Here, we’ve consolidated a list of top cooperages and cask suppliers from across the USA, specialising in everything from traditional oak barrels to more unique offerings and maturation solutions.
For those looking for a global list of cooperages and cask suppliers, see our cask suppliers from around the world article HERE.
Some context that is useful when looking at American cooperages, cask suppliers and American oak.
The demand for new barrels in the Bourbon and spirits industry has surged since 2015. And with over 2.6 million barrels filled in Kentucky alone in 2021, it’s easy to see why there are so many suppliers and mills needed to service it.
While there has been a recalibration between supply and demand – there is still a clear pressure on cooperages and stave mills all over the country. Across the USA – it’s estimated that around 12 and a half million barrels are currently maturing in warehouses.
It’s not just a sustained increased demand causing the issue either – there are other challenges exacerbating the situation. For example, there are labour shortages, a decline in logging industry workers, and rising raw timber costs. Looking ahead, there is also an impending age problem for the raw material, Quercus Alba, with government forestry data all pointing towards a gap in the amount of mature inventory that will be available.
It’s little wonder then, that the price of barrels remain high. So, despite the Bourbon bubble seemingly about to burst from a drinker’s perspective – the price tags for casks do not look set to drastically decrease anytime soon.
Not only does this apply huge pressure on the craft scaled operations all over the USA, the shortage is not just limited to American producers – it also has a ripple effect on the Scotch Whisky industry and New World Whisky producers who rely on a steady stream of ex-bourbon casks for their own ageing programmes.
Suppliers, Cooperages and useful resources.
Adirondack Barrel Cooperage:
Adirondack Barrel Cooperage, owned by Joe and Kelly Blazosky, is based in Glenville, New York, and was founded to address the gap in cooperage availability in the craft beverage industry in New York.
They combine precision European woodworking technology with traditional craftsmanship to produce high-quality American white oak barrels, and now serve over 100 distilleries, wineries, and breweries.
Adirondack Barrel Cooperage uses air-dried export-grade American white oak, precision CNC stave jointing, and advanced toasting techniques to ensure consistency and quality. Their barrels undergo a meticulous process, including sanding for a fine finish, hoop conditioning, and pressure testing for quality control. Barrels are wrapped to stabilise drying, and they offer customisable charring and toasting options, meeting specific client needs for ageing spirits.
The Barrel Mill:
The Barrel Mill has been supplying distilleries, breweries, and wineries for nearly two decades. Their barrels, known for their tightness and durability, range from traditional 53-gallon sizes to smaller barrels for faster ageing.
In 2004, The Barrel Mill introduced the Infusion Spiral®, designed as an efficient barrel alternative to quickly impart oak compounds to wine, beer, spirits and cider. These spirals use a unique combination of cross-grain and parallel grain exposure to accelerate flavour and aroma extraction, achieving interesting results in just weeks.
Creative Oak & Tonnellerie O:
Sister businesses, Creative Oak & Tonnellerie O offer both barrels and alternative solutions. Creative Oak focuses on innovative maturation techniques and specialises in providing a range of oak alternatives, including chips, staves and other options. They also offer complimentary analysis services, including the evaluation of oak aromatics.
Meanwhile Tonnellerie Ô was established over a decade ago as independent barrel makers and cask suppliers using both French and American oak. Located near Napa Valley, Tonnellerie Ô collaborates closely with clients throughout the year on aspects like flavour profiling and barrel branding, ensuring their barrels align perfectly with the intended characteristics.
Devil’s Cask:
Devil’s Cask supplies new and reconditioned American oak barrels, and are known for their quality control and attention to detail.
Their skilled craftsmen create high-quality barrels designed to enhance the flavour of premium whiskies and spirits. The cooperage offers a patented clear coating technique, called Spirit Lock Technology, which they claim significantly improves barrel performance.
They make the case for the coating having the ability to reduces the angel’s share, minimise leaks and extend barrel longevity while allowing proper oxygenation. Additional benefits include improved yield, reduced fungus growth and the conservation of White Oak.
Foeder Crafters:
Foeder Crafters of America was founded in 2013 by Matt Walters, a woodworker and homebrewer who was asked to build a foeder for a new microbrewery. This sparked the creation of innovative modern oak tanks to replace traditional European models, leading to growing demand from breweries, wineries and distilleries.
Now based in Saint Louis, Foeder Crafters produces foeders for over 500 beverage producers worldwide, and are known for their dedication to quality and constant improvement.
Gainesville Cooperage:
Gainesville Cooperage, located in a historic chair factory from the 1920s, blends tradition with modern technology to create barrels designed to last up to 30 years. Using high-quality white oak sourced through trusted relationships with renowned stave mill suppliers, their wood is seasoned outdoors to ensure optimal characteristics.
The cooperage uses advanced machinery to assist with hoop-making, precise joinery, and stave shaping, while still relying on skilled coopers for quality control and air-tight fits.
Independent Stave Company:
Independent Stave Company manufactures spirit barrels with complete vertical integration. From company-owned forested land and log yards to mills and cooperages, they are the major name in this area.
