Vanessa Price honors the dads of TODAY with inspired cocktails

Vanessa Price, resident sommelier, visits the TODAY team to make Father’s Day cocktails honoring three of the show’s dads: Al Roker, Craig Melvin and Carson Daly. She shows us how to make a gin milk punch, a brown butter-washed old-fashioned and a hibiscus paloma.

Al’s Gin Milk Punch by Vanessa Price

Many cocktails we enjoy today were invented in the last 100 years or so, but when you enjoy a milk punch, you are a taking part in a tradition that spans centuries. Blending milk and cream with beer, wine and spirits was a common practice in Stuart-era England in the 1600s, where curdled milk-based drinks were part of the culture. Clarification drew out a punch’s coarser flavors and made it more shelf stable. Recipes for it have spanned continents and been enjoyed by important figures in history from Queen Victoria to Benjamin Franklin. Todays versions aren’t as sweet but the sentiment remains!

Craig’s Brown Butter-Washed Old-Fashioned by Vanessa Price

To fat-wash a bourbon or rye means to let it set with rendered, liquid fat at a specific ratio for a specific amount of time. After straining, it can take the bite out of a spirit, making it creamier, possibly with a smoky, oily or savory note depending on the fat and spirit used. Fat-washing a whiskey, for example, will subdue the burn and add a velvety texture. The process makes for a smoother cocktail in the end.

Carson’s Hibiscus Paloma by Vanessa Price

The Paloma is a tequila classic and the perfect Dad’s day libation as summer starts to bring the sunny weather. This hibiscus-infused riff adds a savory component that allows the cocktail to be easily paired with a host of delicious and refreshing summer snacks.

If you like those celebratory cocktails, you should also try these:

Any-Amaro Spritz by Katherine Lewin

What’s the Rumpus? by Tim Sweeney

This article was originally published on TODAY.com