The disclosure provides a method of producing a finished, aged distilled spirit, and a method of producing bottles of a distilled spirit that employ in-bottle finishing. In one embodiment, the method of producing a finished, aged distilled spirit includes: (1) placing an aged distilled spirit in a bottle, (2) placing a wood piece in the bottle, wherein the wood piece is used for in-bottle finishing of the aged distilled spirit and is rested in a non-alcoholic liquid before the placing of the wood piece, and (3) sealing the bottle, having located within the bottle both the aged distilled spirit and the wood piece.