, non-chill-filtered Kentucky straight bourbon at a bold 60% ABV, inspired by the cult “Cheesy Gold Foil” bottlings of the ’80s and ’90s. Delicious with richly layered sip of mature oak, dark fruit, cherry cola, caramel and warm spice, finishing long, peppery and satisfyingly luxurious. RRP: $499 Available now: Retailer details HERE
Kafe Kooks Gift Jars of Spicy Sambals and Jams
Kafe Kooks in Ultimo is one of our favourite dog friendly spots famous for their incredible roti. Book a table or if you want to bring the experience home, we highly recommend their house-made gift jars (sambal, chili jam and coconut jam) are my pantry’s new power couple, turning lazy toast, weekend curries and, yes, an epic Indian-style spread into something that tastes like I’ve spent hours in the kitchen. Tear through flaky roti paratha, ladle on a proper curry banquet, then finish with that sweet-salty coconut jam for dessert vibes and suddenly your Father’s Day table feels like a proper feast. These jars capture Kafe Kooks’ bold, Bowie-soundtracked energy in something you can actually gift, and they’re perfect for the dad who’d rather dive into a roti-and-curry spread than unwrap another gadget. Grab the sambal (and the rest of the condiment lineup) straight from: Kafe Kooks. You can also book dad into a special Roti Making class too.
Corelle’s Square Pure White 12 Piece Dinner Set
For the dad who loves to cook, entertain or simply appreciates a beautifully set table, Corelle’s Square Pure White 12 Piece Dinner Set is a stylish kitchen upgrade. It’s a fun change from round plates. Its crisp white finish and contemporary square profile work with everything from a relaxed Sunday breakfast to a full family feast, while the set includes four dinner plates, four lunch plates and four generous soup/cereal bowls. Practical as well as polished, it is made for easy everyday mixing, matching and serving. We also like how robust it is so from the dishwasher to the accident prone we like the set. RRP $129; available from Global Kitchen Brands, BIG W and Spotlight.
Tamar Ridge Winemaker for a Day: Pinot Noir Blending Experience
For the dad who prefers an experience to another “thing”, Tamar Ridge’s Winemaker for a Day: Pinot Noir Blending Experience is a thoughtful Father’s Day gift. We’ve long loved the winery’s elegant, cool-climate Tasmanian wines, particularly the way its Pinot Noirs express the diversity of the Tamar Valley. Here, Dad can step behind the bottle, tasting individual vineyard parcels and Pinot Noir clones before creating a personalised blend under the guidance of the cellar door team. It’s a memorable, hands-on way to discover how clone, vineyard site and component wines shape a Pinot’s aroma, flavour, structure and balance—then put his own palate in charge. RRP $110 per person; available at Tamar Ridge, Tamar Valley, Tasmania. Book via Tamar Ridge Reservations. If you can’t get there then just get Dad one of their fantastic pinots we loved the 2023, lots of plums and cherrys – Dan’s will sort you out buy here
Haldirams Indian Feast packs
Give Dad the night off cooking with a Haldiram’s feast that brings the flavour without the prep. Build an easy Indian dinner around ready-to-eat favourites such as Dal Makhani, Palak Paneer, Rajma and Hyderabadi Biryani, then add naan or paratha, crispy samosas and a few shareable snacks on the side. It’s a fuss-free Father’s Day solution for a dad who loves big, comforting flavours and it leaves more time for relaxing, not washing up. We really loved the naans which come in a freezer pack, just pop a few in the airfryer and an instant snack in 2 mins. Available from selected Indian grocers and online retailers, including India At Home and Radhe Online; prices vary by product and retailer
Lanson Le Black Création 258
For the dad who appreciates Champagne with real pedigree, Lanson Le Black Création 258 makes a polished Father’s Day gift. Founded in Reims in 1760, Lanson is one of Champagne’s oldest houses and is renowned for a vivid, high-acid style, created by largely avoiding malolactic fermentation, the winemaking step that softens acidity and adds creaminess. This is a Pinot Noir-led multi-vintage blend, with the “258” identifying its distinct annual composition rather than a generic non-vintage release; it is based on the 2018 harvest, with 32% reserve wines and 75% of its crus retaining that bright, non-malolactic freshness. In the glass, expect white flowers, lemon and saline notes, followed by pear, peach, toast, apple and citrus curd, all carried by a focused, mouth-watering finish. Compared with Lanson’s richer, more specialised cuvées such as the organic Le Green Label, or the rare single-vineyard Clos Lanson, Le Black Création is the house’s signature, most versatile expression: complex enough for a wine-loving dad but wonderfully easy to enjoy now with oysters, sushi, roast chicken or a generous cheese board. We popped ours already, why wait? RRP $99.99; available from Dan Murphy’s.