Cask Crafted

Barrel-aged cocktails well worth the wait

By Alison Bailin Batz

They say patience is a virtue. When it comes to cocktails, it is a game changer. Today, clever cocktail creators are crafting drinks with barrel-aged spirits that are developed over years, often in wooden casks that bring out deeper, more complex flavors. Here are some local favorites.

Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned
The Phoenician Tavern

The base for this classic cocktail is Maker’s Mark 46 French Oaked Bourbon Whiskey, a cask-strength bourbon that is aged five to seven years in seared French oak staves. The staves create rich notes of vanilla, baking spice and a velvety smooth finish. The whiskey is paired with orange and cherry barrel-aged bitters and aged up to another month in a Maker’s Mark oak barrel in-house before being served over one artisanal ice cube with an orange peel and a black cherry. $24. www.thephoenician.com.

Scorched Earth
Toca Madera

While he is busy racking up assists on the basketball court, NBA star Stephen Curry is also quietly calling plays behind the bar with this cocktail. The co-founder of Gentleman’s Cut Bourbon ages his spirit five to seven years in charred new oak barrels to extract honey, caramel and cinnamon in every sip. Toca Madera combines the spirit with Bulleit Rye, Nocino bittersweet Italian liqueur, tangy tamarind-infused mole, and bitters. It’s then smoked tableside, resulting in a rich walnut finish. $26. www.tocamadera.com.

Simple Jack
Course

Part of Course’s playful Tropic Thunder-themed menu, Simple Jack utilizes Papa’s Pilar, a blend of Caribbean and Central and South American rums aged up to 24 years. Deep and complex, the rum makes an ideal pairing with the cocktail’s Hemingway Rye, 20-year Tawney Port and orange bitters. Served over a clear cube with a creamy candy cap mushroom foam, it is spirit forward with a hint of sweetness. $20. www.courserestaurantaz.com.

C3 Margarita
Antidote at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa

After aging for nearly a year in American white oak and then being finished in newly charred barrels, the team at Westin Kierland hand-selects its Signature Herradura Double Barrel Reposado tequila barrel and brings it to the Valley. Here, it is combined with Cointreau, agave nectar and fresh lime juice for a polished expression of the classic margarita. $22. www.kierlandafterdark.com.

Barrel Aged Smoked Cherry Manhattan
Quiessence at The Farm

Built using Arizona’s own Copper City Rye, which is always aged at least two years, this cocktail delivers a bold, spice-forward foundation. It is enhanced through a sous vide pecan wood infusion that draws out a subtle toasted depth before being finished with a splash of cherry syrup to add a tart brightness. It’s served in a smoked glass to enhance aromatics. $18. www.qatthefarm.com.

Good Vibrations
The Montauk

Bold Club Kokomo barrel-aged rum – featuring a proprietary blend of eight- and 10-year-old Jamaican, Barbadian and Dominican rums that are aged in new oak, ex-whiskey and port casks – anchors this cocktail. A twist on an old-fashioned, the rum is paired with sweet Falernum Caribbean liqueur and Angostura bitters, creating a bold profile with layered warmth and notes of clove, lime and almond. $18. www.themontaukaz.com.