THE BUDGET-FRIENDLY GUIDE TO BEING A TABLE OF CONTENTS

If you know where you’re going, go ahead and click on a chapter.

INTRODUCTION: The First Date in Your Love Affair With Whiskey 3

CHAPTER 1: Whiskey Basics 5

CHAPTER 2: What Is Whiskey Made Of? The Types of Whiskey 10

CHAPTER 3: How to Refine Your Taste No Matter Your Budget 13

CHAPTER 4: Homemade Whiskey on a Budget 16

CHAPTER 5: Personal Spirits: Flavoring Your Own Whiskey 21

CHAPTER 6: Go Forth and Drink! 26

2 INTRODUCTION: The First Date in Your Love Affair With Whiskey

The First Date in Your Love Affair With Whiskey The sparks are already there: You enjoy drinking whiskey and feel special ordering it “neat,” but you don’t really know how to drink whiskey properly and how to best appreciate the much-revered spirit.

You wonder if you are selecting the best option and have a lingering feeling that you don’t really know the answer to the question, “What is whiskey?”

Any good relationship takes time and effort, and a willingness to sit down and learn, so you’ve come to the right place if you’re looking to get into a long-term relationship with this spirit.

It can be hard to sort through the many facets of whiskey on your own. Is it more important that the distillery has been around for 150 years or that all-natural well water is used? Does a good beginner whiskey need a master distiller name on the label? Is scotch the same thing as whiskey?

You’ve heard people talk about scotch, sipping whiskies and bourbon, but what you really need is a beginner guide to whiskey and you’re too embarrassed to ask. Even the best budget whiskeys, with varying levels of alcohol content, can be smooth and delicious — especially if you age and flavor your spirits at home for extra enjoyment. And bragging rights!

This guide to drinking whiskey on a budget is like couples therapy for you and your crush. It will move you beyond the “bottom’s up!” approach to whiskey to an understanding of how it’s made, flavored, aged and best enjoyed. Simply put, at this point in adulthood, you should be acquainted with this delicious spirit and willing to take your relationship to the next level.

3 Don Draper and a Third of American Spirit Drinkers Pour Whiskey. You Should, Too. The cool factor of whiskey was solidified long before “Mad Men” star Don Draper, played by Jon Hamm, was seen drinking it in seemingly every scene, but the hit show didn’t hurt whiskey’s reputation or sales. In fact, Draper’s reserve whiskey of choice saw a 23% increase in sales the year after the show aired, after many years of stagnant sales.

Whiskey clearly isn’t just for handsome TV stars. You’ve probably noticed whiskey bars and speakeasies with whiskey tastings and whiskey pairings at your favorite restaurants. Americans drink over 460 million liters of whiskey every year, which accounts for nearly 30% of the spirits consumed in the United States. This beginner’s guide to whiskey will help you join your fellow countrymen and women, and will teach you the difference between whiskey vs. whisky. That extra “e” is important, as you’ll find out.

Soon your love for whiskey will be matched only by Anchorman Ron Burgundy, who can sing about his love for scotch in melodic tones. This whiskey guide will educate you about the basics of ordering whiskey so you don’t look like a fool and don’t waste your money, the types of whiskey so you know what you’re drinking, and how to enjoy whiskey on a budget. Even if you’ve decided whiskey isn’t for you, but you’ve got some whiskey-lovers in your family and want to treat them to unique gifts, this guide is for you.

So pour yourself a couple of fingers — a common whiskey measurement leftover from the Wild West when men would wrap their hands around the glass and pour to the height of one or two fingers — and study up!

4 CHAPTER 1: Whiskey Basics

Let’s start at the very beginning, since you’ve got to ask for whiskey before you can drink it. Here is a quick look at how to order whiskey and the types of whiskey drinks that might ease you into your newfound favorite beverage.

How to Order Whiskey It can be intimidating to dive right into drinking whiskey straight, which is actually whiskey neat, but more on that later.

For many people, crafted with whiskey are a good gateway to enjoying the spirit on its own. There are plenty of delicious cocktails to try with whiskey, but here are just a few to get you off the starting block.

