It was 10 years in the making, but Matt Ellenthal and Martha Outlaw, a couple from Wilton, Connecticut, have introduced Barrelsmith, a brand of barrel-aged, craft cocktails which has been greeted by an enthusiastic reaction from discerning drinkers, encouraging its creators to step-up the production process.
Their initial premium cocktails include a Negroni, a Manhattan and a Boulevardier. 
“We were quite confident that we had developed a superior offering, but savvy marketers know that you are never sure that you have a winner until you take your goods to market,” said Ellenthal, a successful marketer of various upscale products for more than 30 years. “Given the quality of our brand, I prefer not to use the familiar analogy of the dog eating the dog food, even though Martha and I love dogs.”
Perfectionists to the core, the couple has been fine-tuning the art of creating barrel-aged cocktails since 2010. “Traditional by an enthusiastic reaction from discerning drinkers, encouraging its creators to step-up cocktail recipes using off-the-shelf bottles just didn’t work with barrel aging,” he said. “We sourced specialty ingredients, prototyped and developed our own formulas and barrel-aging methods with the goal of creating the very best craft cocktails.”
Working for a technology company in the casino business, Ellenthal spent a lot of time in Las Vegas and around the world where he was exposed to outstanding cocktails and varied bar cultures. At one of his favorite hangouts, he spent many hours talking to the bar staff about their innovative cocktails, especially their in-house barrel-aging program. With encouragement from the bar staff, Ellenthal and Outlaw began their experiments at home.
A trial and error process gave rise to a cocktail that visitors to their home judged to be the best they had ever tasted. And their business got an added boost from an unlikely source: Ellenthal’s mother, who ordered a Negroni at a high-end Italian restaurant and, after sending it back twice, finally had to settle for a different drink. The establishment had not come close to emulating the one made from selected ingredients and then aged in an oak barrel that she had tasted at Ellenthal and Outlaw’s home. She and other family members and friends clamored to take home the couple’s barrel-aged craft cocktails.
Ellenthal and Outlaw hesitated. They wanted their cocktails to be the best available if they were to sell them to others. “So the next thing we did,” Outlaw explained, “was hire a flavor specialist with decades of experience in the spirits industry to source the best ingredients and refine our recipes and techniques.”
Continuing, she added, “We tasted dozens of versions and tested the formulas and the aging process. By doing so, we were able to create cocktails that are elevated by barrel-aging and a balanced taste.”
Outlaw is certified WSET as a Level 2 Wine and Spirit Educator. She spent five years as a research consultant for a high profile wine collector. Her research led to both a civil and criminal wine counterfeit case that resulted in multi-million dollar damage awards and a federal conviction. She has consulted in wine cellar development, appraisal and management. More recently, she served as director of Fine Wines at ReserveBar, a preeminent online destination for the gifting of top-shelf spirits, fine wine and premium champagne. Not surprisingly, the liqueur used in the line’s two other entries, the Manhattan and the Boulevardier, are named after her.
The mention of this brings a small smile to her face; an even bigger one surfaces when she tells listeners: “Our cocktails are ready to drink. Just pour over ice, maybe add a twist or cherry, and you have the most sublime cocktail you have ever tasted or served.”
Visit www.Barrelsmith.com to learn more and order for home delivery to 40 states. (Submitted)
