Drink It Yourself: DIY whiskey kit creates barrel-aged taste in 24 hours

Traditional barrel-aged whiskey, as the name suggests, is made by allowing the spirit to mature through the wood of barrels. But as Tony Peniche, the entrepreneur behind Whiskey Elements, will tell you, barrel ageing is by no means the most efficient way of creating great-tasting whiskey.

The DIY whiskey kit works by placing a comb-like oak device into your bottle. The ridged design allows for greater surface area, while the way in which the wood is cut – horizontally as opposed to vertically – speeds up the maturation process. This means that more whiskey completes its journey through the wood, adding taste and removing toxins.

You can choose between different flavours, including vanilla, maple and smoky, and depending on factors such as temperature and gestation period you can create a range of tastes.

Read our London Distillery Innovate feature for more on how brands are bringing consumers into the distilling process.