To those unfamiliar with the term, coopering sounds like a made-up word or something only chicken owners understand (coopering the coop, perhaps?) Both are wildly inaccurate. The term coopering and, in turn, coopers, refers to the centuries-old craft of making wooden barrels and the artisans skilled in doing so. Coopers played a pivotal role in history. The transportation of cargo in barrels aboard ships during the Middle Ages was an early glimpse of the container-based shipping we rely on today.
Step inside Bratcher Cooperage & Gifts in Liberty, and you’ll find a cooper still very much engaged in a classic artform that stands tall throughout the test of time.
Doug Bratcher has made oak barrels for over fifty years, considering his path a natural result of growing up in Kentucky. Acknowledging that he is one of the few coopers who still makes barrels by hand, he takes great pride in the process, as well as the quality of the finished product. As he should. The process – which can take up to seven years to learn – requires specialized tools and expertise. Back in the day, cooper apprentices began around twelve years old and spent the rest of their teenage years honing the skill.
How barrels are made directly relates to their purpose. Dry coopering refers to barrels that store flour, food or other non-liquid items. White coopering involves the making of buckets, pails and other items for household use. Wet coopering involves making watertight wooden containers for the transportation of liquids – most notably the spirits that absorb the flavor of the wooden barrel as they age. The art of coopering, especially the building of barrels by hand, is a craft largely lost to time and technology that allows for mass production on a large scale. That’s what makes the Bratcher Cooperage so special. It hasn’t swayed with time, standing as strong and steady as the barrels lining its walls.
The area outside the Bratcher Cooperage is as interesting as what lies within. Aged barrels waiting for restoration stand next to a wagonful of new white oak boards waiting to be put to work. The smell of white oak surrounds you, its use in barrel-making crucial given its closed pore structure that prevents leakage. Metal barrel rings are stacked in piles alongside a giant saw blade that leans against the building and a machine of some sort from another time. A sign in the gift shop window reads “Don’t worry, just pray” and a sign on the door cautions visitors not to let the three cats who call the cooperage home escape. Two sweet cats sun themselves obliviously in the window, the thought of going anywhere far from their mind.
Bratcher’s products are primarily used in historic sites these days but were also a part of the big screen in movies like “Far and Away,” an opportunity that arose when a filmmaker shooting locally stumbled upon the cooperage and told his friend, Ron Howard, about the resource. Although many, if not most, would be beyond excited to see their work displayed in such a way, Bratcher exudes a quiet pride reflective of the genuineness with which he approaches his work.
“I guess you get a sense of accomplishment when you make something and somebody likes it,” he explains.
Come fall, you’ll find Bratcher at Silver Dollar City sharing the artistry of his craft with visitors from all over. In September and October, he will be part of the National Harvest Festival at Branson’s amusement park, offering an opportunity to see the coopering process in action. A signed photograph of Loretta Lynn hands on the cooperage’s wall, a sweet memory of a commercial that he shot with her years ago to highlight the festival; Dolly Parton and Pat Boone are also among the beloved celebrities who Bratcher has met during his years at Silver Dollar City’s celebration.
Asked if he has help in the cooperage, he jokingly responds, “Anyone who hangs around too long has to help.” Although it’s clear that Bratcher likes to work alone, he speaks lovingly of his wife, Jan, who runs the gift shop, and mentions that two grandsons carry names that honor their grandfather’s work – Cooper and Keifer (the German name for a cooper).
Although Bratcher Cooperage & Gifts is a popular spot with tourists and those looking to shop for something a bit more unique, it’s worth a stop simply to learn about a beautiful craft that is becoming obsolete and a craftsman who proudly carries the cooper name. Run your hand along the smooth wood of an aged oak barrel and you’ll see that history really is quite beautiful.
Stop by Doug's shop and see (and smell!) the barrels for yourself:
Bratcher Cooperage and Gifts
109 South Water Street, Liberty
(816) 781-3988
bratchercooperage.com
“You get a sense of accomplishment when you make something and somebody likes it."