L2M NSERC - Accelerated Maturation of Spirits

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Aged spirits, such as Canadian whisky, are produced by allowing freshly distilled liquor (new-make) to mature inside of oak barrels. The maturation process is comprised of a series of chemical events, including microextraction and microfiltration with/by the wooden barrel, oxidation, and chemical reactions between the various molecular components of the solution. The aging process - as suggested by the name - takes time: Canadian whisky, for example, must be held in a barrel for at least three years. This, however, is a long time to wait for a drink. At its core, this is a complex kinetics problem, with many processes happening simultaneously at different rates and some crucial ones happening at very slow rates. We are developing a fast maturation method (called "inverse barreling") rooted in chemical fundamentals and informed by careful scientific experimentation. This proposal seeks to fund the forwarding of this technology and business.