Old Fashioned This is the OG of whiskey cocktails, and it’s so ubiquitous there is even a glass called an old-fashioned in which it should be served. But don’t get too hung up on ceremony, since this drink is pretty easy to make: sugar, whiskey, bitters and ice.

Garnish your with a slice of orange peel and/or a maraschino cherry, and you’re in business with one of your first whiskey drinks.

Manhattan Another classic whiskey cocktail is the , which is similar to the old fashioned, except remove the sugar and add sweet vermouth. The typical ration is two parts whiskey to one part sweet vermouth, then add in the ice, bitters, orange peel and maraschino cherry, and you’re ready to sop away.

5 A Manhattan does not hide the taste of the whiskey behind a bunch of sweeteners or mixers. It simply allows the flavors to come through.

Whiskey Sour We are moving more into the category of masking the flavor of whiskey, at least somewhat, with this cocktail. A requires sour mix, and you can either make that on your own or buy it in most liquor or grocery stores. A basic sour mix is made of one part lemon juice, one part sugar and two parts water. Mix the liquids together, and then stir in the sugar until it dissolves. (Or just buy it at the store.)

Once you’ve got the sour mix, make a whiskey sour by filling a glass with crushed ice, pouring in four ounces of your sour mix, one and half ounces of whiskey, and garnish with a maraschino cherry. Enjoy while chilled.

Mint Julep Since bourbon is thought to have been invented in Kentucky — more on that detail later — it’s no surprise that the is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. But don’t wait for the first Saturday in May to try this whiskey cocktail.

6 Typically served in a silver or pewter cup, you can make do with an old fashioned glass if that’s what you have on hand. Put about 10 mint leaves at the bottom of the cup, and pour one and a half teaspoons of sugar overtop, muddle those together until the leaves start to disintegrate. Then pour in a dash of seltzer, fill the cup with crushed ice and add in 2 and a half ounces of .

Add another dash of seltzer, give it a stir and top the cup with a whole mint leaf for garnish. Serve right away while all of the ingredients are cold.

Irish Coffee Sometimes you want to cozy up with a warm drink or you need a jolt of caffeine with your whiskey. Not to fear, the Irish coffee has you covered. Made of coffee, Irish whiskey, an Irish cream liqueur like Baileys Irish Cream and topped with whipped cream, Irish coffee is a great drink to have in place of, or next to, your dessert at the end of a meal.

You can play around with flavors of coffee and liqueur, but you’re masking the whiskey taste with every additional flavor, so don’t use the good stuff for this type of drink.

If you aren’t sure where to start on your whiskey adventure, ask your friendly bartender. Wine enthusiasts don’t think twice about asking a sommelier for wine advice, so don’t be afraid to ask the bartender, who serves hundreds of these drinks a week. Some forward- thinking drinking establishments even have whiskey sommeliers, but even if your haunt doesn’t have one, the good old barkeep will be able to help. Tell him or her about the other types of drinks that you like and ask for suggestions.

That old truism, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” is true for whiskey tasting, too. There are endless blends and types of whiskey and whiskey cocktails, so just because you don’t like your first experience, don’t give up on the spirit entirely. Of course, don’t try them all in one sitting, either. Always drink responsibly.

Whiskey Drinks Now that you’ve eased into the wide, wonderful world of whiskey with a few classic cocktails, you can confidently make your move towards different orders. Beyond the cocktails, whiskey can be ordered a few different ways that are closer to its pure form.

But sometimes ordering whiskey drinks involves a jargon that is hard to follow. Let us demystify that for you right now.

7 Order your whiskey “on the rocks” if you’d like it on ice, and don’t be ashamed. Many people prefer to drink it cold. Just remember that as time goes on, that ice will melt and water down the drink. Speaking of which, many people order their whiskey with a “splash of water,” which dilutes the pure stuff just a bit. This is a good way to go if you want to lessen the alcohol content a bit, or want to cut the strong flavor a tad. It’s just a dash of water, so don’t expect it to change the taste significantly.

Another word often used when ordering whiskey is with a “back.” With a “back” is how you’d order if you want your whiskey served with a chaser drink. For example, whiskey with a cola back will get you a whiskey with a cola in two separate glasses. So it’s not the same as ordering a whiskey and coke, where they’d be served in the same glass.

