Whisky Focus - Jameson Barrel Aged Cocktails At Hixter Bankside

Renowned London bartender, Myles Davies, of the recently opened Hixter Bankside has collaborated with Jameson Irish Whiskey, creating a cocktail over the last few months by ageing his creation in a Jameson-seasoned barrel.

The cocktail, Autumn Leaves is available for £9.50 and will be on sale at Hixter Bankside until the barrel runs dry.

The cocktail is created by mixing Jameson Irish Whiskey, sweet Vermouth and an apple aperitif from Somerset, and then ageing the mix for several weeks within a Jameson barrel from the distillery in Midleton, Cork. The maturation process in the barrels imparts additional vanilla and wood flavours into the drink, as well as creating a more rounded flavour profile.

Born in New York in the early 1900s, the practice of barrel-ageing cocktails has enjoyed a renaissance over the last few years, and has been led by renowned bartenders including Tony Conigliaro. These cocktails are typically aged in the barrel for six to eight weeks to allow the extraction of wood compounds, the evaporation of volatile compounds and the oxidation of cocktail components, which results in a softer, more rounded drink.

The barrel itself was originally a 200-litre Jameson barrel, which was dismantled and then painstakingly re-assembled by 5th generation Jameson Master Cooper, Ger Buckley, into a 15-litre barrel for Myles’ aged cocktail creation. The barrel will be on display in the bar at Hixter Bankside.

Autumn Leaves recipe and method:

• 3 parts Jameson Irish Whiskey
   
• 2 parts sweet vermouth
   
• 1 part Kingston Black (apple aperitif)

Mix through with ice, add a few drops of liquorice bitters and strain into coupe glass or similar.

Autumn Leaves is available now at Hixter Bankside, just off Southwark Street, London priced at £9.50.
 

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