Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned

How to Make Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned

1. 1

   Step 1: Sanitize barrel & combine ingredients

   Rinse and sanitize your 1 L toasted oak mini-barrel per the manufacturer's directions. Pour 16 fl oz (473 ml) bourbon, 2 fl oz (60 ml) 1:1 simple syrup and 1 tbsp (15 ml) Angostura bitters into the barrel, seal, and roll gently to mix; this is the base that will mature into an Old Fashioned-ready spirit.

   For this step

   • 16 fl ozBourbon (or good-quality rye)
   • 2 fl oz1:1 simple syrup (equal parts sugar + water, hot dissolved)
   • 1 tbspAngostura bitters
   • 1 eachToasted oak mini-barrel (1 L recommended) — clean and char level of your choice
   
2. 2

   Step 2: Age and taste daily

   Store the sealed barrel at room temperature out of direct sun. Taste after 3 days and every 24 hours thereafter; for a 1 L barrel expect 5–10 days to reach a balanced level of oak and sweetness (we recommend ~7 days for a medium oak influence). Remove sooner if too oaky or wait up to 14 days for deeper wood spice — note that smaller barrels accelerate extraction.
   
3. 3

   Step 3: Rack, adjust and bottle

   When the flavor is where you want it, pour the aged mixture into a clean bottle or jar through a fine strainer to catch char particles. If it tastes overly concentrated, add small amounts of filtered water (start with 5–10 ml) and rest 24 hours, then re-taste. Label with date and expected shelf life (keeps months unopened; refrigerate if you added water).

   For this step

   • 1 eachBottles for racking (750 ml recommended) or sealable container for storing batch
   
4. 4

   Step 4: Build an Old Fashioned

   To serve one: in a mixing glass add 2 fl oz (60 ml) of the barrel-aged mix, fill with ice, and stir 20–30 seconds until properly chilled and slightly diluted. Strain over a single large ice cube in an Old Fashioned glass, express an orange twist over the top and drop the twist in; garnish with a Luxardo cherry if desired.

   For this step

   • 8 large cubesLarge ice cubes
   • 8 twistsOrange peel (twists) for expressing oils
   • 8 piecesLuxardo or brandied cherry (optional)
   
5. 5

   Step 5: Party scaling & alternative barrel sizes

   This recipe yields about eight 2-oz cocktails. For larger gatherings use a 2–3 L barrel and scale ingredients proportionally (e.g., 32 fl oz bourbon + 4 fl oz syrup + 2 tbsp bitters for roughly 16 servings); taste frequently—larger barrels extract more slowly. For zero-barrel backup, mix the same proportions in a large bottle and rest for 24–48 hours for a ‘bright’ batch Old Fashioned.
   
6. 6

   Step 6: Storage, safety and tips

   Keep bottled barrel-aged Old Fashioned refrigerated if you added any water or if serving over multiple days; unopened and high-proof batches stored in a cool dark place will last months. Clean barrels between uses by rinsing with hot water and airing dry; avoid soap. For variations, try swapping a portion of the bourbon for rye for spice or adding a whole orange peel to the barrel for 24–48 hours for extra citrus oil.
   

1. Rinse and sanitize your 1 L toasted oak mini-barrel per the manufacturer's directions. Pour 16 fl oz (473 ml) bourbon, 2 fl oz (60 ml) 1:1 simple syrup and 1 tbsp (15 ml) Angostura bitters into the barrel, seal, and roll gently to mix; this is the base that will mature into an Old Fashioned-ready spirit.
2. Store the sealed barrel at room temperature out of direct sun. Taste after 3 days and every 24 hours thereafter; for a 1 L barrel expect 5–10 days to reach a balanced level of oak and sweetness (we recommend ~7 days for a medium oak influence). Remove sooner if too oaky or wait up to 14 days for deeper wood spice — note that smaller barrels accelerate extraction.
3. When the flavor is where you want it, pour the aged mixture into a clean bottle or jar through a fine strainer to catch char particles. If it tastes overly concentrated, add small amounts of filtered water (start with 5–10 ml) and rest 24 hours, then re-taste. Label with date and expected shelf life (keeps months unopened; refrigerate if you added water).
4. To serve one: in a mixing glass add 2 fl oz (60 ml) of the barrel-aged mix, fill with ice, and stir 20–30 seconds until properly chilled and slightly diluted. Strain over a single large ice cube in an Old Fashioned glass, express an orange twist over the top and drop the twist in; garnish with a Luxardo cherry if desired.
5. This recipe yields about eight 2-oz cocktails. For larger gatherings use a 2–3 L barrel and scale ingredients proportionally (e.g., 32 fl oz bourbon + 4 fl oz syrup + 2 tbsp bitters for roughly 16 servings); taste frequently—larger barrels extract more slowly. For zero-barrel backup, mix the same proportions in a large bottle and rest for 24–48 hours for a ‘bright’ batch Old Fashioned.
6. Keep bottled barrel-aged Old Fashioned refrigerated if you added any water or if serving over multiple days; unopened and high-proof batches stored in a cool dark place will last months. Clean barrels between uses by rinsing with hot water and airing dry; avoid soap. For variations, try swapping a portion of the bourbon for rye for spice or adding a whole orange peel to the barrel for 24–48 hours for extra citrus oil.