Our Favorite Southern-Made Gifts For Dad
Letterpress Prints
The South has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to both renown and boutique letterpress shops. Whether your dad is a Jason Isbell fan or he’s bursting with state pride, there’s a piece that will make his den or office more a reflection of his personality. Check out: Hatch Show Print, Cotton and Pine, Dirty Coast, or Yellowhammer Creative.
Coffee Subscription
Rescue your dad from those instant crystals or generic store-brand beans. So many of our favorite coffee roasters based in the South, like Birmingham’s Revelator, Charleston’s King Bean, or Durham’s Counter Culture, offer subscription services that will deliver fresh-roasted blends and single-origin beans straight to his doorstep. Plus, when you come to visit, you won’t have to sneak off to the nearest cafe for a drinkable cup.
Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Jack Pack
If you’re dad’s home bar could use some new-school touches to classic cocktail ingredients, this Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Jack Pack complete with a bottle of their famous tonic, grenadine, a jigger, and aromatic bitters makes it easy.
Sea Island Forge Fire Kettle
If you’re looking to make a fuss over your dad this year or have a mess of siblings to chip in, this grill will not only make all his backyard tailgate dreams become reality, it will also quickly become a family heirloom. Made in the tradition of Southern cane syrup boiling kettles, it functions as a centerpiece for the entire family to gather round for roasting oysters or marshmallows. The Sea Island Forge Fire Kettle also has attachments that you can get him next year. They include a griddle top or a steel plate called a “Sidekick” that quickly heats up coffee, hot cocoa, or a cast-iron skillet.
Pappy & Company Maple Syrup
Is it a universal truth that dads excel best in the kitchen within the arena of breakfast? Whether your dad is a pro at pancakes or not, the Pappy & Co. Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup has become a go-to gift for two of our editors whose papas can’t get enough of this maple syrup scented with the same spicy vanilla and caramel notes that made the namesake bourbon famous. We gave it one of our Southern Living Food Awards this year too.
While we know our dads would be fine with a few hours spent fishing or maybe a nice dinner downtown, for some reason we can't help but fret over Father's Day. While mamas often benefit from unnecessary luxuries and a requisite brunch on their special day, dads evoke gift ideas that err toward the ultra-practical and perhaps boring side. That's why if you put a magazine gift guide from 1992 side by side with one from today, it reads remarkably the same plus or minus a few more modern necktie designs and futuristic technology upgrades. The Apple Watch is just today's version of yesteryear's pager or palm pilot, y'all. Since our editors come from a collection of more discerning dads, we decided to put together a list of gifts that not only say, "Hey I understand you not just as my father, but as a whole person with interests and hobbies," but also say "Hey, this gift isn't just some mass-produced item I settled on due to sheer retail-induced exhaustion and anxiety."