How to Fill, Store and Taste Your DIY Spirit Like a Legend
Step One: The Pour That Starts It All
You’ve got the bottle. You’ve picked your base. Now it’s time to begin. Open your Deer Jimmy’s® bottle and pour in your chosen spirit — whether it’s vodka, young jenever, white rum or even tequila. Go slow. Let the spirit hit the chips with purpose. You’re not just filling a bottle — you’re setting something in motion. Once filled, seal it tightly. No shaking. No stirring. Just trust the wood to do the work.
Step Two: Store It Like You Mean It
Now comes the hardest part: waiting. But before that, make sure your bottle is stored right. Find a cool, dark place — away from sunlight, radiators or the top of the fridge. A kitchen cabinet works. A basement is even better. What matters most is consistency. The barrel chips inside are doing their job quietly, day by day. Your role now is to give them space, not speed. This is aging, not infusing.
Step Three: Know When to Check In
After the first week, give the bottle a glance. You’ll see the color begin to shift — pale gold, then deeper amber. Open the cap and take a careful sniff. The aroma will evolve. Vanilla, toast, fruit, smoke — depending on your wood and base, something new is always unfolding. Taste it every one to two weeks. Just a small sip. Don’t rush the verdict. Let your palate learn the difference between young and becoming.
Step Four: Taste With Purpose
When you do taste, make it count. Pour a small glass, neat and unhurried. Smell first. Let the spirit breathe. Then take a slow sip, let it roll across your tongue. What’s sharper than before? What’s softer? What lingers? You’re not looking for perfection. You’re looking for progress — and a moment that says, “Yes. Now it’s ready.”
From First Drop to First Toast
The act of filling the bottle is simple. What happens after is what makes it legendary. With every day that passes, the spirit inside becomes more yours. By the time you take that first full pour, you’re not just drinking something aged. You’re drinking something you aged. And that makes all the difference.
