Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

DIY Whiskey at Home: Tips from the Masters at Breckenridge Distillery

Kathleen Kim
By

Breckenridge Distillery
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Breckenridge Distillery’s cup runneth over with whiskey, and boy do we love them for it.

Seated at 9,600 feet above sea level, the Breckenridge, Colorado, facility specializes in small-batch bourbon, whiskey, and other liquors — all made with fresh snow-melt water from the Rocky Mountains. Scores of visitors drop in for tours to see the fermentation and distillation process firsthand, but for those who want to bring the experience home, Breckenridge offers an Age Your Own Bourbon Kit (sold in limited quantities, so make sure to inquire about when you can get one).

“It’s a lot of fun, great for conversation, and you learn a lot about whiskey,” says Breckenridge Distillery CEO Bryan Nolt. He gave The Manual a few pointers on how to age whiskey and explained why the kit is great for bourbon-making newbies.

Recommended Videos

What comes in the Age Your Own Bourbon Kit?

You get a mini barrel and two bottles of our unaged whiskey. There’s also directions on how to prep your barrel. You pour your two bottles into the barrel with a funnel and then put the bung in it — it’s like a little cork. After setting the barrel on a stand, you let it age. That bung has a little spout so you can sample it periodically to keep track of how it’s aging.

bourbon whisky
 How long should you age the whiskey?

Let it ride for as long as you want. One thing to remember:Tthe interesting difference between a big barrel and a small one is that the smaller barrel puts a heck of a lot of oak in your spirit in a shorter period of time. That oak is really intense, but just let the whiskey keep going — those oak notes will mellow out and fade. Then the real character of the whiskey will start coming through. That will probably take about a year and a half.

Who would you say this kit is ideal for?

Beginners who are interested in whiskey and have never done anything like this before. Put it out on your bar when your friends come over — they’ll think it’s the coolest thing ever. Not only is it a great conversation piece, it’s a cool way to learn. You get it see how the whiskey slowly changes, taste it from the early stages and when it’s well-aged. Soon you’ll be able to distinguish young whiskeys from super oaky ones and tell when one needed more time in the barrel, just because you experienced making your own.

Kathleen Kim
Kathleen Kim
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Cocktail classics: the Negroni and its millions of variations
Negroni

Of all the classic cocktails that are well-known in bars across the world, one stands out for being both complex fascinating to drink, but also incredibly easy to make: the negroni. This beloved cocktail from Italy consists of equal parts of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari, and it doesn't even need to be shaken. Traditionally made in a mixing glass, where it is stirred with ice to add water, in practice you can even add the ingredients to a tumbler glass with a large ice cube and stir it in the glass. That isn't really the technically correct way to make the drink, but it works well enough and means that you can make this cocktail with practically no equipment whatsoever.
The negroni is popular for its intense, bitter flavors and its bright red color, both of which come from the Campari. But the addition of gin gives the drink that heavy, boozy note with plenty of spicy juniper, and the sweet vermouth adds a touch of sweetness and more herbal notes. The result is a drink which packs an incredible flavor punch, and which tends to be either loved or hated (mostly depending on how you feel about Campari).
Thanks to its simplicity, the negroni lends itself to endless variations. While in truth I think it's hard to beat the classic version of this cocktail, if you're a long-time negroni drinker and you're looking to try something new – or maybe even if you're not a fan of the classic negroni but are interested in finding a version which does work for you – then we've got suggestions on some of the many variations you can try.

Experimenting with gins

Read more
Gose-style beers are perfect for spring, and these are our favorites
This salty, tart, sour beer is perfect for spring.
Gose beer

As we mentioned in an earlier post, the Gose style might be the best beer choice for spring and summer drinking. This wheat beer is top-fermented and gets a second fermentation with lactobacillus bacteria. This gives it a tart, sour flavor profile similar to your favorite sour ale. The addition of coriander and sea salt adds some spice and salinity to this very unique, refreshing beer.

On top of that, this tart, salty thirst-quencher is usually between 4-5% ABV. This results in a crushable, salty, crisp beer you won’t be able to put down even between horseshoe throws or cornhole turns.
A strange, salty history

Read more
This is how to make a proper Moscow Mule
It's the classic cocktail in a copper mug, and we're going to show you how to make a Moscow Mule
Moscow Mule with a bowl of limes

You know you've made it as a cocktail when one of the most popular ready-to-drink options is made in your name. That's the case with the Moscow Mule cocktail, the classic mix of vodka and ginger beer, preferably in a copper mug.

Here are some pro tips to keep in mind. First, select a quality vodka. The flavor may be mostly buried in the rest of the drink, but you're still after smoothness. In terms of ginger, go with a proper ginger beer instead of ginger ale. The latter is far too sweet. If you're really feeling intrepid, do as Death & Co. does below and make your own ginger syrup to couple with club soda. You'll be amazed at how much more pronounced the ginger qualities are when going this route.

Read more