COCKTAILTIMEWITHEMILY
AgE MaTtErS
Everything you need to know
about barrel-aged spirits
BY EMILY O’CONNOR
Photos by Nikki Davidson
ABOVE: Bowline Hotel bar manager Emily O’Connor prepares a barrel for use. RIGHT: When
gin is aged in a barrel, it allows the spirit to gain some of the buttery warmth of the whiskey
soaked oak.
Every cocktail drinker has heard of bar-
rel-aged whiskey.
It has been a staple of American spirits for
generations. Whiskey is barrel-aged because
it helps the spirit attain the desired flavor; it
also gives whiskey its signature amber color.
More importantly, the depth of the process
allows the distiller to target a specific flavor
and texture. There are aging requirements for
specific styles of whiskeys, requiring a min-
imum of two to four years for the most basic
level, and longer for more feature labels.
One of my favorite examples of the true
effect of barrel-aging is tasting Buffalo Trace
next to its 10 year senior, Eagle Rare.
Sampling these two bourbons side by
side speaks volumes of the rich flavor and
smoothness achieved with the barrel-aging
process.
Though barrel-aged whiskeys have
always been common, in recent time the
presence of specialty aged spirits is notice-
ably expansive. I am most excited about the
increasing trend of barrel-aged gins.
Gin is a naturally dynamic spirit, typi-
cally known for being herbaceous; boasting
juniper and cardamom in addition to multi-
tudes of other botanicals and citrus, giving it
a lovely but intense brightness.
When gin is aged in a whiskey barrel,
however, it allows the spirit to gain some of
the buttery warmth of the whiskey soaked
oak, resulting in a rounded, floral and car-
amel character that can be enjoyed sipped
on a large rock of ice like one would with a
bourbon.
There are also many classic cocktails that
incorporate barrel aged gin in a similar way
as bourbon is used in a Manhattan, but a
favorite that comes to mind is the Martinez.
Barrel-aging is nothing new in the world
of craft beer, either. Breweries often collabo-
rate with distilleries in order to trade barrels
for crossover aging. Though this trend started
with traditional whiskey barrel-aged stouts
and IPAs, there is now an incorporation of
gin barrels in the process.
It represents one of many ways to bridge
the gap between cocktails and beer as there is
plenty of similarity to the craft.
On a more modest scale, there are small
models of oak barrels that, if prepared prop-
erly, can make a lovely addition to the home
bar.
With home barrel-aging, it is important to
do plenty of research about the preparation
of the barrel so as not to lose too much of the
spirit to absorption or leakage.
For my barrel, rather than age a batched
cocktail, I decided to work with a single
spirit, I thought of Fernet-Branca. Fernet is a
digestive with a strong medicinal and herbal
profile. In the same barrel, I thought of aging
Green Chartreuse, a liqueur offering a similar
palate as Fernet, but with a sweeter delivery.
The flavors carried over are rounded out
by the warmth of the oak infusion, balanc-
ing their bitterness. Sip either on a rock of ice
after a luxurious meal or mix it into a cock-
tail. It just takes a little creativity and a lot of
patience to take your home bar to yet another
level.
As always, please drink responsibly and
never waste a drop! Cheers!
Emily O’Connor is the bar manager at
the Bowline Hotel.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2021 // 9