Hunter S. Thompson famously said, “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” I get it. I am all about the weird in pretty much any variety. I like weird people, weird entertainment and weird flavors. I like doing things other folks think is weird, like being open and honest, but in a kind way. I try to be relatively open-minded and saying yes to life has afforded me the opportunity to experience all kinds of weirdness, I think this is a positive thing, or least it has been mostly positive. So, in the spirit of keeping an open mind and trying new things, even if they seem a bit weird, I finally broke down and bought a bottle of Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey. How’d that turn out? Well, let’s go on a voyage of discovery as we stand and make the PB&J Sour.

I love peanut butter. I have a long established record of eating it in or on almost anything. There is is not much that peanut butter can’t make better, I’d even give pb and oysters a go, but I was still a little nervous about Peanut Butter Whiskey. I’ve just been burned too many times before by flavored whiskeys. Pickle Whiskeys, coffee whiskeys, maple, cinnamon, apple, and even banana flavored whiskeys have all left me nonplussed. It’s not that they are bad, necessarily, they just aren’t particularly good. They never live up to their imagined potential. I have found, that if I want a flavored version of something, I am usually better off infusing my own. So, I kept putting off the inevitable disappointment of peanut butter whiskey. I had seen this one in the store, but it wasn’t till I saw Leandro use it to create this cocktail on The Educated Barfly, that I decided to take a chance.

Grab your tins and pop in 1 1/2 ounces of Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey, 1/4 ounce of Banane du Bresil, 1 ounce of fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 an ounce of Orgeat, a barspoon of strawberry jam, I chose Bell Buckle Country Store; and an egg white. Add ice and give it a good shake to the beat of “Benny and the Jets” by Elton John. When well chilled, strain from one tin to the other and go again for a reverse dry shake to aerate those egg whites for 30 seconds or so. Pour into a chilled coupe and garnish with some finely grated freeze-dried strawberries, cause that’s fancy.

It’s sweet, very sweet. It is also kind of awesome. I made it again and dialed back the orgeat to the current level and liked that a little better. I know we are calling this a sour because of the lemon and the egg white, but this is a dessert drink all the way. With that in mind, it’s lovely. The peanut butter thing works with all those other flavors and the strawberry really caps it off. Especially that grated garnish. So good. 

As Elton John once said, “Oh, but it’s weird and it’s wonderful.” The Skrewball Whiskey is a strange beast. It is sweet and only 70 proof, so it’s almost like a liqueur. It is nice straight, the flavor is present but not overpowering. I’m curious to try it in some other mixes. Is it the best thing ever? No, but it ain’t bad and at least I know what I’m dealing with now. That’s why you say yes and roll the dice; to get the experience. One of my favorite quotes is from John D. MacDonald’s, Travis McGee who said “The things you don’t do leave the remorses, around a little longer somehow.” I’m doing my best to avoid cause for remorse, so I get to do the weird stuff and that’s kind of wonderful. Don’t you think? Stay safe, stay hydrated and stay sane, my friends.