The Do Not Resuscitate—or DNR—is a strong, aromatic barrel-aged cocktail built around gin, spice-infused triple sec and absinthe. The key is to age only the shelf-stable DNR base, then add Lillet Blanc and fresh lemon when each drink is made.

What Goes in the Barrel

The original DNR barrel base uses this ratio:

• 45 parts Bulldog Gin
• 45 parts spice-infused triple sec
• 12 parts absinthe

The original large batch was 45 oz gin, 45 oz spice-infused triple sec and 12 oz absinthe. For a different barrel size, preserve the same 45:45:12 ratio and scale the quantities until the barrel is completely full.

Do not add fresh lemon juice to the barrel.

Prepare the Barrel

Rinse and cure a new barrel with warm water before the first fill. Most fresh barrels seal within 24–48 hours, although some can require up to 2–3 days. Once sealed, empty the curing water and fill the barrel completely with the DNR base.

For full preparation instructions, use the Urban Barrel Aging Guide.

How Long to Age the DNR Base

Taste according to the barrel size rather than following one fixed aging time. A fresh 1L barrel should generally be tasted beginning around week 3, with many first batches reaching their preferred oak balance around 3–5 weeks. Larger barrels develop more gradually.

Once the base has the oak, spice and integration you want, remove it from the barrel and bottle it. Do not leave a finished batch in oak simply to extend the calendar.

Build One DNR Cocktail

• 2 oz bottled barrel-aged DNR base
• 1 oz Lillet Blanc
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• Orange peel for garnish

1. Add the barrel-aged DNR base, Lillet Blanc and fresh lemon juice to a shaker with ice.
2. Shake hard until properly chilled and diluted.
3. Fine-strain into a chilled coupe.
4. Express an orange peel over the drink and garnish.

Why the Lemon Is Added After Aging

Fresh citrus belongs at service, not in the aging barrel. Keeping the lemon outside the barrel preserves its brightness and follows the advanced barrel-cocktail method: age the shelf-stable base, bottle it when ready, then finish each serving with fresh ingredients.

For more on this technique, read How to Barrel-Age Cocktails: The Advanced Method and browse the Urban Barrel recipe library.