While we are on the topic of whiskey jargon, we have to explain what an “angel’s share” is. You’ll hear the term thrown around when talking about whiskey, and it refers to the small amount of spirit that evaporates into thin air from the barrels while the alcohol ages. Depending on climate, an angel’s share can vary widely. And if you decide to age whiskey at home this is the reason you need to cure the barrel — more on that later. Regardless, now when someone says they’ve drunk everything but the angel’s share, you’ll know what they mean.

When you are out with your buddies and you see them confidently use lingo while ordering, belly up and join them. You know all the words now. Well, almost all of the words.

Whiskey Neat The last of the whiskey-ordering lingo is a whiskey “neat.” If you want to jump straight into the spirit, or you’ve eased into it by trying cocktails and coke backs, you’re ready for a whiskey neat. That is, a whiskey served on its own in a glass, just the way the distiller intended. No ice, no mixer, no fancy umbrella — just you and the whiskey. If you want to taste this spirit in its full glory, order a whiskey “neat.”

8 If you want to learn about whiskey and which flavors you enjoy the most, you’ll need to order whiskey “neat.” You simply can’t tell if you enjoy bourbon or scotch more if you are hiding them behind mixers, garnishes and sugar. As we look deeper into the types of whiskey — you want to taste the difference between each — you should serve them neat to fully appreciate the differences.

9 CHAPTER 2: What Is Whiskey Made Of? The Types of Whiskey

Malt Whiskey Malt whiskey is the oldest style of whiskey distilling, usually made from 100% barely malt, although it can be distilled from a mash. This version is made all over the world, although when made in Scotland, it’s called Scotch. Scotch whisky is the version without the “e” in the spelling and regulations dictate it is aged at least 3 years in a used American Whiskey barrel.

You may have heard of “single malt whisky” before. A spirit is given that distinction when it is made at a single distillery from a single grain. This single grain can be rye, but is more often barley. Each region of Scotland produces a different tasting barley hop, the most predominate regions are Islay, Speyside and your Highland.

All of these rules may seem old fashioned, but it’s more than a long-standing gentleman’s agreement. Whiskey lovers take such pride in their product that there are laws on the books in the United States, Scotland and Canada that dictate exactly which spirits can get these distinctions.

Rye Whiskey In America, rye whiskey is distilled from at least 51% rye, which is a type of wheat. By regulation, it can’t be distilled to more than 160 proof and has to be aged in new charred oak barrels. If it has been aged for more than two years without being blended, it may have the distinction of “straight rye whiskey” or simply “straight.”

Canadian whisky has historically been referred to as rye whisky, but interestingly, it does not necessarily include any rye anymore. These days most whiskies made in Canada are blended, but they must possess the general aroma, character and taste Canadian whisky is known for. Oh, Canada.

10 Corn Whiskey and Bourbon Corn whiskey is an American-specific spirit variation made from at least 80% corn mash. Corn whiskey is the only spirit on our list that doesn’t need to be aged in wooden barrels. Of course it can be, but if it is, it would be in previously used or uncharred barrels.

We can almost hear you saying, “But what about bourbon? Isn’t that made from corn?” The short answer is yes — but less of it than the moonshine-style spirit that is corn whiskey.

Bourbon is a type of American whiskey made from at least 51% corn and aged in new, charred oak barrels. It can be made anywhere, and is mostly associated with Kentucky, where Bourbon County is located. In reality, all of the bourbon distilleries in that county were closed during Prohibition, and only resumed production in 2014.

Most bourbon today is still produced in the state of Kentucky, including famous brands like Maker’s Mark, Bulleit and Woodford Reserve. In fact, there is even a Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour that aficionados and newbies alike can enjoy.

Just a few companies are responsible for much of America’s bourbon production: Jim Beam produces 40% of bourbon sold in the U.S. It’s no surprise that a drink referred to as “America’s Native Spirit” is the most popular type of whiskey in our country: half of the whiskey consumed in the U.S. is bourbon.

