A Barrel-Aged Cocktail? Perfection

Ageing a cocktail in French oak barrels has been around for a few years, and much longer in the world of distillation and winemaking. The interaction of alcohol and wood mellows out the cocktail and brings a more harmonious feel to the drink. The toasted French oak imparts flavour as the liquid soaks into the pores of the wood, drawing out spiced notes such as clove and anise.

Here at Ayrburn, we are barrel ageing our Negroni, a classic cocktail that dates back to Italy in 1919. Drinking in the Caffe Casoni, Count Camillo Negroni asked for gin instead of soda in his 'Americano', a popular cocktail of the time, and thus the Negroni was born.

To add an extra dimension of flavour and stand out from the crowd, we are also infusing our cocktail before we put it to barrel with cacao nib and saline solution.

Simply add equal parts of all ingredients, then fill the barrel and age for approximately 30 days (or to taste). The smaller the barrel, the quicker the ageing process — ours are three litres.

The Barrel-Aged Negroni

Equal parts:

• Rifters Dry Gin
• Campari
• Antica Formula Rosso Vermouth