Punch published another one of my oral histories about the advent of a modern cocktail technique–this time, barrel-aged cocktails. It was fun to find out about Philip Duff’s heretofore unheralded assist in making this phenomenon happen.
https://punchdrink.com/articles/aged-cocktails-barrel-zero-clyde-common-portland/
I may be forgetting—to borrow a phrase from Joe Desmond, “I drink”—but, I feel I haven’t had a barrel aged cocktail in quite a while now. I think I’d sort of assumed they’d gone away.
No. You’ll find them everywhere, especially in the smaller markets. It’s just that we’ve grown so used to them…
I really enjoy these oral history recaps. I also like that the people involved look back on the topics as collaborative.
Right there with you. Haven’t seen one on a menu in ages. Years ago, when I was tending bar at the Berkshire Room in Chicago, we had a whole slew of barrel aged cocktails we rested in full-size barrels. There was a Negroni, Manhattan, a brown and stirred number called the Old Money, and if I remember correctly a Martinez. People loved them.
Since then I haven’t come across anything that spent much time resting aside from the spirits themselves and the regrettable glass of KJ Chardonnay my mother in law poured me last weekend.
Thanks. It’s interesting asking these people to recall things that happened ten or 15 years ago.