Il Palio and TOPO Distillery Join Forces to Create Barrel-Aged Whiskey
Two local establishments, Il Palio and TOPO Distillery, have joined forces to create an exclusive, barrel-aged whiskey in Chapel Hill, NC. TOPO Distillery gifted Il Palio an oak barrel, which inspired this Italian restaurant located inside of the Siena Hotel to add a barrel-aged TOPO whiskey to their bar menu, while supplies last.
In October 2021, Il Palio filled their new barrel with seven bottles of unaged TOPO Carolina Moonshine Whiskey, a gold medal winning spirit from the International Craft Spirits Competition and Cigar & Spirits Magazine Competition. To reassure that the barrel wouldn’t lose any whiskey over the course of six months, Il Palio sealed the barrel three times by filling it with cold water to expand and close any fine cracks. After taste testing in February, they made the decision to add charcoal to the whiskey, provided by TOPO. This addition absorbed extra alcohol giving the whiskey a more in-depth taste and stripped away any harsh flavorings.
“My experience with assisting in this collaboration has been awesome,” said Katie O’Brien, Il Palio’s Beverage Director. “Having never personally barrel-aged anything, I am happy we were able to offer our guests the experience of having a house barrel-aged whiskey! TOPO Distillery is a fixture here on Franklin Street, and it’s been especially fun joining together with members of the TOPO Distillery team to taste the product throughout all of its stages. The wait for the aging process was 100% worth it and guests love the end product, which makes us happy.”
Patrons of Il Palio are able to view the barrel, which is approximately a foot long, can hold 5,250 milliliters of liquid, and sits on top of the bar for easy dispensing. Il Palios’s barrel-aged TOPO Carolina Moonshine Whiskey offers a unique taste of warm and sweet flavors with caramel, vanilla, and oak wood notes. Il Palio suggests trying the barrel-aged whiskey served in a 2 ounce pour over ice. If you're more of a gin drinker, Il Palio has additionally experimented with a separate barrel-aged Negroni (pictured on the right in the photo below) utilizing the same oak barrel!
About Il Palio
Consistently awarded Four Diamonds by AAA, Il Palio marries the traditional flavors of Italy with a casual elegance that showcases the culinary roots of rustic Italian cooking. At Il Palio you will find regional classics paired with Chef Adam Rose’s vision of Italian cooking. Il Palio serves deliciously simple food that, hopefully, tastes as good as you remember from your last visit to Italy. As a winner of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence, Il Palio features wine from Italy’s 20 regions and vintifications produced in every corner of the Italian Peninsula. Celebrate every moment at Il Palio, from afternoon cocktails on the patio to an evening of rustic flavors and regional cooking with the staff.
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