Arrays of closely-spaced holes or cross-grain grooves are formed on the inside surfaces of the staves of a barrel, and/or on an elongated wooden member to greatly increase the amount of end grain wood exposed to the liquid and thereby increase the rate of aging the liquid. The holes and grooves in the staves extend only part-way through the wood in order to maintain the structural integrity of the staves.

An alcoholic beverage is aged in a wooden barrel after the barrel is covered by a film having an oxygen transmission rate of at least 50 cc/m.sup.2/day and an ethanol transmission rate of less than 30 g/m.sup.2/day. The beverage acquires one or more specific flavor components in an amount of 50%, 75%, or 100% relative to amounts of one or more of the same flavor components in a control alcoholic beverage aged in a wooden barrel without the film thereon. Covering the barrel with the film reduces the angels' share evaporative loss, while allowing the beverage to develop desirable flavor components during aging. In another embodiment, the process reduces angels' share evaporative loss while achieving organoleptics indistinguishable from a control.

An alcoholic beverage is aged in a wooden barrel after the barrel is covered by a film having an oxygen transmission rate of at least 50 cc/m.sup.2/day and an ethanol transmission rate of less than 30 g/m.sup.2/day. The beverage acquires one or more specific flavor components in an amount of 50%, 75%, or 100% relative to amounts of one or more of the same flavor components in a control alcoholic beverage aged in a wooden barrel without the film thereon. Covering the barrel with the film reduces the angels' share evaporative loss, while allowing the beverage to develop desirable flavor components during aging. In another embodiment, the process reduces angels' share evaporative loss while achieving organoleptics indistinguishable from a control.

An alcoholic beverage is aged in at least one wooden barrel after the barrel is covered by a film having an oxygen transmission rate of at least 0.5 cc/m.sup.2/day and an ethanol transmission rate of less than 30 g/m.sup.2/day. The beverage acquires one or more specific flavor components in an amount of 50%, 75%, 90%, or 100% relative to amounts of one or more of the same flavor components in a control alcoholic beverage aged in at least one wooden barrel without the film thereon. Covering the barrel with the film reduces the angels' share evaporative loss, while allowing the beverage to develop desirable flavor components during aging. In another embodiment, the process reduces angels' share evaporative loss while achieving organoleptics indistinguishable from a control.

An alcoholic beverage is aged in at least one wooden barrel after the barrel is covered by a film having an oxygen transmission rate of at least 0.5 cc/m.sup.2/day and an ethanol transmission rate of less than 30 g/m.sup.2/day. The beverage acquires one or more specific flavor components in an amount of 50%, 75%, 90%, or 100% relative to amounts of one or more of the same flavor components in a control alcoholic beverage aged in at least one wooden barrel without the film thereon. Covering the barrel with the film reduces the angels' share evaporative loss, while allowing the beverage to develop desirable flavor components during aging. In another embodiment, the process reduces angels' share evaporative loss while achieving organoleptics indistinguishable from a control.

A system for conserving oxygen and other gasses supplied to a recipient. A supply conduit supplies gas from a source to a reservoir, which retains a volume of gas at ambient pressure. A conduit supplies gas from the reservoir to the recipient, and an inflation detection system detects when the reservoir is below a state of inflation and when the reservoir is inflated to the state of inflation. A valve system prevents gas from flowing from the source and into the reservoir when the reservoir is at the predetermined state of inflation, and the valve system permits gas to flow from the source and into the reservoir when the reservoir is below the predetermined state of inflation whereby gas within the reservoir can be continually replenished without pressurization above ambient pressure. The inflation detection system can be an electro-mechanical system. Alternatively, the inflation detection system can be a contactless system.

An improved method of maturation of an unaged or partially aged distilled spirit, the method comprising: exposing the spirit to at least one catalytic material consisting of a group selected from: iron oxide nanoparticles, alumina-supported Fe(II) complexes, Pd/C, multiwalled carbon nanotubes, carbon xerogels, carbon based solid acid catalysts, SO.sub.4.sup.2-/TiO.sub.2/-Al.sub.2O.sub.3, an element selected from the group consisting of: columns 4-12 transition metals except for Fe, column 13 boron group, Si, and mixtures thereof; wherein throughout the exposing, the spirit is not being distilled, and the exposing is allowed until level of at least one maturation congener in the spirit attains predetermined desired congener level/s in the spirit.