Father’s Day Gift Guide

Father’s Day has a habit of producing socks, novelty mugs and bottles that sit unopened. This year, skip the filler. The four gifts below earn their keep: one organises the cables he always loses, one is a daily-use Australian skincare staple, one is a Melbourne-designed glass that genuinely changes how whisky smells, and one is a rare American rye you may only see if you’re lucky.

All prices are current recommended retail. Availability changes quickly this close to the first Sunday in September.

Denver & Liely Whisky Glass RRP $55 from [denverandliely.com](https://denverandliely.com) (complimentary shipping over $150). Also at Dan Murphy’s ($54.99), Sullivan’s Cove, The Whisky Company and selected independent bottle shops.

Melbourne industrial designers Denver Cramer and Liely Faulkner built this glass because they were tired of choosing between a handsome tumbler and a proper nosing glass. The result is a hybrid: a wide base that opens a standard pour across a large surface, then a tapered bowl that funnels aroma to a rim sized for drinking, not just sniffing. It is hand-blown, hand-cut and hand-polished lead-free crystal, packed in a numbered kraft tube that already looks like a gift.

Why Dad will love it: the first pour is the argument. The same whisky he knows suddenly shows more fruit, spice or oak. Forbes has called it the world’s best whisky glass; plenty of Australian drinkers simply call it the only one they use now. It sits comfortably in the hand, looks the part on the table, and travels in its own tin. Buy two if you can — one for him, one so you are not borrowing it.

Bellroy Tech Kit RRP $89 from Bellroy, Amazon AU, THE ICONIC, David Jones, Rushfaster and JB Hi-Fi (colourways include Slate, Black, Navy and Bronze).

Bellroy is the Bells Beach / Fitzroy carry brand that made slim wallets fashionable and then applied the same thinking to everything else. The Tech Kit is a recycled, water-resistant zip pouch that opens flat like a book. Inside: a magnetic pocket for a power bank, stretch mesh for a mouse or charger brick, elastic loops for cables, and room for AirPods, an Apple Watch puck and the adapters that otherwise live in a kitchen drawer.

Why Dad will love it: every trip, every work bag, every “where is my lightning cable?” moment gets quieter. It is the rare organiser that is both handsome and actually used. Three-year warranty, Australian design, no leather-luxury markup for something that lives in a backpack. If he already has a Bellroy wallet, this completes the set.

Mukti Organics Balancing Cleansing Gel RRP $78 (200 ml) from [muktiorganics.com](https://www.muktiorganics.com), Adore Beauty, Flora & Fauna, Nourished Life, One Fine Secret and Clean Beauty Market.

Mukti is an Australian certified-organic skincare house. The Balancing Cleansing Gel is a light, lightly foaming daily cleanser aimed at normal, oily and combination skin. Native botanicals do the work: mountain pepper and flame tree for breakouts and oil, chamomile, aloe and olive leaf to keep the skin calm rather than stripped. It is vegan, palm-oil-free, packaged in dark glass, and won People’s Choice for Best Cleanser at the 2022 Wellness Awards.

Why Dad will love it: most men will use one product if it is simple and does not sting. This one removes the day’s city air, sunscreen and gym sweat without that tight, squeaky finish. It is a grown-up gift that says you noticed he still washes his face with whatever is in the shower. Pair it with the glass and the whisky and you have the start of an evening ritual rather than another bottle of aftershave.

Hudson Maple Cask Rye Whiskey 375 ml, 46% ABV. Limited edition. Not on general Australian distribution. William Grant & Sons owns the Hudson brand; the liquid is still made at Tuthilltown in Gardiner, New York. When it last appeared here, independent specialists quoted around $120 for the half-bottle.

New York rye, double-distilled from local grain, aged under four years in new charred oak, then finished in casks that previously held maple syrup from a Hudson Valley partner. No added flavouring; the maple is in the wood. The result is rye spice and black tea against a rounded, natural sweetness rather than pancake syrup. It is a 375 ml bottle by design: Hudson has always bottled small.

It is not sitting on supermarket shelves. It has been spotted at The Whisky Show, and that is still the most likely place an Australian drinker will see it. If you find a bottle at a show pop-up shop or a specialist who has a case left, take it. The combination of spice, oak and maple is unusual, and the format is perfect for a Father’s Day pour rather than a dusty trophy.

How to give them

Wrap the Denver & Liely tube as-is, the batch number already feels collectable. Put the Bellroy kit and the Mukti box together so the practical gifts sit beside the whisky. If you cannot find the Hudson, pour whatever rye or maple-finished whisky you can find into the new glass and save the hunt for the next Whisky Show.

Father’s Day is 6 September. Order the glass and the Tech Kit this week; Mukti ships fast from Australian stockists. The Hudson is the one that rewards being in the right room at the right time.

And don’t forget, a subscription to whisky Magazine – Australia will keep on giving for the next year, so head over to the subscription section to gift a four editions that will arrive with the seasons.