11 If you aren’t ready to have your bourbon straight, don’t forget about the Mint Juleps we mentioned earlier, or a cocktail, which is similar to a Negroni, but with bourbon instead of gin.

Irish Whiskey Once the most popular drink in the world, Irish whiskey must be distilled in Ireland or Northern Ireland and aged at least three years. The oldest distillery in the world is Irish: Old Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland. Now you have one more reason to add travelling to Ireland to your bucket list.

Even though Irish whiskey was once the most popular type of whiskey in the United States, Prohibition, war and trade disruptions reduced its popularity to historic lows. In the 1970s, there were only two Irish whiskey distilleries. Thanks to a resurgence in interest in this historic spirit, there are now 12 open distilleries on the Emerald Isle.

Honey Whiskey We get asked a lot about honey whiskey, so even though it is technically a flavored whiskey and not a different mash blend, we’re including it on this list. Honey whiskey is a flavor blend of whiskey with honey or honey liqueur. For some people, these whiskies have too much sweetness and are better in a cocktail of their own — like honey whiskey lemonade or honey whiskey iced tea.

If you want to take a basic spirit to honey whiskey flavor levels, you can do that easily in your at-home aging with our Deep South Barrels honey essence. With options like honey mead, Scotch honey whisky or honey bourbon, you can kick up your at-home spirit flavoring.

We’ll delve into flavoring your own whiskey a bit later, so keep on reading.

12 CHAPTER 3: How to Refine Your Taste No Matter Your Budget

Basic — and Good — Whiskey Now that you know what each type of whiskey, or whisky, means, you’re ready to start honing in on your preferred type of this beloved spirit. Start with basic, budget-friendly whiskeys to better understand flavor profiles and develop your preferences. No sense in spending the big bucks for a bottle of booze that you end up disliking. Here is a list of basic, good whiskey that won’t break the bank:

• Old Ezra 101 is a Kentucky bourbon at a low price point, about $20 for a 750 ml bottle, but high return on flavors. • Sazerac Rye is a rye whiskey, and going for the “Baby Saz” that has been distilled 6 years is great for aficionados on a budget. Its older sibling, clocking in at 18 years old, is more expensive and harder to find. A bottle of Sazerac Rye comes in around $30. • Glenmorangie 10-year “original” single malt Scotch whisky from the Scottish Highlands is often recommended as a beginner’s scotch and can be purchased for around $35.

High-End Whiskey As you refine your taste, you should understand what sets a high-end whiskey apart. Some people turn their noses up at the basic whiskeys because high-end whiskey options do have smooth, fuller flavor profiles:

• There is a reason Corsair made our list of top ten best distilleries in the South, and their bottles go for around $50 a piece, placing them on the affordable side of high- end whiskey. • Jameson is sometimes thought of as the go-to option for college students looking to binge, not sip, their booze. In reality, options like Jameson Gold Reserve deliver on flavor.

13 • With all the talk of America, Scotland and Ireland, you might be surprised to learn that Japan distills amazing whiskey. In fact, in 2015, the Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible named a Japanese whisky as the best in the world, outpacing its American and European counterparts. Bottles like this Yamazaki 18 single malt whiskey will cost a few hundred dollars, so be sure to write it on your wish list to Santa.

Best Tasting and Sipping Whiskies Some whiskeys are best enjoyed in small tastes, among friends or after a long day when you just want to sip on something smooth.

Here are three recommendations we make for the best tasting and sipping whiskey:

Best Budget Whiskey We’re realistic that for some people, absolute budget — read: cheap — options are the only option. If your alcohol budget is recession-level low, there are plenty of bottles of whiskey that can be purchased below $20. On this list, we especially like the $15 Rebel Yell Kentucky Bourbon and $17 Duggan’s Dew Scotch Whisky. Cheap whiskey isn’t necessarily bad whiskey.

You can also scan the shelves of your local liquor store to look for sales. Ask a knowledgeable employee about the best budget whiskey in their inventory. You might be surprised at what you can get for below $20.

14 Another way to get around the high price tags of some brands is to buy a smaller — even airplane-sized — bottle for your first sipping experience. It will allow you to try a spirit without overspending, and you can even try multiple types.

