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The Afterlife of Bourbon Barrels

We all know that bourbon has to be aged in a brand-new barrel (a law that keeps America’s cooperages plenty busy). But have you ever wondered what happens to a bourbon barrel after it’s been used to age bourbon?

It turns out the uses of a used bourbon barrel are legion – from giving flavor to other food and drink, to decorating the homes and businesses of true whiskey fanatics. Here are a few possible encore careers for the humble bourbon barrel.

Bourbon barrels
These barrels, after aging whiskey, could end up aging a whole bunch of other things. (image via Buffalo Trace)

Aging other spirits

While American distillers have to use new barrels for several popular styles, other distillers in the world aren’t so constrained. Used bourbon barrels are the bread and butter of the Scotch industry, and millions make the trek across the Atlantic each year. Down south, they’re also used to make reposado and añejo tequilas, aged rum, and aged cachaca.

Aging beer

The craft beer revolution created a whole new use for ex-bourbon barrels: beer containers. Barrel-aged beers are usually dark, sweet, strong brews, but those experimental brewers have thrown everything into a barrel at one time or another, from low-alcohol stouts to mouth-puckering sours.

Aging other stuff

Maple syrup? Tea? Fish sauce? If you can eat it, there’s a good chance somebody’s tried to improve it by putting it in a bourbon barrel.

Smokin’

Barrel chips can be a great way to give a little extra something to cooked foods. Old Scotch barrels are often chipped and used to smoke salmon, while in the South, bourbon barrel chips bathe ribs and brisket in their rich, aromatic smoke. And it’s not just limited to meat; bourbon barrel pieces can be used to smoke almost anything dry, from salt and pepper to sesame seeds.

Décor

Eventually, barrels just get old. When they start to leak or lose their flavoring power, it’s time for retirement. A whole cottage industry exists transforming bourbon barrels into lamps, signs, furniture, and home decor. But there’s no shame in the final resting place of many barrels: sliced in half, planted with petunias, and standing guard over the entryway to distilleries and tasting rooms around the world.

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