Barrel-Aged Revolver - How to Make the Whiskey Cocktail with Bourbon and Coffee Liqueur
Here’s how to make this simple, modern riff on the Manhattan cocktail made with Bourbon, Coffee Liqueur and Orange Bitters, with a Flamed Orange Peel for garnish. When made fresh, the Revolver ( • Revolver - How to Make a Bourbon Whis... ) is a chocolatey, boozy alternative to a classic Manhattan. Barrel-aging the drink keeps the underlying flavors intact, but changes some of its fringe qualities. The barrel-aging makes the flavors richer, darker and deeper. It also sands off the rough edges and harsher elements in the drink.
This drink was created by Bay-area bartender and founder of Prizefighter in Emeryville, John Santer, in 2003. It was made to be easy and accessible, using familiar ingredients and simple ratios. Because it was created at the cusp of the craft cocktail renaissance, it was made with a flamed orange peel. It’s showy and fun, but in this case—and something like the Smoky Grove ( • Smoky Grove - a Peated Scotch Whisky ... )—it actually makes the drink pop by finishing it off with the caramelized orange oils from the flamed twist.
Part of the reason it seemed so familiar was that it was conceived as a riff on the Manhattan ( • Barrel-Aged Manhattan - How to Make a... ). The original coffee liqueur Santer used was Tia Maria. It’s sweeter profile lead him to make the ratio 4:1, bourbon to coffee liqueur. Since I like making it with my favorite coffee liqueur, St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur, when making it “fresh”, I’ll typically make it 2:1, bourbon to coffee liqueur. In this case, for the barrel, I split the difference and made it 3:1.
The original bourbon used in the drink was Bulleit, which is where the name came from. Bulleit is a high-rye bourbon. It’s mashbill is 68% corn, 28% rye and 4% malted barley. Feel free to sub in other high-rye bourbons, such as Four Roses Single Barrel (35% rye) or Old Granddad (27% rye), but Bulleit was the original.
I love a lot of things about this drink. It’s not only tasty, but it’s easy to make at a minimalist home bar and it’s also easy to order at a bar. Even if the bartender’s never heard of it before, they should be able to make it. Just give them the ratios and the if you wanna push your luck, have them make it with a flamed orange twist.
I aged ended up aging this one for 30 days, which is usually how long a cocktail or spirit will age in this sized barrel. But before I put it in, I aged a liter of sherry, dumped that out, then added a liter of Islay whisky to the barrel. This left traces of those spirits in the barrel and influenced the flavor of this cocktail. You don’t have to season you barrel before you make this drink. But keep in mind that when barrel-aging, some of the flavors from previous agings will be passed down to future generations that pass through the same barrel.
This drink, being all booze, was perfect for barrel-aging. The barrel brings out more chocolate notes from the coffee liqueur and some vanillas from the bourbon after it got reacquainted with the wood. The only problem with this cocktail is that you’ll only have a limited amount of it. You age it for approximately a month, then only end up with one bottle. At this end of this, you’ll wanna reload the barrel with another Revolver. Cheers!
Recipe (1-Liter):
750 ml (25 oz) Bourbon
250 ml (8.5 oz) Coffee Liqueur
30 ml (1 oz) Orange Bitters
garnish flamed Orange Peel
Combine ingredients. Add to cured oak barrel. Age for 3-4 weeks. Taste occasionally. When ready, strain through a fine mesh strainer and bottle.
Music:
Mistaken Identity (Instrumental Version) by Martin Carlberg
via Epidemic Sound
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Featured in This Episode:
Bulleit Bourbon
http://bit.ly/2wNIwf1
St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur
http://bit.ly/2tuk8RI
Regan’s Orange Bitters
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Bluegrass Barrels
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Black Pony Label by Joanna Bush
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Bar Tools:
OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Angled Measuring Cup
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OXO SteeL Double Jigger
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Nick & Nora Glass
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Barspoon
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Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainers
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Stainless Steel Funnels
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Mixing Glass
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Julep Strainer
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