Finally, check out your local distilleries and whiskey trails. Many have tasting rooms, local events and small batch treasures at a lower price than massive distilleries with higher overhead. In an era where locavores and farm-to-table options rule the menus of most restaurants, why not carry that homegrown love over to your whiskey drinking as well?

• Speyburn 10 Year Single Malt has been perfected over the past 100 years. • Rittenhouse Rye’s sweetness makes it perfect for sipping. • Asheville Distilling Company’s Blonde Whiskey is based on a mash of Turkey Red Wheat and White Corn, grown right in North Carolina. We put it on our list of top ten distilleries in the South and they only produce three versions of whiskey, putting incredible effort and love into each.

15 CHAPTER 4: Homemade Whiskey on a Budget

Honestly, your best budget whiskey might just be the whiskey you make at home. Sure, it might sound like a large undertaking, but blending your own spirits at home gives you control over flavors, price and timing in a way that relaying on store bought spirits just can’t.

There are only a handful of suppliers of mini whiskey barrels made for home use, and we at Deep South Barrels supply many of them. So why not buy directly from the source, from Texans who’ve made this their life’s work? Let us demystify the process of homemade spirits for you.

How to Make Your Own Whiskey on a Budget Making your own whiskey is 100% customizable (just like our barrels!). It’s improving on a 4,700-year-old tradition.

It’s also great for whiskey connoisseurs on a budget, since home aging and infusing starts with a neutral, low-cost spirit. That blank slate allows you to add flavors, instead of a high- end whiskey that already has an intense flavor profile.

16 Making homemade whiskey or buying the necessities so that a loved one can make their own is a great gift for the spirit drinker in your life. It truly is a gift that will keep on giving for years to come.

Have we convinced you yet to make your own homemade whisky? Let’s cover the basics here so that you can understand just how simple this truly is. At Deep South Barrels, our barrels aren’t nailed or glued together. Our barrels are made by our Cooper — a barrel maker. The pressure of the water or whiskey on the American White Oak wood and the metal bands around the wood are what hold our barrels together. After you receive your barrel, you should cure it to ensure that it seals correctly. You don’t want to lose any precious booze through cracks or fissures. Properly curing the barrel could take a few hours or it could take a few weeks. It depends on humidity levels in the air and other factors.

Here are the steps to preparing your barrel:

1. Rinse out the barrel with water. Do this a couple of times to remove any debris.

2. Put in the spigot. The spigot will come with your barrel kit. Twist the spigot in by hand, not using a hammer, wrench or any other tool. You may have to put elbow grease into it to ensure the spigot is inserted all of the way, but doing it by hand instead of with tools will make certain no damage is done to the barrel during this process.

3. Fill the barrel. Now that the spigot is in, you can fill the barrel with hot — not warm — water, keeping it full until you no longer see any leaking. What happens during this process? The hot water encourages the wood to expand around the spigot and fill in any other cracks or fissures. It could take one try to cure the barrel or it could take several days. You should repeat this step with hot water until the barrel is able to contain the water for at least three or four hours.

17 4. Empty and dry. Now that your barrel holds water, open the spigot and turn the barrel to allow it to completely empty and air dry for a couple of hours — but not too long. As an aside, between batches, you should fill your barrel with water to maintain the cure. If you’ve let your barrel dry out entirely, you will most likely need to re-cure it, perhaps with boiling water.

5. Pour in your spirit of choice. Now that you’ve rinsed and cured your barrel, it’s time for the fun stuff. Ensure the spigot is in the off position — you don’t want to waste any precious spirits — and remove the bung from the top of the barrel and slowly pour in your spirit of choice. Which to use? This is the beauty of home flavoring. We actually recommend starting with a basic, cheap well vodka. You could also go with a grain alcohol or clear rum without spice. Given all of the flavoring that will come from barrel aging, you’ll want to avoid higher end and flavored vodkas and spirits, as they will compete, or even clash, with the flavors achieved by the barrel and the flavors you want to add yourself.

6. Save a shot. Some of our customers recommend saving a shot or so of the original spirit you pour in the barrel so that they can taste it before trying their aged whiskey and delight in how far the drink has come. You’ll be amazed at the difference.

