THE BLOG

Photo credit: Foreign Exchange Brewing via Instagram Ricky Cervantes is proof that homebrewers can make exceptional barrel-aged beers.  He’s also proof of what can happen with a lot of hard work, experimentation and a little bit of luck. Just last year, Cervantes and a couple partners started Foreign Exchange Brewing...

Shannon Harris is living the homebrewer’s dream. Once a craft beer fan who would drink a beer, snap a pic and post it on Instagram, Harris is now on course to open the first black-owned brewery in Austin, Texas.  Most people know Harris as The Brew Brotha on Instagram. He...

New, small barrels are a great buy for homebrewers, people who want to experiment with distilled spirits or even bartenders who want to try their hand at barrel-aged cocktails.  However, barrel-aging with a brand new, small barrel isn’t exactly an out-of-the-box, ready-to-go endeavor. It takes some prepwork and some homework....

This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. For months you’ve thought about it, dreamt about it, gazed longingly at it from across the room. You’re about to try your latest and greatest homebrewed creation, patiently aged in a perfect oak barrel. You pour your first sample, swish the liquid around,...

You’ve gone and purchased a small barrel – or someone thoughtfully gave it to you as a gift. Now you’re probably racing to fill it with a choice beverage, or you’re wondering what the heck you can do with it.  If you fall into the latter category, then congratulations – you’re...

Barrel-aged beers are arguably the pinnacle of craft beer. They’re deliciously complex in flavor – achieving a wide variety of otherwise unattainable profiles – and all it takes is a little practice and a lot of patience. More and more, we’re seeing homebrewers rise to the challenge of barrel-aging, exploring new...