{"id":16510,"date":"2018-03-14T12:22:41","date_gmt":"2018-03-14T19:22:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/freshcup.com\/?p=16510"},"modified":"2022-10-19T10:21:36","modified_gmt":"2022-10-19T15:21:36","slug":"trending-barrel-aged-coffees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/trending-barrel-aged-coffees\/","title":{"rendered":"Trending: Barrel-Aged Coffees"},"content":{"rendered":"

Combining alcohol and coffee in one delicious drink is an age-old pastime. Over the last few years, the combination has become more and more popular. Today, baristas and bartenders everywhere are playing with the potent pairing.<\/p>\n

The newest trend for mixing coffee and alcohol is barrel aging\u2014putting fresh, green coffee in barrels previously used to make whiskey, gin, rum, wine, and other varieties of liquor.<\/p>\n

Barrel-aged coffee beans can be brewed hot or cold and sipped as is. They can also be blended into fresh new cocktails, exploring new depths of distilled flavors.<\/p>\n

Roasty Toasty: Creating Barrel-Aged Coffees<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"Adding barrel-aged coffee to a roastery\u2019s lineup not only increases customer interest, it also gives roasters a creative challenge. Which coffee will do best in the barrel? How long should the coffee age in the barrel? Where is the balance between barrel influence and roasting process?<\/p>\n

Coffee roasters have started barrel-aged programs out of curiosity or convenience. For others, it is a strategic collaboration with a distillery.<\/p>\n

Inspired by barrel-aged beers, Modern Times<\/a> founder Jacob McKean and original director of coffee Amy Krone began to experiment with barrel-aged coffees. Since developing their coffee roasting program in 2015, they have found that barrel aging coffee develops uniquely interesting and enjoyable flavors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe source coffee explicitly for barrel aging,\u201d says current director of coffee Bartleby Bloss. \u201cOur team searches for coffees that will be able to stand up to the intense flavors of the barrels. We look for outstanding coffees, something that will be immensely complex with the added layer of barrel aging. Whether it is a barrel-aged bourbon natural Ethiopia espresso shot served in our caf\u00e9, or a freshly roasted bag of Pinot noir-aged Guatemala Huehuetenango, customers get excited over our releases.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Simon Johnston of Ireland\u2019s Root & Branch<\/a>, starting with the right coffee is the most important piece of the equation: \u201cChoosing the right coffee in the first instance is more important than what you do with the coffee when you\u2019ve chosen it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Should You Add Barrel-Aged Coffee to Your Roasted Coffee Lineup?<\/h2>\n
\"\"Adding a unique product such as barrel-aged coffees to caf\u00e9 menus encourages customers to veer a little away from their usual order, increases engagement with your brand, and gives your baristas something interesting to sell\u2014or upsell.<\/h6>\n

When Pacific Northwest-based Caff\u00e8 Umbria<\/a> started their barrel-aged program as an experiment last August, the roasters had no idea if it would sell, or if it would even do well. They started with some end runs of their single-origin coffees and aged them for a month and a half in a tiny 10-gallon barrel.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe flavors were exceptionally pronounced, almost overwhelming,\u201d says Pete Maskiell, Umbria\u2019s main roaster and production manager.<\/p>\n

It took some trial and error, but their first 100-pound batch of coffee aged in a whiskey barrel was a sales success.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe uniqueness is a big allure for customers,” says Maskiell. “It\u2019s such a nice oddity, especially because it\u2019s available in super-limited quantities.”<\/p>\n

Novelty is a big selling point, especially this early in the trend. Customers may have heard of, and even stood in line for, barrel-aged beers, but a coffee that has been aged in whiskey or rum barrels is still a new idea, and for many customers, that\u2019s enough to get them to try it.<\/p>\n

About the Barrels<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Barrels can be expensive\u2014$150\u2013$300 on average\u2014and their quality is hard to control.<\/p>\n

The cost of a barrel may seem a bit expensive, but it takes about a week on average to make one by hand by a skilled cooper. After the barrel is constructed, it is charred, then sent to a distillery or winery.<\/p>\n

After a barrel is used to impart its flavors and aromatic compounds\u2014those dreamy vanilla or caramel notes\u2014on an alcohol, the spirit maker usually discards it in favor of a fresh barrel before making the next batch of hooch. But for a brewery or a coffee roastery, these barrels are full of spirited goodness and are a hot commodity.<\/p>\n

How Do Roasters Get Their Hands on Booze-Soaked Barrels?<\/h2>\n

\"\"In the case of Portland, Oregon-based McMenamin\u2019s<\/a>, they have their own in-house distillery, which makes for an endless supply of fresh barrels. But for other coffee companies, strategic partnerships are the most common way they get into the barrel business.<\/p>\n

Late last year, Root & Branch teamed up with Bushmills Irish Whiskey<\/a>. The two companies worked together to find the right coffee to age in the perfect barrel, in pursuit of the best Irish Coffee. Bushmills gave the Belfast-based roaster special access to its distillery to see how the two might marry coffee and an iconic whiskey. With the efforts of Natasha David of New York City\u2019s Nitecap<\/a> cocktail bar, they developed a recipe for a warming cocktail sure to get your customers in the St. Patrick\u2019s Day spirit.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Barrel-Aged Irish Coffee
\n<\/strong>Recipe courtesy of Bushmills Irish Whiskey<\/em>
\n2 ounces Bushmills Irish Whiskey
\n\u00bd ounce brown sugar almond syrup*
\n6 ounces freshly brewed whiskey
\nbarrel-aged coffee<\/h6>\n

Add all ingredients in a warmed mug and mix well. Top with a dollop of vanilla-scented whipped cream. Garnish with freshly grated orange zest.<\/p>\n

*Brown Sugar Almond Syrup
\n<\/strong>2 cups raw sugar
\n1 cup water
\n1 teaspoon almond extract<\/h6>\n

In a blender, combine sugar and water, and blend until sugar is dissolved. Add extract and blend until incorporated.<\/p>\n

Read Fresh Cup’s article about barrel-scented teas<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today, baristas and bartenders everywhere are playing with the potent pairing of alcohol and coffee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1081,"featured_media":16511,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"","last_modified_date":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}},"beyondwords_generate_audio":"","beyondwords_project_id":"","beyondwords_content_id":"","beyondwords_player_style":"","beyondwords_language_id":"","beyondwords_title_voice_id":"","beyondwords_body_voice_id":"","beyondwords_summary_voice_id":"","beyondwords_error_message":"","beyondwords_disabled":"","beyondwords_podcast_id":"","beyondwords_hash":"","publish_post_to_speechkit":"","speechkit_hash":"","speechkit_generate_audio":"","speechkit_project_id":"","speechkit_podcast_id":"","speechkit_error_message":"","speechkit_disabled":"","speechkit_access_key":"","speechkit_error":"","speechkit_info":"","speechkit_response":"","speechkit_retries":"","speechkit_updated_at":"","_speechkit_link":"","_speechkit_text":""},"categories":[25,18,23],"tags":[8512,102,1203],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTrending: Barrel-Aged Coffees \u2013 Fresh Cup Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Today, baristas and bartenders everywhere are playing with the potent pairing of alcohol and coffee. 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