7. Wait and rotate. Patience is a virtue, and this step is where you’ll need it. Now you wait, rotating the barrel 90 degrees once a week to guarantee that the interior of the barrel doesn’t dry out. A good rule of thumb is to have a small taste of your whiskey with every weekly rotation. Take note of the flavor changes, what you like or don’t like, so that you can make adjustments as necessary.

18 8. Taste and enjoy. After a matter of weeks — this isn’t like wine or the original distilling process, which take years — you could find that the spirit tastes just the way you like it. It’s time to bottle it up or serve it directly from the spigot.

Remember, we of course want the angels to get their due, but we don’t want to unnecessarily increase the angel’s share, or amount lost to evaporation, because of a poorly cured barrel. Be sure to follow these steps so that your barrel preforms the way it was made to.

Homemade Whiskey Hopefully we’ve illustrated just how simple aging your own spirits at home can be. Our small whiskey barrels used in home aging have more surface area in relationship to volume of liquid, so you can achieve years of flavor in a few short weeks.

19 Using a mini oak barrel provides better quality alcohol at much less of a cost. You can age your bottom shelf alcohol into a top shelf version in a matter of weeks rather than waiting years. Not to mention it looks cool sitting on the counter!

Now let’s look at how you can take them to the next level by flavoring and blending at home.

20 CHAPTER 5: Personal Spirits: Flavoring Your Own Whiskey

You’ve embraced the do it yourself spirit in every aspect of life. You DIY your backyard deck and your car repairs and countless other things in your life. Why not DIY your whiskey as well?

Distilling whiskey at home is illegal in the United States, but you can personalize your whiskey by aging and infusing at home. We’ve made it easy.

Flavored Whiskey Once you get your base spirit and cured oak barrel situated based on the steps listed above, you can add additional flavors to suit your preferences, upcoming party or gift idea.

Deep South Barrel’s essences and bootlegger kits are the perfect way to add different flavor profiles. You’ll be able to control the level of intensity, making as mild or as a strong as you’d like. One bottle of our DSB Liquor essence is all you need to flavor a regular sized bottle of spirits at 750 ml. Here are a few ideas:

• Some of our essences will mirror the flavors of the traditional whiskeys that we discussed earlier. If you want to go the tried and true route, experiment with these flavorings. For example, Royal Rye Whiskey flavor essence will give you the classic taste of Canadian whiskey and the Tennessee Bourbon Whiskey essence will recreate the quintessential mellow corn whiskey taste we love from American bourbon. • If you want try out tastes from across the pond, our Irish Whiskey essence will deliver a traditional blended whiskey experience and the Scotch Whisky essence creates the well-known “red label” feel of famous scotches. Without the price tag without having to leave your home.

21 Of course, sometimes you want to go beyond the traditional types of whiskey and experiment with new flavors. Deep South Barrels has you covered there, too. Here are a few examples:

• Cinnamon whiskey is super popular. Actor Chris Pratt did shots of a fiery whiskey on air with TV host Ellen DeGeneres. If you and your friends also prefer these spicy spirits, try our Flamethrower Whiskey essence to create a cinnamon concoction of your own. • We talked earlier about the popularity of honey whiskey cocktails and drinks. At Deep South Barrels, we offer honey mead liquor made from fermented honey, scotch honey whisky essence to create a familiar taste of whisky, honey and herbs, as well as honey bourbon, which will give you that classic Tennessee honey bourbon flavor. • If you want to go the liqueur flavor route, we offer liqueur essences that would be great in coffee, desserts or on their own, like the popular almond-flavored Amaretto essences and the sweetened Irish Cream essence.

Be sure to check the recommended usage, but for the most part, Deep South Barrels’ essences simply require you to combine the bottle of essence liquid with the bottle of neutral spirit. To guarantee you get every last drop of the highly concentrated essence flavors, rinse out the essence bottle with your neutral spirit to capture all of the goodness.

And that is the most basic and easy way to flavor the spirit of your choice.

