Whiskey barrel chairs, built from oak that already had a job
A barrel stave comes out of the cooperage already curved, because it spent years being a barrel. Cut that stave into an Adirondack chair and the back fits yours without a single cushion. That is the entire idea here, and it is why people who came to us for ski furniture keep leaving with these instead.
This is the one category on the site with nothing to do with skis. Reclaimed oak whiskey and wine barrels, taken apart stave by stave and rebuilt into chairs, rocking chairs, ottomans, bar stools, side tables and pub tables. Handmade in Manitou Springs, Colorado, same shop, completely different material.
The color is not stain. It is char from the inside of the barrel and years of whiskey or wine working on the oak, which is why no two chairs in a set of four come out the same shade. Order eight and you get eight variations of amber and brown. Nobody can reproduce that with a can of finish, including us.

Sets around a fire pit
Three, four, six or eight chairs. Order the eight and nobody drags a folding chair out of the shed.

Bar stools and pub tables
The curved stave seat works even better on a stool. Pairs with the barrel dining table for a full home bar.

Matching side tables
18 by 19 by 18 inches, and still shaped like the barrel it came from. Most sets include one.
Whiskey barrel or wine barrel
Whiskey barrels
American oak, charred on the inside before the whiskey ever went in, then left to age for years. The char and the darker stain are still in the wood when we get it, so whiskey barrel chairs read warmer and deeper, with a smoky brown running through the grain. This is the version most people picture when they search for whiskey barrel chairs, and it is the one we sell the most of.
Wine barrels
Oak once used by actual vintners, and the color comes from the wine rather than the char. Wine barrel staves lean toward red and purple tones in the grain, sometimes faintly, sometimes obviously, depending on the barrel. Side by side with whiskey they are noticeably lighter. Neither one is better. It depends on your deck and honestly on what you drink.
How they are built
Each barrel gets taken apart and sorted before anything is cut, because the stave that makes a good seat slat is not the one that makes a good arm. The curve is kept, not planed out. Then every edge gets rounded to a 3/8 inch radius before assembly. Shins everywhere say thank you.
The finish is oil first, then four coats of durable marine varnish, which is the same approach you would use on a boat and for the same reason. Oak plus weather plus years is a fight, and marine varnish wins it. These live outside on decks, patios and fire pit rings year round.
- Chairs run roughly 40 inches tall, 34 inches deep and 28 inches wide.
- Wine stem glass holder built right into the armrest. Not a ski binding on these, a stem holder.
- Oiled and sealed with four coats of marine varnish for years of outdoor life.
- Every edge rounded to a 3/8 inch radius before assembly.
- Side tables measure about 18 by 19 by 18 inches.
- Rocker conversion is 75 dollars more, done on repurposed oak wine barrel slats.
- Some simple assembly required. About two to four weeks for delivery.
Sets, and why people buy them that way
Most of what sells in this category is a set, and there is a reason. Sets of three and five pair two chairs with a side table, and sometimes with two matching ottomans, which is the configuration people order when the chairs are going on a porch and are meant to be sat in for an entire evening. Sets of four and six cover a normal fire pit ring. Sets of eight go to families with big back yards, to rental cabins that host groups, and to wineries and distilleries that want the furniture to say what they do without a sign.
There is also a bar side to this category. Four whiskey barrel bar stools, or the pub table with four stools together, which turns a corner of a basement into the room everybody ends up in. If you want the rocking version, we build those as a set of four as well.
Custom names, logos and picking your own staves
We can hand paint a name, a date or a phrase across the back or the arms for an artwork fee, which is what makes these work as a wedding gift, a retirement gift or a cabin housewarming. Tell us what you want on it when you call.
Business orders work differently. A logo is never painted freehand. It goes on as a logo decal floated onto a painted background so the mark holds its exact shape and color, and aluminum or plastic appliques are the alternatives, each priced differently. The logo can sit on the front or the back. Branded pricing gets quoted on a call, not listed, because it depends on the mark and the quantity.
If you are close enough to visit, come to the shop in Manitou Springs and hand pick the staves for your own chairs. People do it more often than you would think, and they always leave with the darkest ones.
Frequently asked questions
What is the actual difference between whiskey barrel and wine barrel chairs?
Material history, mostly. Whiskey barrels are charred inside before filling, so those staves come out darker with a smoky brown tone. Wine barrels are not charred the same way and the oak picks up red and purple tones from the wine. Construction, dimensions and finish are identical. Whiskey looks better on a rustic deck, wine looks better next to lighter stone or a lot of green.
Do they smell like whiskey?
Faintly, for a while, on a warm day, and then less over time. Sanding and four coats of varnish take most of it. If you were hoping for a strong bourbon aroma on your patio for the next decade, we would rather tell you now than have you disappointed in August.
Do I need cushions?
No, and that is the point of the curve. The staves were bent into a barrel shape by the cooperage, so the seat and back already follow a body. People add cushions for looks or because they sit outside for hours with a book, but nobody adds them out of necessity.
Can I get these as rockers?
Yes. The rocker conversion is 75 dollars more per chair and the rockers themselves are cut from repurposed oak wine barrel slats, so they match the rest of the chair. We list a set of four wine barrel rocking chairs, and we can put rockers on any of the barrel chairs if you ask before we build.
Will all the chairs in my set match?
They will match in shape and finish, and they will not match in color, because the color came from the barrel rather than from us. Expect a range of ambers and browns across a set. Customers consistently say that variation is their favorite thing about the chairs. If you truly want them uniform, call and we will pull staves as close to each other as the stock allows.
How much assembly is there, and how do they ship?
Some simple assembly, the kind that takes a screwdriver and about twenty minutes per chair. Build time is roughly two to four weeks. We ship nationwide to the lower 48 and deliver locally across Colorado including Colorado Springs, Denver, Breckenridge, Vail and Aspen. Call for a freight quote on the larger sets.