Making a barrel is not a time-consuming process, but it is an ancient art form. A good cooper can make one or two barrels a day. It is an old profession because technologies and manufacturing processes have not changed much in the last 1000 years.

The first step in the production of a barrel is to choose the tree. He These are generally American oak, French oak or sometimes Hungarian oak. If we are talking about American oak, it has probably been grown somewhere in Iowa, Missouri, Ohio or Kentucky (United States). French oak grows in the forests of the Alliers, Limousin, Nevers, Vosgues and Troncais (France). Once the cooper cuts the trees, they are put outside for two or three years to be well dried by the seasons. It is necessary to let the work of time produce the desired aromas, such as vanilla. It will also help winegrowers to achieve the much sought-after woody taste.

You wonder where the cooper comes from. It comes from an old Latin word (cupa) or German (kupe), which means barrel in both languages. Over the years, the word transformed into a cooper has been used to describe a person who makes barrels. 

Once the wood has been treated, a master cooper assembles about thirty different sized spans (usually a combination of thick, thin and medium walls) under the metal hoop and tries to shape the opposite end of the spans symmetrically, putting more and more hoops on the spans. 

Thereafter, the barrel must be "toasted", which means that a flame slowly burns the inside of the barrel. Lcoopers choose the average level of roasting, but for white wine, for example, a light level of roasting is sufficient. The cooper knows that the high level of grilling will usually be used for bourbon. Once the diameter has been measured, the cooper cuts two circles from the flat wood and places them on the rings: the barrel is finished!

The liquid ages in the barrel for a year before being removed. After the first filling, the liquid has the most woody taste; after the second filling it tastes mainly vanilla; the third filling is considered neutral; it is therefore the last filling. After that, large companies sell the barrel either to the smallest wineries or to people who like to age their own creations or spirits at home.

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