Barrel vs. Drum — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 18, 2024
A barrel is cylindrical container traditionally made of wooden staves bound by metal hoops, often used for aging wine or spirits, while drum is more industrial, cylindrical container, typically made of metal or plastic, used for storing and transporting.
Difference Between Barrel and Drum
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Barrels, with their historical roots, are primarily associated with the storage and aging of alcoholic beverages like wine and whiskey. The wooden construction of barrels allows for the exchange of air and imparts distinct flavors to their contents. Drums, on the other hand, are utilitarian containers designed for the industrial storage and transport of liquids, solids, and hazardous materials, often constructed from steel, plastic, or fiber.
While barrels are traditionally made by coopers and have a bulging shape known as a bilge, contributing to their aesthetic and functional design in aging processes, drums are manufactured through a more standardized industrial process, resulting in straight-sided cylindrical shapes that are uniform and stackable for efficiency in shipping and storage.
Barrels have been used for centuries, not just for storage but also for the maturation of beverages, where the type of wood, the barrel's history, and its treatment (such as charring) play critical roles in flavor development. Drums, however, are valued for their durability, resistance to corrosion, and ability to safely contain a wide range of substances, including chemicals, oils, and hazardous wastes, with specific designs such as tight-head or open-head to suit different contents.
The use of barrels in settings like wineries and distilleries often emphasizes tradition and craft, with each barrel potentially producing a unique effect on its contents. In contrast, drums are a symbol of industrial efficiency, designed for practicality and standardization, which is essential for the modern transport and storage infrastructure.
In terms of capacity, barrels can vary significantly in size but are often smaller than drums; the standard size for a wine barrel is 225 liters, while a typical drum holds about 200 liters (55 gallons). This difference reflects their respective uses: barrels for specialized storage and aging, where size can affect the rate of aging, and drums for the large-scale, standardized transport and storage of goods.
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Comparison Chart
Material
Traditionally wooden staves
Metal, plastic, or fiber
Use
Aging and storage of beverages
Industrial storage and transport
Shape
Bulging middle (bilge)
Straight-sided cylinder
Construction
Crafted by coopers
Industrially manufactured
Size
Varies, often smaller (e.g., 225 liters for wine)
Standardized (e.g., 200 liters/55 gallons)
Flavor Influence
Imparts flavors to contents
Neutral, does not alter contents
Durability
Sensitive to conditions
Highly durable and resistant
Traditionally Associated With
Winemaking, distilleries
Chemical, oil industries
Compare with Definitions
Barrel
A container that interacts with its contents, affecting flavor.
The distillery chose charred barrels to enhance the whiskey's smokiness.
Drum
A cylindrical container, often made of metal or plastic, for storage and transport.
The factory stored its chemicals in large, sealed drums.
Barrel
A cylindrical container made of wooden staves, used for aging wine or whiskey.
The winery aged their best vintage in oak barrels for complexity.
Drum
A versatile storage solution, used in a wide range of industries.
The farmer used plastic drums to store water for irrigation.
Barrel
An item used in various crafts and storage, often repurposed as furniture.
The brewery used old barrels as tables in their tasting room.
Drum
A container with a fixed capacity, facilitating standardized logistics.
The shipment included 50 drums of industrial lubricant.
Barrel
A unit of measurement in the oil industry, equivalent to 42 U.S. gallons.
The report stated a production increase of 10,000 barrels per day.
Drum
A common sight in industrial and commercial settings for bulk goods.
The warehouse was stacked high with drums of oil.
Barrel
A traditional vessel for transporting liquids and solids.
Barrels of salted fish were a common sight in historical ports.
Drum
A durable vessel used for handling hazardous materials safely.
Hazardous waste was carefully packed into specialized drums for disposal.
Barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wood or metal hoops.
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone.
Barrel
A cylindrical container bulging out in the middle, traditionally made of wooden staves with metal hoops round them
The wine is then matured in old barrels
Drum
A percussion instrument sounded by being struck with sticks or the hands, typically cylindrical, barrel-shaped, or bowl-shaped, with a taut membrane over one or both ends
A shuffling dance to the beat of a drum
Barrel
A tube forming part of an object such as a gun or a pen
A gun barrel
Drum
A cylindrical container or receptacle
A drum of powdered bleach
Barrel
The belly and loins of a four-legged animal such as a horse
A Welsh mountain pony with a barrel like a butt of wine
Drum
A house or flat.
Barrel
Drive or move in a way that is so fast as to almost be out of control
We barrelled across the Everglades
Drum
An evening or afternoon tea party of a kind that was popular in the late 18th and early 19th century
A drum at Lady Beresford's
Barrel
Put into a barrel or barrels
When the young spirit is barrelled, it absorbs some of this flavour
Drum
A piece of reliable inside information
He had got the drum that the police wouldn't lock us up
Barrel
A large cylindrical container, usually made of staves bound together with hoops, with a flat top and bottom of equal diameter.
Drum
A long, narrow hill, especially one separating two parallel valleys.
Barrel
The quantity that a barrel with a given or standard capacity will hold.
