The recent popularity boom of brown spirits has inspired other categories, such as tequila, rum, gin and beer to include and play up the use of barrel aging. Unfortunately for the alcohol beverage industry, we are experiencing a shortage of the most commonly used type of barrel: American white oak. Combining our own research and a presentation at the recent ADI conference from Wayne Curtis, a freelance journalist who has spent much time learning about the status of barrels, WSD has put together the most up to date picture of the barrel shortage issue: