What are aged cocktails? And where to get an aged Manhattan or Negroni?

Priyanka Blah, Academy Chair at the World’s 50 Best Bars, says spirit-based cocktails like Negroni, Manhattan, Martini, Sazerac and Boulevardier work well when aged. (Photo: Murugu Nathan)

Time can be many things to many people but when it comes to cocktails, time (read two to three months) and a little bit of patience can significantly alter the drink.

Ageing a cocktail in a glass bottle or a barrel adds depth, complexity and subtle notes of the container it has been resting in. The result is a cocktail for slow, contemplative sipping.

To age a cocktail, bartenders make several glasses of a cocktail, called ‘batching’, and funnel it into a barrel. As the barrel breathes, the wood and air, along with changes in temperature and humidity, change the drink at the fundamental level.

Sette Mara's Luxury Boulevardier cocktail.

“Essentially, ageing a cocktail does the same thing as ageing a spirit - it tames the harshness of the alcohol while lending an unexpected twist to the cocktail. According to whisky experts, 60 per cent of a whisky’s character comes from its ageing process. So it's no surprise that the trend of ageing a drink has really given people a new way to dive into cocktails,” says Prakhar Agarwal, Mixologist, Sette Mara, The St Regis Mumbai. 

The newly launched restaurant and lounge bar has been wowing guests with two aged cocktails – a smooth and smoky Negroni aged in an oak barrel for 60 days and another earthy and wonderfully palatable Negroni placed in a clay pot for 15 days.

Time is of utmost importance when it comes to ageing cocktails. Though there are no fixed rules on the duration of ageing, there will ultimately come a point when the drink passes its peak and becomes too tired. Experts suggest retrieving the cocktail within two or three months maximum. Tasting it at regular intervals is vital.

When barrel meets booze

It all started in 2009, when Jeffrey Morgenthaler, award-winning bartender and author from Portland, Oregon, started experimenting by resting his cocktails in oak barrels. He wrote about the outcome on his blog, a popular bartender read it, and before long, bartenders everywhere were premixing cocktails and ageing them in barrels.

“Bottles and barrels weren’t born as a way of imparting flavour to spirits or cocktails. They originated out of necessity. But over time, people realized that the containers lent a different dimension to the spirit, making it more rounded and fabulous. So ageing was a chance discovery. Over time, connoisseurs realised the potential of ageing and now they are a sought after style,” explains Sarath Nair, Bar Manager, Copitas, Four Seasons Hotel, Bengaluru.

Nair has been ageing classic cocktails such as Old Fashioned, Manhattan and the spectacular Boulevardier in oak barrels for three months. These are marketed as special edition cocktails to guests. Currently he’s resting his creations in local clay pots.

Sarath Nair, bar manager, Copitas, Four Seasons Hotel, Bengaluru.

Age with caution

Ageing cocktails comes with a few constraints, as not all ingredients are suited to the ageing process.

According to Priyanka Blah, Academy Chair at the World’s 50 Best Bars, spirit-based cocktails like Negroni, Manhattan, Martini, Sazerac and Boulevardier work very well when aged.

The drinks veteran has been ageing her Negroni and Old Fashioned in a small barrel in her home bar. “They turn out wonderfully charred and oaky, which I love. I also age my Martini once in a while in a clay pot when I crave earthiness in my drink. Aged cocktails work beautifully, provided you pick the right spirits and are able to extract the best flavours from the process,” she says. Skip any perishable ingredients in the cocktail, specifically eggs, dairy or citrus juices.

You can make aged cocktails at home, too.

The raging popularity of aged cocktails

It’s the complexity and depth that is most sought after in aged cocktails. “When you age a cocktail, it oxidizes. Over time, it becomes more complex but with a tad bit of vanilla sweetness that goes down very well with the Indian palate. It’s also in sync with the post-pandemic times we live in as it’s a cautious approach to making cocktails which generally involves using hands to cut and add ingredients. Here, all you have to do is pour the drink from a barrel or a pot,” explains Vidhi Puri, founder of The Cocktail Story, a digital platform.

Guests’ preferences have also added fuel to the fire. These days everyone likes to be surprised, and bars have become the new laboratories for springing spirited surprises on guests. Taste and tricks apart, the popularity of such cocktails also stems from the fact that they are easier and quicker for the bartenders to rustle up, especially when handling crowds on busy nights. 

Is it expensive? Most certainly. Barrel-aged cocktails usually range between Rs 600-1,000. Bar owners justify the high prices by their limited quantities and the time that goes into making them. Angel’s Share, the small amount of alcohol that is lost during ageing, must also be taken into account. So it is fair to say that these cocktails are not the most pocket-friendly.

Sette Mara's Passionfruit Negroni.

The good news

Fortunately, you don’t have to find a bar that serves barrel-aged cocktails. You can make them at home. Depending on the size and quality, a basic five litre oak barrel will cost around Rs 6,500. Alternatively a clean glass bottle will also do. Just as with ageing a fine wine, storage conditions are critical. Sunlight and temperature fluctuations can easily spoil the cocktail. According to Agarwal, a dark, room-temperature cupboard or a red wine fridge are the ideal locations for ageing cocktails at home. Now you’re ready to batch and pour. There is only one problem with preparing your own aged cocktail: the one and a half to three months of waiting to have that first sip!

Vidhi Puri of The Cocktail Story says aged cocktails are pre-prepared and poured out of a jar or barrel - as opposed to made-to-order cocktails, which generally involve using hands to cut and add ingredients - something that could factor into our preference in the post-pandemic world.