If you want to get even more creative and improve even more on this centuries old tradition of distilling and flavoring, there are plenty of recipes to help you along the way. Our awesome customers have embraced the challenge of creating flavors that match their personalities and preferences, and we happily share them with the world.

22 Here are a few of our most popular recipes:

• The beauty of this tequila in an amaretto barrel is that it lets the barrel do all the work. First, you follow the regular instructions with the Amaretto essence, let it age for 60-90 days and then pour in tequila and let that age for about a month and a half. • This “Honey Glazed Turkey 101” recipe from a customer in Pittsburgh, PA, uses cinnamon, vanilla and honey to create a smooth but not overly sweet whiskey that is great on the rocks. • For those who want to try a more involved recipe, this Pina Picante concoction from a customer in San Diego shows just how good a little experimentation can be. By allowing the ingredients, including tequila, sugar, pineapple, jalapeno and vanilla, to infuse in an airtight container for a week before adding it to the barrel, you’ll get a full sweet flavor at first, followed by the heat from the jalapeno. • We’ve talked a lot about whiskey, so let’s shake things up (pun intended) with this Island Time Cinnamon Coconut Rum recipe from a customer in the Pacific Northwest. It’s recommended you serve this rum concoction with lemon lime soda or pineapple juice, or shaken with ice and topped with whipped cream. You’ll swear you feel the ocean breeze from the comfort of your home.

Any time a recipe calls for sugar, we recommend heating it to ensure that it’s entirely dissolved. Also remember that traces of some of these flavors will remain in the barrels unless you clean and repeat the curing process afterwards. Many customers love to experiment and learn how these remaining flavors work with different ingredients and base spirits.

23 Why Aged Whiskey at Home in Aged Whiskey Barrels?

Aging whiskey at home, with or without additional flavoring ingredients, creates an entirely unique experience in relatively little time. If you are accustomed to drinking wine, you might think the longer a drink is aged, the better. Not so with whiskey. If aged too long, the oak barrels can put off a sour, almost astringent flavor, so distillers don’t need, or want, decades to develop flavor.

Using our smaller barrels allows the flavor to develop in a matter of weeks. oodW is naturally porous, which means it’s a bit spongy and penetrable, and that porous wood naturally aerates the liquor inside. You’ve probably seen people pour wine through an aerator or decanter to let the air circulate around it. Our barrels do that naturally and similarly improve the taste of the booze.

Customized Whiskey Experience Both Inside and Out Enough about what is going on inside the barrel. At Deep South Barrels, you can also personalize the outside, thanks to our custom engraving options.

24 Customers have engraved their names, important dates like weddings and birthdays, team logos and so much more on the outside of our barrels. Given the fact that each of our barrels is made from real wood and is 100% customizable, no two barrels are the same. The beauty of the wood grain is unique and varies from barrel to barrel.

This engraving option makes our barrels perfect for your groomsmen, your dads and grandads, your recent college grad and the whiskey lover in your life. When you add a barrel to your shopping cart on our website, you will be able to click on a “laser engraving” option.

From there, you’ll be directed into our digital design studio, where you can easily add text or images. Our online design studio allows you customize font, size and position on the barrel. We provide pre-loaded stock designs popular with many customers — or you can upload your own artwork. You can save your artwork if you want to sleep on it, or if you want to email it to a friend for their feedback. If you are confident you’ve got the design you’ve been hoping for, you can simply add the barrel to your shopping cart and check out.

It’s easy to create a one-of-a-kind oak barrel that will bring you or a loved one years of enjoyment — and we can’t wait to get you started on your whiskey journey. Fill out our form, give us a call at 713-340-3103 ext. 2 or email us at [email protected].

25 The Final Step in a Guide to Whiskey: Go Forth and Drink!

The word whiskey means “water of life” in Gaelic. That tells you just how seriously previous generations took their spirits.

We Americans have our own love affair with it, especially since our very own Founding Father operated his own distillery. George Washington’s Mount Vernon Whiskey Distillery produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey a year, making it the largest in the United States. Not a bad second career for our first president, who chose a rye, corn and malted barley mash for his spirits.

By the way, the distillery is still in operation today if you want to taste some whiskey under the guise of a historical tour.