For context – the Independent Stave Company owns and operates nine mills which manufacture high quality staves cut to precise specifications for barrels. They own cooperages in France (E.G. Tonnellerie Tremeaux), Ireland (Kentucky Bourbon Barrel), while they have cooperages in Missouri, two in Kentucky, and following its sale by Brown Forman, Trinity Alabama has joined the ISC group.
As a result, they are one of the largest barrel producers and cask suppliers globally, offering a range of barrel types, including American, French, and Eastern European oak, catering to both large and small distillers.
They also supply alternative solutions, ranging from powders, chips, both tank and infusion staves as well as fans etc. via their subsidiaries Innerstave or Oak Solutions Group who focus on achieving specific flavour profiles through different wood treatments.
Kelvin Cooperage:
Kelvin Cooperage, a family-run business since 1963, was originally based in Glasgow, Scotland, before relocating to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1991 to be closer to Bourbon Country and a high-quality American oak supply.
Today, it is operated by brothers Kevin and Paul McLaughlin, and as cask suppliers they can provide new and used barrels to craft distilleries worldwide. Meanwhile, the cooperage focuses on using the finest oak and modern machinery while maintaining traditional cooperage methods to ensure quality barrels.
Kelvin Cooperage achieved certification to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) in 2022, ensuring sustainable sourcing of American oak.
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel:
As mentioned above – Kentucky Bourbon Barrel is a subsidiary of Independent Stave Company. It offers both new barrels and reconditioned bourbon casks, making it a popular choice for the whisky industry.
Their main product is charred American white oak barrels sourced directly from bourbon and whiskey distilleries, which are shipped to their cooperage immediately after being emptied to preserve freshness. These barrels are then serviced and graded as “Grade A – Select,” making them ready for ageing spirits.
Midwest Barrel Company:
Midwest Barrel Co. offers a wide range of barrels, including ex-whiskey, bourbon, wine, and specialty casks, sourced from top locations like California vineyards and Kentucky distilleries.
Midwest Barrel Co. focuses on providing a simple and efficient purchasing experience, exclusive partnerships for reliability, and personalised educational consulting on barrel selection.
As you would expect from all cask suppliers – they offer the best price per cask through containerised shipping. A 20 ft container holds up to 80 full-size (53 gallon) barrels and a 40 ft container holds up to 210 barrels. Their premium casks are specifically curated from leading U.S. bourbon distilleries, maintaining the standards needed for crafting quality whiskey that matches a brand’s tradition and excellence.
Nadalie USA:
Tonnellerie Francaise, founded in 1980 in Calistoga, CA, recently celebrated 40 years as the first French cooperage in America. Now part of the Nadalié French cooperage firm and also known as Nadalie USA, it provides high-quality French and American oak barrels, adding a unique flair for spirits maturation.
Despite the French link- it is an all American production and Tonnellerie Francaise is committed to supporting local communities by employing American workers at their Pennsylvania mill and their Napa Valley cooperage.
They produce American, Hybrid, and Eastern European oak barrels, along with Oak Add-Ins, emphasising their “Made-In-America” ethos to maintain quality and distinction throughout their production process.
Northeast Barrel Company:
Northeast Barrel Company are well established cask suppliers, known for providing high-quality, used barrels, responsibly sourced from reputable suppliers worldwide.
The company is driven by a strong commitment to quality, with rigorous inspection protocols for every barrel, and they focus on customer care with a quick response time for inquiries. They also provide expertise in the art of barrel ageing, helping customers achieve mastery over their ageing processes with personalised support and knowledge sharing.
West Virginia Great Barrel Company:
West Virginia Great Barrel Co uses tight-grained Appalachian white oak, which promotes slow growth and a dense grain, leading to what they say will result in better flavour extraction and development in the barrels. The oak staves are naturally air-dried for 3 to 6 months in an environment that benefits from natural airflow. The staves are CNC-jointed for maximum contact, ensuring barrel quality and consistency.
Their production process includes infrared toasting at light, medium and high levels, along with controlled char from levels 1 to 4+. The barrels are equipped with tongue-and-groove jointed heads, carbon steel hoops, and are pressure tested with reverse-osmosis treated water. Advanced automation, including a fully automated Windlass and Truss Hoop Puller, ensures a high standard of quality, repeatability and safety.
ZAK Cooperage:
ZAK Cooperage is located just off the banks of Knob Creek. It is a third-generation family-owned business that has become one of the larger global manufacturers of new whiskey barrels.
Since acquiring the former Athertonville site in 1990, ZAK Cooperage invested in equipment to run their stave mill and cooperage, strategically located in Athertonville, Kentucky. The results of which are now clear to see in their capability.
This prime location allows them to source high-quality white oak logs within a 100-mile radius, supporting the consistent production of superior staves for their barrels. ZAK Cooperage’s expertise extends to transforming the oak through in-house designed equipment, offering a range of custom toasting, charring, and air seasoning options. This tailored approach ensures each barrel exceeds industry standards, enhancing the quality of the spirits they hold while preserving the integrity and tradition of the cooperage craft.
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