In many ways, Father’s Day (June 21) is one of those hideous parts of modern life that we’re powerless to resist. Ignore it and you'll look heartless and ungrateful, but succumb to the advertising campaigns and you look like a sucker for slick marketing.

But, if you can't be there on the day to give your Dad a 'thank you' hug, you may as well embrace the idea of buying him a gift to make up for it.

It might be a cliché gift, but port is a winner with dads of a certain era. You won’t go wrong with a bottle of Quinta de Vargellas 1998 Vintage Port (£27.99 at Waitrose), whether he wants to drink it now or lay it down for a couple of years.

You could always push the boat out and treat your father to a bottle of Glenfiddich 18-Year-Old (£37.99). This classy, robust single malt is matured in oloroso sherry and bourbon casks – it’d be a rare dad who didn't like a drop of this mellow gold.

If your budget is a little smaller, consider the charm of miniatures. TheDrinkShop.com has more than 80 miniatures on offer, from well-known spirits to brave new choices. At nearly £50, a bottle of designer Roberto Cavalli’s ultra premium vodka might seem out of reach – but you can easily afford a miniature (£6.49) and even throw in a pair of socks for good measure.

And despite the inference from advertisers that dads only drink whisky or red wine, you could do worse than invest in an elegant white wine, such as Chablis 2007 Domaine Servin. This flinty wine, which won a gold medal in the 2009 Chablis Awards, is available from Majestic Wines (majestic.co.uk), priced £10.99. Pay a bit more and they'll package it up in a handy wooden box.

If Dad’s more a “pie and pint” type of bloke, consider treating him to a DIY ploughman’s lunch – some hearty bread, good ham off the bone, tasty Cheddar and a bottle of strong Sneck Lifter ale. The name is taken from the Northern dialect, in which a sneck was a door latch. A sneck lifter referred to a man's last sixpence, which enabled him to lift the latch of a pub door and buy himself a pint, hoping to meet friends there who might treat him to one or two more. Sneck Lifter ale is available from Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose, at £1.51 a bottle.

Still atoning for that scratch on Dad's new car? Splash out on the elegant Grape Wine Rack, £70 at The Conran Shop – conranshop.co.uk to ease those painful memories. If it was more of a dent than a scratch, you could always load it up with his favourite wine as well.