Spirits Saturday: Waterloo Barrel-Aged Gin Is a Whiskey Drinker’s Detour

By now, y’all know that I enjoy bourbon and love to explore new whiskeys and spirits. My Whiskey Wednesday columns have blessed me with offers for things to try, and this week I received a bottle of something entirely fresh and different: Waterloo Barrel-Aged Gin.

I’ve never been a gin drinker. So many brands taste like pinecone water. I’ll have to admit that Moonrise Distillery’s gin had a lovely botanical flavor when I tasted it on my distillery tour there. The 250 Years of Freedom vodka leaned botanical, almost like a gin but in an appealing way.

For Our VIPs: Whiskey Wednesday: Moonrise Distillery Poured on the Charm

But a gin aged in charred-oak barrels? I’m definitely intrigued. Here’s what the press release had to say about Waterloo Barrel-Aged Gin:

Rated 92 points by Wine Enthusiast in 2026, Waterloo Gin’s Barrel Aged Gin is built on the brand’s No. 9 flagship gin and aged a minimum of two years in charred American oak barrels, the same way bourbon is made. This American-style gin, which is more approachable and less juniper forward than a traditional London Dry gin, features nine native Texas botanicals, including lavender, juniper, grapefruit, pecan, orris root, coriander, anise, ginger, and licorice root. Bottled at 94 Proof (47% ABV), it opens with a floral-vanilla nose, followed by notes of nutmeg and leather, and finishes with a touch of cinnamon spice. The perfect gift for the father who enjoys discovering something unique, Waterloo Barrel Aged Gin is available for purchase at select retailers nationwide (use the store finder on the Waterloo Gin website to find the nearest retailer) and online at: www.WaterlooGin.com. SRP: $44.99

On Friday night, I tasted it neat, with drops of water, and on the rocks. It had a nose of mild vanilla and florals, although neither note was terribly strong or prominent. Drinking it neat gave me tasting notes of a lighter bourbon with a woodsy bent — caramel and oak with a sense of evergreen that wasn’t like a piney gin.

When I added a few drops of water, it felt more gin-heavy. It was a bit more piney, but I still felt like it could easily appeal to whiskey drinkers. On the rocks, however, is where it really felt like a good gin and a good bourbon met halfway. I had that weird sensation of feeling like I was tasting two different beverages at the same time, but it was a pleasant experience.

I knew that I had to try a cocktail or two. The press release gave a recipe for a Blackberry Bramble, and while I didn’t have everything I needed for the garnishes (and I didn’t have any blackberries to muddle), I tried it first:

Waterloo Blackberry Bramble

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Waterloo Barrel Aged Gin
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz simple syrup
• ½ oz blackberry liqueur
• Fresh blackberries (garnish)
• Fresh sage (garnish)

Method: In a cocktail glass, muddle 2–3 blackberries with simple syrup. Fill the glass with crushed ice, then add Waterloo Gin and lemon juice. Gently stir to combine. Float the blackberry liqueur over the top using the back of a spoon. Garnish with fresh blackberries and a sprig of sage. Enjoy!

This is how to do a Blackberry Bramble. I sat outside as I sipped it with the cicadas as my soundtrack. It’s bright, vibrant, and refreshing. This is a summertime cocktail for sure with a convergence of tartness, fruitiness, and woodsiness.

We all know that a lot of people use gin for a gin and tonic. I don’t have tonic water — why would I? — so ChatGPT helped me come up with a recipe using the closest thing I had to tonic water: grapefruit Bubly.

Waterloo Grapefruit Highball

• 2 oz Waterloo Barrel-Aged Gin 
• ½ oz fresh lemon juice, if you have it 
• ¼ oz simple syrup or honey syrup, optional 
• Grapefruit Bubly to top 
• Big ice 
• Grapefruit peel or lemon peel if available

Let’s go ahead and admit that flavored sparkling waters like grapefruit Bubly are kinda bland. If I’d had my druthers, I would have used Grapefruit Citrus Zevia, but I haven’t seen it on the market in ages.

But the Bubly made this Highball stand out. The refreshing grapefruit flavor became less faint when it collided with the sweet earthiness of Waterloo and the tartness of the lemon juice. Here’s another way to enjoy spirits while keeping the calories lower.

My cocktail of choice is an Old Fashioned, so naturally I couldn’t resist trying a Waterloo variation. So Chat and I collaborated to come up with a twist on the Old Fashioned.

Waterloo Old Fashioned

• 2 oz Waterloo Barrel-Aged Gin 
• 1 barspoon demerara syrup, or ¼ oz at most 
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters 
• Optional: 1 dash orange bitters 
• Big rock

Express an orange peel over it and drop it in.

All I had were orange bitters (I need to stock up), and I used dried orange slices from Trader Joe’s. So there’s a little bit of freelancing going on here.

This took Old Fashioned in a new direction for me. The gin-whiskey balance really shone in this setting. This was a treat, even if it won’t replace a traditional Old Fashioned for me.

I’ve never been a gin guy, but Waterloo sold me on its unique lane. Bridging the gap between bourbon and gin is a brilliant move, and I’ll admit that I’m sold.

Whiskey Wednesday (and variations like Spirits Saturday) is usually reserved for our VIP members, but this week’s column is a free preview — think of it as a neat pour before you buy the bottle. If you enjoyed it, there’s plenty more where that came from.

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