Developing a whiskey palette can be pretty expensive. Well, it can be if you don’t want to drown yourself in the cheapest whiskey in town. It may seem like you have to choose between keeping your bank account full and enjoying the whiskey drinking experience.
Here’s a secret: you can improve cheap whiskey. Yeah, you heard that right. Not only can you make this swill better, the process to improve cheap whiskey is actually very simple. Let’s check it out!
Add…Wood?
Yeah, yeah, it sounds weird, but it works! There’s a product out there called a Whiskey Element that improves the taste of cheap whiskey in about 24 hours.
All you have to do (after purchasing the suckers online and having them shipped to your house) is drop them in your whiskey and wait.
Made from high-quality wood, they suck out impurities in the liquor, leaving behind an extra wood barrel-y taste.
Infuse Your Whiskey
Infusing basically just means you’re tossing some random great-tasting things into your whiskey and waiting until the flavors have melded with your chosen liquor.
Put as much or as little flavor in your whiskey and seal in an airtight container. Plan ahead, because infusing takes about 2 weeks.
You can do it with a variety of items, including vanilla, cinnamon, cherries, and even bacon. Yeah, you read that right. Mmmmmm.
Age It Up, No Waiting Required
According to Food 52, you can “age” whiskey in a matter of seconds. All you’re really doing is changing the flavor, but it greatly improves the flavor of cheap-o brands.
The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of dry sherry, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke, and 750 milliliters of budget bourbon. All you need to do is mix it all together and enjoy.