Father’s Day is just around the corner (16th June) and as much as your dad might be looking forward to adding to his sock collection, he’d rather spend the day with you. Here’s JLife’s pick of alternative gift experiences for Father’s Day in Manchester.
Hoppy Father’s Day!
Every Saturday, a few of Manchester’s top craft breweries open their doors to give beer lovers a glimpse of where the magic happens.
Kings of the hazy IPA, Cloudwater invites you into the bowels of its city centre brewery to bear witness to the creation of its notorious hop monsters. You’ll go behind the scenes to taste some malt, sniff the hops and sup straight from the tanks while resident brew wizards school you in the dark arts of brewing what Ratebeer considers to be some of the best beers in the world.
The tour is followed by a tutored tasting before you’re ushered next door to its new taproom, Unit 9, where a complimentary brew awaits. You can fill one its iconic teku glasses from one of 20 draught taps showcasing fresh releases and aged beers at refreshing prices.
With Track, Beer Nouveau and Alphabet brewery taps all within spitting distance under the arches, buy your dad a brew or three as you crawl Manchester’s infamous ‘beer mile’. With Runaway offering Saturday tours at 12pm and Alphabet at 1pm, if you’re quick, you could even do all three – though your afternoon could end up hazier than the brews.
Cook Up a Storm
If your dad fancies himself as a culinary whizz, why not treat him to an Asian cookery experience at Food Sorcery Cookery & Barista School in Didsbury?
While the school runs classes throughout the year, on Father’s Day itself, you can sign yourselves up to a three-hour hands-on curry masterclass. The Essentials of Thai Cookery offers a delicious crash course on the country’s rich culinary heritage, where you’ll learn to bring traditional Thai recipes to life.
Your guide, Chorchaba Harper, a former chef in the Thai Royal household, helps you create everything from scratch, from authentic Thai green curry paste to her legendary sweet chilli and peanut sauces.
You’ll be presented a glass of beer or wine to whet the whistle on arrival and nibbles to test the sauces and pastes are provided. Everything you make on the day you get to take home – ideal for razzling up your very own Father’s Day meal together.
Sunday Drive
Drifting RDX Academy at Three Sisters Circuit in Ashton-in-Makerfield offers an adrenaline-fuelled taster session for two – perfect for dads who think they’re Lewis Hamilton when taking the Volvo for a spin around the M60.
You don’t need to have been on a track before – its gold package will see you and your Dad get behind the wheel of a hot rod with the pros for a six-hour masterclass in the art of sliding sideways.
Arrive early for refreshments before getting stuck into some real doughnuts. You’ll be taught throttle and clutch control to get the car to perform a controlled doughnut around a cone, and before you know it, you’ll be progressing to figure eights. You’ll gradually crank up the speed throughout the day, building on your skills to take on a fast s-bend.
For your last exercise, you’ll be mastering transitions from corner to corner to link a track in a continuous drift lap after lap. To finish, you’ll be put in the passenger seat for a rip-roaring ride with a professional drifter who will show you what aggressive door-to-door drifting is all about!
Shake it Up
At Cloud 23, you can take Father’s Day to new heights by treating him to a ‘Shake and Shave’ atop the tallest building in Manchester. Situated on the 23rd floor of Beetcham Tower, the high-end cocktail spot twinned with Manchester Deansgate will be offering a full wet shave experience alongside drinks and ‘manapes’.
You’ll be tucking in to a manly selection of sharing plates, including Yorkshire puddings with beef and horseradish crème fraiche and a classic croque monsieur (that’s French for Mister Crunch!). To wash it down, experienced mixologists will shake you up a couple of Cloud Classic cocktails inspired by Manchester’s proud heritage as a cradle of invention.
So sit back and let the barbers work their magic while you enjoy your tipples and take in the panoramic views together, so you can hit the city feeling like you’re on cloud nine.
Father’s Day in Manchester doesn’t need to be a hassle. You just need to plan ahead!