Drum
A fish that makes a drumming sound by vibrating its swim bladder, found mainly in estuarine and shallow coastal waters.
Barrel
Abbr. bar. or bbl. or bl. Any of various units of volume or capacity. In the US Customary System it varies, as a liquid measure, from 31 to 42 gallons (117 to 159 liters) as established by law or usage.
Drum
Play on a drum
He channelled his energies into drumming with local groups
Barrel
The thicker portion of a baseball bat, from which the most powerful hits are struck.
Drum
Give (someone) reliable information or a warning
I'm drumming you, if they come I'm going
Barrel
The cylindrical part of a firearm through which the bullet travels.
Drum
A percussion instrument consisting of a hollow cylinder or hemisphere with a membrane stretched tightly over one or both ends, played by beating with the hands or sticks.
Barrel
A cylinder that contains a movable piston.
Drum
A sound produced by this instrument.
Barrel
The drum of a capstan.
Drum
Something resembling a drum in shape or structure, especially a barrellike metal container or a metal cylinder wound with cable, wire, or heavy rope.
Barrel
The cylinder within the mechanism of a timepiece that contains the mainspring.
Drum
A circular or polygonal wall supporting a dome or cupola. Also called tambour.
Barrel
The trunk of a quadruped animal, such as a horse or cow.
Drum
Any of the cylindrical stone blocks that are stacked to form the shaft of a column.
Barrel
The tubular space inside a wave when it is breaking.
Drum
Any of various marine and freshwater fishes of the family Sciaenidae that make a drumming sound by vibrating certain muscles attached to the swim bladder.
Barrel
(Informal) A large quantity
A barrel of fun.
Drum
(Anatomy) The eardrum.
Barrel
(Slang) An act or instance of moving rapidly, often recklessly, in a motor vehicle.
Drum
To play a drum or drums.
Barrel
Resembling or similar to a barrel, as in shape
A barrel chest.
Barrel hips.
Drum
To thump or tap rhythmically or continually
Nervously drummed on the table.
Barrel
To put or pack in a barrel.
Drum
To produce a booming, reverberating sound by beating the wings, as certain birds do.
Barrel
To move or progress rapidly
"That the European Union barreled ahead was not surprising" (Richard W. Stevenson).
Drum
To perform (a piece or tune) on or as if on a drum.
Barrel
(countable) A round (cylindrical) vessel, such as a cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends (head). Sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.
A cracker barrel
Drum
To summon by or as if by beating a drum.
Barrel
Such a cask of a certain size, holding one-eighth of what a tun#Noun holds. (See a diagram comparing cask sizes.)
Drum
To make known to or force upon (a person) by constant repetition
Drummed the answers into my head.
Barrel
The quantity which constitutes a full barrel: the volume or weight this represents varies by local law and custom.
Drum
To expel or dismiss in disgrace. Often used with out
Was drummed out of the army.
Barrel
A solid drum, or a hollow cylinder or case
The barrel of a windlass;
The barrel of a watch, within which the spring is coiled.
Drum
A percussive musical instrument spanned with a thin covering on at least one end for striking, forming an acoustic chamber; a membranophone.
Percussion instrument
Barrel
A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged.
Drum
Any similar hollow, cylindrical object.
Replace the drum unit of your printer.
Barrel
(television) A ceiling-mounted tube from which lights are suspended.
Drum
A barrel or large cylindrical container for liquid transport and storage.
The restaurant ordered ketchup in 50-gallon drums.
Barrel
(archaic) A tube.
Drum
(architecture) The encircling wall that supports a dome or cupola.
Barrel
(zoology) The hollow basal part of a feather.
Drum
(architecture) Any of the cylindrical blocks that make up the shaft of a pillar.
Barrel
(music) The part of a clarinet which connects the mouthpiece and upper joint, and looks rather like a barrel (1).
Drum
A drumfish (family Sciaenidae).
Barrel
(surfing) A wave that breaks with a hollow compartment.
Drum
A tip; a piece of information.
Barrel
A waste receptacle.
Throw it into the trash barrel.
Drum
A small hill or ridge of hills.
Barrel
The ribs and belly of a horse or pony.
Drum
A social gathering or assembly held in the evening.
Barrel
(obsolete) A jar.
Drum
A person's home; a house or other building, especially when insalubrious; a tavern, a brothel.
Barrel
(biology) Any of the dark-staining regions in the somatosensory cortex of rodents, etc., where somatosensory inputs from the contralateral side of the body come in from the thalamus.
Drum
(informal) A drumstick (of chicken, turkey, etc).
Barrel
(baseball) A statistic derived from launch angle and exit velocity of a ball hit in play.
Drum
(intransitive) To beat a drum.
Barrel
(transitive) To put or to pack in a barrel or barrels.
Drum
(ambitransitive) To beat with a rapid succession of strokes.
The ruffed grouse drums with his wings.
Barrel
(intransitive) To move quickly or in an uncontrolled manner.
He came barrelling around the corner and I almost hit him.
Drum
(transitive) To drill or review in an attempt to establish memorization.
