by Josh Seaburg
In the pre-bottling line days of aged spirit consumption, decanters were necessary to store booze bought in bulk either directly from the producer, or from a grocer selling a proprietary blend of purchased barrels. At least one such grocer in Scotland made blends to order, per his customers’ specifications; Johnnie Walker eventually attained just a little fame for his whiskies. These days, decanters have been relegated to dusty antique store shelves. The idea of moving spirits from one bottle to another may seem redundant, but decanters serve a variety of functional purposes in the modern home bar.
The most pragmatic reason for using a decanter is simple economy of scale. Large 1.75-liter bottles, often called handles, usually come at a significant discount but are unsightly and unwieldy to pour from. A decanter provides a stylish way to store the liquor you intend to drink, while the rest of the handle can be tucked away in a closet or pantry. Storing the labeled bottle out of sight also allows your guests to examine a pour without any internal bias – there are dozens of labels, especially in the whiskey category, that benefit from blind tastings.
If off-the-shelf blends aren’t fancy enough for you, or if you want to engage your internal whiskey grocer, decanters can also be used to make a proprietary mix of spirits. This can either be a house recipe, which can be tinkered with and easily replicated, or something more fluid in its provenance. In 2012, the first online discussions started to appear about adding small amounts of spirits (usually from the same category) into a decanter to create a one-of-a-kind, ever-evolving blend called an “infinity bottle.” These can range from broad (an ounce at a time from every bottle of whiskey, regardless of category) to niche (this author keeps an infinity bottle of various batches of a single producer of blanco tequilas), and anywhere in between. The nature of the practice allows for plenty of variation.
If straight spirits aren’t your thing, decanters can also be used to store shelf-stable cocktail mixes. Although a pre-batched Manhattan or martini would need to be refrigerated, very spirit-forward cocktails such as an old-fashioned can be kept at room temperature almost indefinitely. To serve, it would just need to be poured over ample ice, or one large, tempered cube, stirred to gentle dilution, and garnished.
Whatever application you choose, a decanter can be a tasteful and useful piece of barware. What’s more, the variety and quality of secondhand decanters is near limitless. A quick browse at a local antique shop or thrift store could yield your next favorite accessory. Just be sure to check the stamp on the base of the decanter to make sure it’s lead-free crystal – no one likes lead contamination in their cognac.
Decanter Old-Fashioned
(approx. 10 servings)
Ingredients
20 ounces rye, bourbon or other aged spirit of choice
2.5 ounces demerara simple syrup
1 ounce aromatic bitters (Angostura is recommended, but blends and alternatives can be fun)
Method
Combine all the ingredients into a non-reactive container.
Stir to incorporate, then funnel the liquid into a decanter. (It keeps indefinitely.)
To serve, pour roughly 2 ounces over ample ice. Give it a quick stir and add a garnish of your choice – lemon or orange twists, cherries, etc., are all good choices.
Josh Seaburg is a bartender, brand ambassador and educator who has established several award-winning cocktail programs in the Tidewater area and taught seminars at events across the country.
Josh Seaburg is a bartender, brand ambassador and educator who has established several award-winning cocktail programs in the Tidewater area and taught seminars at events across the country.
