Learn the ancient and nearly lost craft of coopering by building your own oak barrel to age premium spirits.
This workshop offers a fascinating exploration of both the artistic and scientific aspects of barrel making, known professionally as coopering. Barrels have long served a critical purpose in aging spirits because they impart the varied, nuanced flavors that give each spirit its distinctive character and drinkability. Without the magnificent contributions of a quality barrel and its flavor compounds and silky smoothness, we would all be limited to drinking unaged moonshine, which honestly tastes like rubbing alcohol or worse.
Our knowledgeable guides will lead you through the comprehensive coopering process from beginning to end. You'll start by assembling the wooden staves and metal hoops that make up the barrel's cylindrical structure. Next, you'll use a router table to cut the crozes, which are the precisely-positioned grooves that secure the barrel heads in place. Then comes the exciting phase where you'll "play with fire," using a controlled propane torch to char the interior surface of your barrel. The charred interior wood is responsible for delivering much of the flavor complexity and rich color that barrels impart to spirits, and you'll have full control over how extensively you char your barrel. Following this, you'll perform final assembly work by fitting the barrel heads and installing the tap, plus adding beeswax at strategic locations to guarantee that none of your precious liquid leaks out during aging. To make your barrel truly distinctive, you'll personalize it using a wood-burning tool.
While the practical skills and methodologies of coopering constitute the workshop's foundation, you'll also gain valuable knowledge about the continuously evolving practice of barrel aging for spirits. Our guides and professional distilling specialists will share insights into how contemporary distillers are utilizing barrels to produce innovative spirits, craft beers, and distinctive wines. The creative potential is virtually unlimited because you can vary essentially every component of the aging equation: the spirit you select, the wood composition of your barrel, the barrel's previous history or current state, and the length and specific conditions of the aging period. In modern distilling, you encounter beer that has aged in old bourbon barrels, whiskey aged in former wine barrels, tequila aged in old whiskey casks, and countless other exciting combinations. You've probably observed that numerous bars and restaurants are now showcasing barrel-aged cocktails on their menus. With your handmade barrel, you and your friends could potentially develop the next signature spirit to appear at your favorite venue!
All of this knowledge becomes immediately practical when you connect with our partners at Gowanus Wine Merchants, a nearby establishment and trusted friend, who will provide you with an exclusive discount when you purchase spirits for your barrel. After you fill your barrel with your chosen spirit, the real patience begins as your creation ages to perfection, for however long you decide. Once your aging period concludes, get prepared to captivate your friends with truly distinctive one-of-a-kind cocktails that your barrel-making accomplishment has made possible!
-
Your Creation: A hand-built oak barrel suitable for aging your preferred spirits. The barrel accommodates approximately 2 liters of liquid.
-
Your Workshop Responsibilities: You'll assemble components, shape your barrel, char the interior to develop flavor characteristics, and personalize your barrel before filling it with the spirit of your selection for aging.
-
Ability Level: Beginner; prior experience is not necessary.
Are you interested in exploring other class formats? Here are your options:
Click here for the Buddy Up version.
- You and a friend will make ONE barrel together. At least one person must be 18 years or older.
Click here for the Date Night version.
- You and your guest will make ONE barrel together and enjoy pizza and a bottle of wine to share during the workshop. At least one person must be 18 years or older.
