Book excerpt: The story of the unsung hero of the world of spirits, wine, and beer and an invention as ancient and important as the wheel—the humble barrel. Without the barrel, we would have no bourbon, no oak-aged chardonnay, no barrel-aged stouts . . . and no tabasco sauce, either. From its first use by the Ancient Egyptians, the barrel has left an unmistakable imprint on human history. The Romans used it in all corners of their vast empire, and explorers could not have charted the globe or opened up trade routes without them to store their food and water. And in all its thousands of years of use, the barrel’s basic design has barely changed at all—a testament to its sheer and simple perfection. Cask Strength is more than a history book. In it, Mike Gerrard, an award-winning travel and drinks writer, investigates the making, buying, and selling of barrels and details how drinks like wine, tequila, rum, cognac, and others are enhanced by specific kinds of barrel production. Modern distillers, brewers, and wine-makers continue to use them in new, creative ways—with the barrel providing up to 60-70% of their flavors. Gerrard’s expertise and palpable passion for beverages will ignite the curiosities of booze fans and history buffs alike as Cask Strength traces the simple splendor of the barrel.