By Jeb Fiorita and Peter Olson
Father’s Day is a special day. A day where we celebrate dads everywhere. And whether you are a father celebrating with loved ones or raising a glass in memory of one that has passed on…the day should be enjoyed with something special. The question is…what relaxing beverage or spirit is appropriate? Now if we were drinking a toast to a dad who has passed on, that would be a vodka gimlet. To a brother, an ice-cold Budweiser. We would solute them with their favorite drink. But what if it is just you sitting in the back yard? We have a couple of ideas.
Those of you who have read our articles before know we have a love for many spirits. And one such spirit dates back to founding of out country…Whiskey. Specifically, Bourbon. There is a saying ”all Bourbon is whiskey but NOT ALL whiskey is Bourbon”. Bourbon is truly an American spirit. We have given the history of Bourbon in past articles so we will not go into details here. There is one special Bourbon that I am so pleased to have in all of our locations. And that is Copper and Cask.
This is a Val’s pick titled, the “Valiant Barrel.” What do I mean by that? This Bourbon was tasted and selected by the staff at Val’s. Over 15 Bourbon Whiskey combinations were tasted and vetted, from the mash bill (60% corn, 36% Rye and 4% Barley Malt) to the label to the name. You will not taste this bottle anywhere but Val’s. And it can be yours for as long as the product is available. We bought the barrel. So, when it is gone, it is gone. Luckily, all Val’s locations will be sampling this splendid Bourbon on Saturday June 18th. So please stop on by any of our locations!
What if Bourbon is not your thing? Well, that is ok. We have plenty of other options. Maybe that special guy likes craft beer, especially the brew local to Connecticut. Val’s has a great selection of locally crafted beer. Stamford is home to Half Full Brewery which offers several options like their India Pale Ale (Beacon & Pursuit), A Peach Wheat Ale (Within Reach Peach), a Blonde Ale (Bright), a New England Style India Pale Ale (Bloom) and a Fruit Punch Sour (Supernova).
Moving north and just east of Danbury is Newtown locals, Reverie Brewing. This beer has a lot of flavor and is simply delicious. They offer a Hefeweizen (Banana Stand) that is out of this world. The Amber Ale (Little Piggy) is a customer favorite. And when we last did a Gose tasting, their Cherry Sour Ale (Washington Sour) and Blood Orange Kolesch Style Ale (Bottomless Brunch) were big sellers. In Stratford, we have Two Roads Brewing. This beer offers several IPA options, from their Double IPA (Road to Ruin) to their basic IPA’s (Lil’ Heaven & Honeyspot Road). Two Hayz IPA options are Lil Juicy and Two Juicy which are sold in 16 ounce four-packs.
From all of us at Val’s, happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there.
Peter Olson is the manager of Val’s Wines, Spirits and Crafts in Stamford. Jeb Fiorita owns Val’s three locations, including their flagship store in Greenwich.