He’s still trying to drum Spanish verb conjugations into my head.
Barrel
(intransitive) To assume the shape of a barrel; specifically, of the image on a computer display, television, etc., to exhibit barrel distortion, where the sides bulge outwards.
Drum
To throb, as the heart.
Barrel
A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads; as, a cracker barrel. Sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.
Drum
To go about, as a drummer does, to gather recruits, to draw or secure partisans, customers, etc.; used with for.
Barrel
The quantity which constitutes a full barrel. This varies for different articles and also in different places for the same article, being regulated by custom or by law. A barrel of wine is 31½ gallons; a barrel of flour is 196 pounds.
Drum
Of various animals, to make a vocalisation or mechanical sound that resembles drumming.
Barrel
A solid drum, or a hollow cylinder or case; as, the barrel of a windlass; the barrel of a watch, within which the spring is coiled.
Drum
An instrument of percussion, consisting either of a hollow cylinder, over each end of which is stretched a piece of skin or vellum, to be beaten with a stick; or of a metallic hemisphere (kettledrum) with a single piece of skin to be so beaten; the common instrument for marking time in martial music; one of the pair of tympani in an orchestra, or cavalry band.
The drums cry bud-a-dub.
Barrel
A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged.
Drum
Anything resembling a drum in form
Barrel
A jar.
Drum
See Drumfish.
Barrel
The hollow basal part of a feather.
Drum
A noisy, tumultuous assembly of fashionable people at a private house; a rout.
Not unaptly styled a drum, from the noise and emptiness of the entertainment.
Barrel
To put or to pack in a barrel or barrels.
Drum
A tea party; a kettledrum.
Barrel
A tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired
Drum
To beat a drum with sticks; to beat or play a tune on a drum.
Barrel
A cylindrical container that holds liquids
Drum
To beat with the fingers, as with drumsticks; to beat with a rapid succession of strokes; to make a noise like that of a beaten drum; as, the ruffed grouse drums with his wings.
Drumming with his fingers on the arm of his chair.
Barrel
A bulging cylindrical shape; hollow with flat ends
Drum
To throb, as the heart.
Barrel
The quantity that a barrel (of any size) will hold
Drum
To go about, as a drummer does, to gather recruits, to draw or secure partisans, customers, etc,; - with for.
Barrel
Any of various units of capacity;
A barrel of beer is 31 gallons and a barrel of oil is 42 gallons
Drum
To execute on a drum, as a tune.
Barrel
Put in barrels
Drum
With out) To expel ignominiously, with beat of drum; as, to drum out a deserter or rogue from a camp, etc.
Drum
With up) To assemble by, or as by, beat of drum; to collect; to gather or draw by solicitation; as, to drum up recruits; to drum up customers.
Drum
A musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretch across each end
Drum
The sound of a drum;
He could hear the drums before he heard the fifes
Drum
A bulging cylindrical shape; hollow with flat ends
Drum
A cylindrical metal container used for shipping or storage of liquids
Drum
A hollow cast-iron cylinder attached to the wheel that forms part of the brakes
Drum
Small to medium-sized bottom-dwelling food and game fishes of shallow coastal and fresh waters that make a drumming noise
Drum
Make a rhythmic sound;
Rain drummed against the windshield
The drums beat all night
Drum
Play a percussion instrument
Drum
Study intensively, as before an exam;
I had to bone up on my Latin verbs before the final exam
Common Curiosities
What is a drum?
A drum is a cylindrical container, often made from materials like steel or plastic, used for the industrial storage and transport of goods.
Can both barrels and drums be used for liquid storage?
Yes, both can store liquids, but barrels are favored for aging beverages, while drums are used for a wider range of substances, including chemicals.
What are some common sizes for barrels and drums?
While barrel sizes can vary, a common size is the 55-gallon whiskey barrel. Drums are often standardized at 55 gallons (208 liters) for industrial compatibility.
How are barrels and drums handled and transported?
Barrels are often rolled due to their shape, while drums are designed for easy handling with equipment like forklifts.
Why might one choose a barrel over a drum for storage?
Barrels are chosen for specific liquids like wine or whiskey that benefit from the aging process and flavor imparted by the wood.
Are drums considered more modern than barrels?
Drums are associated with modern industrial processes due to their materials and manufacturing methods, making them a more contemporary choice.
Can the materials of barrels and drums affect their contents?
Yes, the wood of barrels can impart flavors to its contents, whereas drums are often designed to prevent any interaction with their contents.
How do barrels and drums differ in construction?
Barrels are constructed from curved staves bound by hoops, creating a bulged shape, while drums are uniform cylinders, often made from a single piece of material.
What is a barrel?
A barrel is a traditional cylindrical container made from wooden staves and metal hoops, primarily used for storing and aging liquids.
Are there environmental considerations in choosing between barrels and drums?
Both have environmental impacts, but the reusability and biodegradability of wooden barrels can be considered more eco-friendly in some contexts.
Can both barrels and drums be reused or repurposed?
Yes, both are often repurposed, with barrels used in furniture or décor, and drums in storage solutions or DIY projects.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