In this guide to whiskey, you’ve learned that there’s a way to enjoy the sprit for every man and woman, whether you prefer your whiskey in cocktails, neat or over ice — or scotch, rye or Irish whiskey. This beginner’s guide to whiskey reveals the secret that whiskey can be enjoyed at any price point, whether you are splurging for a gift or sticking to a budget.

26 As your love affair with whiskey deepens, you will want to do what you’d do with any other love: Take her home!

We know you’ll be interested contacting us to get started with your homemade whiskey process, since it allows you to customize the flavors exactly to your palate, mood and time of year.

America has a storied past of bootlegging, but we’ve thankfully evolved past distilling our booze in the bathtub. Now small batch distilleries, home aging and flavoring processes and an explosion of whiskey tastings and pairings in restaurants and bars across the country has moved this humble brown spirit into the spotlight.

Deep South Barrels allow you to experiment with new flavors or stick to making your favorite classic spirit in the comfort of your own home. No matter how you enjoy it, thanks to this friendly guide to whiskey, you are ready to enjoy the show.

No one said it better than “The Adventures Huckleberry Finn” author Mark Twain, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.”

Cheers!

27 SOURCES USED

1. theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/canadian-club-on-the-rocks-far-from-it- thanks-to-mad-men/article4105659/ 2. businessinsider.com/the-biggest-whiskey-market-in-the-world-2015-6 3. youtube.com/watch?v=ovUkATL4l_g 4. westword.com/restaurants/ask-the-bartender-giving-all-those-old-bar-terms-the-finger-5747968 5. epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/old-fashioned-235804 6. bonappetit.com/recipe/manhattan 7. foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/whiskey-sour-recipe.html 8. allrecipes.com/recipe/44045/irish-coffee/ 9. bonappetit.com/people/article/an-interview-with-female-whiskey-sommelier-heather-greene 10. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malt_whisky 11. 1en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rye_whiskey 12. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rye_whiskey#cite_note-CAlaw-8 13. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_whiskey 14. kentuckytourism.com/dining/bourbon.aspx 15. qz.com/166242/the-worlds-taste-for-whiskey-visualized/ 16. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_whiskey#Legal_definition 17. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_whiskey#Legal_definition 18. ezrabrooks.com/#legacy 19. imbibemagazine.com/the-boulevardier-cocktail-recipe/ 20. wine-searcher.com/find/sazerac+rye 21. scotchaddict.com/best-beginner-scotch-whisky.html 22. deepsouthbarrels.com/page/deep-south-barrels-blog/top-10-craft-whiskey-distilleries-in-the-south 23. thrillist.com/vice/cheap-whiskeys-that-taste-good 24. time.com/3556449/japanese-whisky-best-in-world/ 25. whiskey.underthelabel.com/l/314/Suntory-The-Yamazaki-18-Year-Old-Single-Malt-Whiskey 26. speyburn.com/ 27. liquor.com/brands/rittenhouse-rye/#gs.RqiV6pw

28 28. jamesonwhiskey.com/us/ourwhiskeys/jameson-gold-reserve 29. deepsouthbarrels.com/blank/Bootleggers?c=236093&page=2&pn_p=8 30. deepsouthbarrels.com/search/results?query=honey&commit=search 31. deepsouthbarrels.com/about 32. deepsouthbarrels.com/create_products/-Scotch-Whisky-Blended?c=237153&c_p=2&n=1464833&pn_p=8 33. deepsouthbarrels.com/create_products/Irish-Whiskey?c=237153&c_p=2&n=1464813&pn_p=8 34. deepsouthbarrels.com/create/Bootleggers?c=236093 35. deepsouthbarrels.com/page/barrel-dimensions/aging-recipes/tequila-aged-in-an-amaretto-barrel 36. deepsouthbarrels.com/page/barrel-dimensions/aging-recipes/honey-glazed-turkey-101 37. deepsouthbarrels.com/page/barrel-dimensions/aging-recipes/pi-a-picante 38. youtube.com/watch?v=PdMaeiobKZQ 39. mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/distillery/ 40. goodreads.com/quotes/54577-too-much-of-anything-is-bad-but-too-much-good

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