Many tequila, rum, and other whiskey brands will buy these barrels for aging, giving their spirits flavor notes reminiscent of bourbon. What's great is, you can literally barrel-age a single spirit or a cocktail. Or anything else that potentially will turn bad and mold, for that matter. When Toni Conigliaro tried his glass-aged cocktails after a few years, he realized a significant change in the taste. Think about the climate differences between major whiskey regions like the United States, Canada, Ireland, and Scotland versus Mexico where tequila is produced and the Caribbean and South America where the majority of rum is made. Like a natural filter, making its contents even smoother. Time to pick and prepare your cocktail. The Different Types of Re-Fill Barrels Used for Aging Whiskey. 7 Spirits Aged in a Whiskey Barrel. As eager as you may be to get started, you need to seal the barrel first to prevent any leaks. Pisco is another example as this brandy cannot, by law, be aged in wood. The one thing they all have in common: time.
One requirement states cognac must be matured in Limousin Oak for at least two years, though whiskey should not be stored in cognac barrels for that long. Not only does that reduce volume, but it also increases alcohol content, potentially affecting the taste. 5 parts rye whiskey. You shouldn't disturb the barrel too often, so check on progress by tasting the cocktail about once a week. The barrel also adds extra flavor, depending on the type of wood and other factors I explain a little further down. Barrel aged cocktail ideas. Orange peel and vanilla infused Oloroso sherry sets the stage for a truly magnificent Old Pal. That said, it can also produce phenomenally rewarding results—there's a reason the hippest bar on your block has micro-barrels with cocktails on constant rotation, and why this is the brainchild of one of the industry's best bartenders, Jeffrey Morgenthaler, of Clyde Commons in Portland, Oregon.
Recipes for two of our favorite barrel-aged cocktails. If it's your first time using the barrel, taste your cocktail after a week and continue tasting every week. This is particularly true when the brand wants to show off how old the bottling is. What you should do, when you make up your big batch of the cocktail, is to make more than will fit in your barrel. Afterwards allow the water to drain out for around 12 hours. One point to remember is that with each aging process you are extracting flavors from the wood. If the barrel has been used before, the aging time for the second badge will be considerably longer. If you keep the time consistent batch after batch—a common mistake—you'll end up with the same cocktail that's simply oxidized. A great way of adding new exciting flavours to your cocktails is by creating your own syrups. Barrel aged old fashioned at home. I'll explain the reason for this further down. This is why refill barrels present less of an oaky or woody flavor than first-fill and virgin oak barrels.
Step 7: Your barrel-aged cocktail is ready to be bottled. 1 part sweet red vermouth. Score and Prepare the Barrels: You can find 3 and 5-liter DIY aging barrels at online locations such as Bespoke Post,, and When they arrive, soak them in water for a few hours and seal them up. That's barrel-aged cocktails. What we mean to say is that aging in cask can have results that range from the inexplicably wonderful to the bafflingly substandard. 5 grams of alcohol*(according to mls of the serve). And the Barrelsmith Boulevardier (made with Straight Bourbon Whiskey as the base spirit) was a huge hit with our hosts in Maine this past weekend. Barrel-Aged Cocktail Gift Set. Having experimented before with wood, Myles knew that temperature fluctuation would be his biggest problem. Ideally, you do that with a white overproof (more than 57. Anything goes, really. Diageo Bar Academy | Crafting barrel aged cocktails. Once you open them, it is best to empty that bottle within a few days.
I also bought some fancy bourbon cherries from the Jack Rudy Cocktail Company for garnishing the Manhattan and those really are worth the price of admission. Generally, always go with newly charred barrels to get the most flavor out of them. I think a Vieux Carré... Only 3, 000 bottles of this Mount Gay rum were released in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Barbados becoming an independent nation. Vodkas and gins are typically unaged. Smoked Barrel-Aged Negroni (in an iSi whipper. The biggest difference we noticed was a mellowing of the Campari [in the aged Negroni] that really rounded out the cocktail... We did try a sample at nine weeks that was way too woody. Barrel-aging quite literally uses wood and time to change the flavor of a cocktail by letting it mature. He didn't invent the idea of barrel aging cocktails, but indeed perfected it.
Further, it depends on the cocktail recipe you choose and your personal preferences, as well. Maintenance– In between uses, ensure your cask is filled with something so as not to dry out. You can't age cocktails indefinitely. These whiskeys may have a sweeter, wine-like tone in the flavor. "You get a cocktail with a bigger, richer personality.
While it's fine to age a different cocktail than the previous time, you will get notes of the original drink in your new one. That way, it is easier to transfer it into the barrel. All sales made on this website will be deemed to have taken place in Ukiah, CA, and sales taxes will be assessed based on that location.