Whisky makers age their spirit in casks made of oak. Coopers, however, are a
dying breed. Patrick Mooney, from Dublin, has suggested using vats made of inert
glass or ceramic with a hole in the side to take an oak rod (WO 97/49795). The
whisky—or whiskey—would be continually in contact with the oak,
which itself would be in contact with air, mimicking the natural evaporation
through the wood of a traditional cask.
Technology
Doubles all round
By Barry Fox
11 April 1998
