What Does K&L Do With Empty Barrels?

When we buy a barrel of Bourbon from Four Roses or Buffalo Trace, they bottle the whiskey for us and send it over in cases - but they send the empty barrel too!  As any Scotch drinker knows, used Bourbon barrels are quite valuable to a distillery looking to get some more wood contact on their spirit.  In the past, I've sent one barrel up to Germain Robin to fill with their Low Gap whiskey, and another two over to Davorin at Old World Spirits to age some fruit distillate.  However, one of our first barrels from Buffalo Trace went to Drakes Brewery in the East Bay and they filled it with locally-made sour beer.

After 18 months in that barrel, our beer buyer Bryan Brick is ready to show off the goods tonight.  We haven't had it bottled yet, but Bryan got Drakes to fill a keg and send it over to the best beer garden on the peninsula - Gourmet Haus Staudt in Redwood City.  Tonight, beginning at 6 PM, Bryan will be behind the bar, filling up glasses from what I've heard will be the most amazing beer of 2012.  Bryan is not usually giddy about anything, but his review of our new Kalinda Bourbon Barrel-aged Sour has me positively excited.  We'll have it bottled in 750ml soon enough, but to taste it on tap tonight should be truly special.  Our whole store is heading over after we close to get our hands on some.

Gourmet Haus Stadt, 2615 Broadway Street, Redwood City - Be there! (and remember to go around to the back entrance)

Oh.....and maybe we should take that sour beer barrel and do something with that! 

-David Driscoll