Abstract:

Y'know, sometimes even the guy mixing the drinks gets tired of manning the bar; and when I want something easy, I turn to a pre-mixed cocktail of my own design. For those who've made a minor investment in a mini white oak barrel, the convenience of storing Manhattans in its charred innards actually yields the additional benefits of further mellowing the drink while adding additional color and complexity to an already easy-sipping libation. While I'm not saying that a personal-sized oak barrel isn't a two (or three) out of ten on the practicality scale, there's no denying that it's sure fun to get all mad scientist while pouring bottles down the bunghole (technical term, honest!) in anticipation of what'll be on tap in a few short weeks!

Purpose:

It's no secret that I love me a drink. Booze is just part of the whole culinary experience, and often what's in that bottle could be exactly what's missing from a recipe (sorry, teetotalers). At any rate, I think mixology also appeals to me because of the instant gratification that a little measuring and pouring can bring to the constitution of a fella who spent a lot of time staring at test tubes in college.



A few months back, there was a sale over at OpenSky for a two-Liter handcrafted oak aging barrel (with spigot!). I happened to have some credit to burn, so what was a bit exorbitant suddenly became reasonable (as oak barrels are still mostly hand-made you tend to get what you pay for). I pulled the trigger already knowing what was going into my new hooch receptacle as soon as I got it: I'd be making Manhattans in bulk! Since my first sip of a decent rye whiskey, I've been hooked; hell I've even gone so far as to braise lamb chops in my cocktail. Suffice to say, the first batch was torture to wait on; and while I will admit to sampling a little every week, the final results are worth the four weeks' wait.