In a previous post about booze infusing, I mentioned that I came into some oak barrels. Before they arrived at my bar I was thinking I would use them for infusions in them, but then I got my hands on them. Um, no. Silly girl, these barrels are obviously for aging booze, not infusing it.
It took a few days and as many brainstorming sessions to come up with my first few recipes. When those recipes proved to be super successful with my taste buds and bar patrons, I ordered a few more barrels. Now that I have six constantly-aging spirits I can hardly keep in stock and four more virgin barrels curing, I figure, why not share my booze-aging knowledge with someone other than the Angels?
I know what you're thinking: "Where the hell do I have room for 55-gallon oak barrels?" The answer is, ya right! I don't even have a closet for liquor storage at my joint. I do however have a counter top. One that stages six mini oak barrels, as well as rocks and shot glasses, for ease of use ya know.
The barrels I use range from one to three liters, but you can order them up to 20 liters from most of the mini barrel providers online (try www.deepsouthbarrels.com and www.oakbarrelsltd.com to get started). The advantages to using mini barrels, other than space of course, are time and money. The smaller, the barrel the quicker its contents will age and mellow.
Simply put, the main difference between a bottom shelf or "well" whiskey, bourbon, scotch, tequila, or wine and a top shelf or "premium" offering is age.
You can purchase a $6 liter of your usual party time rot gut and after aging it in a mini barrel for three months have a spirit worthy of sipping straight. Leave it in that barrel for a full year and you've put as much color and age on it as eight years in a professional full size 55-gallon barrel. Or that's the theory at least. I mean, who can wait a full year to get into that booze?
Another tasty option is to mix up a classic cocktail in the barrel, like my Sidecar recipe below or the Martinez I can barely keep in stock. I also totally approve of the aged Manhattan at East Side Denton in Denton.
It's been widely accepted that white oak is the wood of choice for aging these days. These barrels are handmade without glue, nails, or varnishing. The wood is held together by its own desire to straighten back out and some nifty metal hoops. Mini barrels arrive already toasted to "medium," "medium plus," or "charred" so all you need to do before using them is cure them, a simple process where you fill the barrel with water so it can swell any leaks away. Seventy-two hours filled with water with a daily 90 degree rotation works best for me, but if you still notice leaks after 72 hours, then let them cure for as long as a week. No more leaks means you're ready to dump the water out, rinse a handful of times with hot water, then fill with ingredients of your choosing.
Keep in mind, you will lose a small amount of booze to Angels Share - this is what we call the booze that evaporates. I deal with this by adding a little booze every week.
Some of my favorite and well-received recipes to get you started aging or brainstorming:
(Keep in mind I specialize in Texas products so all of my recipes tend to start with Texas booze, you feel free to use your favorite.)
Vanilla tequila: 10 vanilla beans (do not substitute vanilla extract) cut open length wise and stuffed in whole with two liters of Man in Black Plata Tequila. Wait at least four weeks before imbibing, but seven weeks is excellent. The picture above shows the color difference between pre-aged Man in Black plata and the seven-week vanilla version.
Vanilla Whiskey: Same as tequila, but use Rebecca Creek Whiskey. Now this whisky is not my pick for straight sipping, but add some age to it or infuse it and it's excellent.
Sidecar: I put a twist on this classic cocktail by using both Rebecca Creek Whiskey and E&J Brandy, with the Solerno Blood Orange liqueur in a 3 to 1.5 to 1 mix.
For the next batch of barrels I am working over a smoked honey and lavender recipe, an amaretto cured barrel recipe, and even contemplating aging a Texas wine. Hit me up with your aging ideas, trial and error recipes, questions, or suppliers you think highly of.
Go, age, drink and be merry!
Joanna Bellomy is bar manager at Jack Mac's Swill and Grill, a great lil Dallas pub specializing in house-made infusions, Texas craft beer, liquor, and wine.
