May 7th, New Orleans — Atelier Vie introduces today the third edition of a spirit distilled from beer. This third edition of Barleycorn Magic was distilled from several variants of a super hoppy IPA and then aged in a 25 gallon barrel for well over five years.
What is Barleycorn Magic?
The government says that whiskey is a spirit distilled from grain. Barleycorn Magic is distilled from beer, which is of course made from grain, namely, malted barley. However, since beer is brewed with hops, and hops are not grain, the resulting spirit cannot be called “whiskey.” So sayeth the Alcohol Labeling and Formulation Division of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). So please don’t call this spirit “whiskey.” Absolutely not.
Instead, for this release, you must refer to it as spirits distilled from grain with hops. This statement of composition appears on the bottle. On the nose are hops, a pungent flavor with resinous whiskey notes.
The beer used for this spirit was a variety of “fluffy” (aka Juicy) IPA in cans. We opened over two thousand cans of beer and double pot distilled it to “new make” spirit. First came the “stripping runs,” which concentrated the beer into “low wines” at an intermediate proof. After the stripping runs, the still was covered in green crystals from the heavy hop content in the beer.
The low wines from the stripping runs were distilled in a second run, the “spirit run,” which comes off the still at around 150 proof. The spirit is then diluted to a lower strength for barreling. This “entry proof” is typically in the range of 100-125 proof. Sometimes the entry proof is dictated by the amount of distillate on hand and available barrel sizes. In this case, the math worked out to a single twenty five gallon former wheat whiskey barrel, with the barrel entry proof at 124.73.
The distillate was entered into the barrel on September 19, 2020. The distillate was removed from the barrel on April 17, 2026; a period of over five years. After removing the spirit, we proofed to the bottling strength and filled 114 bottles.
This third edition of Barleycorn Magic is bottled in 750ml at 42% ABV, (84 proof) and is available in our tasting room and online store for $90, which includes all sales tax.
Atelier Vie’s Spirits
In addition to this third release of Barleycorn Magic, Atelier Vie’s lineup includes a variety of other spirits.
Among our most well-known spirits are Toulouse Red, Absinthe Rouge; Toulouse Green, Absinthe Verte; and Toulouse Blue, Absinthe Blau. Both Verte and Blau include our distillery-grown wormwood.
Our gin lineup includes Euphrosine Gin #9, Euphrosine Gin #9 Barrel-Finished Reserve, and Euphrosine Gin #9 Bottled in Bond, one of the first bonded gins ever.
Rum releases include Calio Rum, Barrel Aged Calio Rum, Calio Rum Bottled in Bond Gin Barrel Edition, and Calio Rum Single Barrel Cask Strength.
Our whiskeys include Riz, the original Louisiana Rice Whiskey, Riz Bottled in Bond, and Riz Distiller’s Reserve, made from brown rice, aged over five years, and cask strength.
Louisiana Single Malt, the first single malt whiskey made in Louisiana, comes in a standard expression bottled at 94 proof, and a single barrel cask strength edition.
Our brandy, Orphan Street Brandy, “El Jefe” Edition, is reserved for “those who have paid the cost to be the boss.”
Our cocktail modifier “ingredients” group includes Chalana, a chocolate spirit; Gumbo Noir, a coffee spirit with other flavors; and Myrtle Pepper, an allspice spirit.
We also bottle the first ingredient, Buck 25 Vodka, which is 125 proof cane vodka to create flavors with rapid infusion.
The Company
Inspired by our renowned culinary culture, Atelier Vie creates flavorful new spirits in one of the greatest drinking cities of the world. Our motto: “Liquor is art you can drink.” Atelier Vie was founded in 2011 by Jedd Haas.
Visiting Hours at the Distillery
The distillery is open for tastings and discussion of the distillation process by appointment only, with appointments generally being available at 10am, noon, and 2pm on weekends; and with limited availability during the week, depending on the distillery’s production schedule. Due to insurance company requirements, there is a fee of $30 per person. Our full line of spirits and “tasting room only” editions are available for purchase during these visits.
Spirits can also be purchased from the Atelier Vie online store for pickup at the distillery. Visitors should see the company web site for directions, store link, and additional details; https://ateliervie.com/visit.
Contact:
Jedd Haas
504-534-8590 (distillery line, leave message or text)
