Nothing goes together quite like peanut butter and jelly — except maybe peanut butter and whiskey. The match made in heaven was made a reality just last year by husband-and-wife duo Steven Yeng and Brittany Merrill Yeng, who run OB Noodle House and Bar 1502 in San Diego, California. After serving locals many, many peanut butter-flavored whiskey shots, they bottled the recipe and called it Skrewball.
The vegan and gluten-free boozy beverage was recently awarded a double gold medal for “Best Flavored Whiskey” at the New York World Wine and Spirits Competition, so there’s no doubt it’s great, but we wanted to taste it for ourselves to make sure. Thanks to our friends over at Skrewball, this first-of-its-kind whiskey landed fortuitously in the hands of our drinks editor. She brought it home for a family gathering and happily had a few glasses with smoked sea salt on the rim.
While it definitely has all the hallmarks of a good whiskey, there’s no denying that the peanut butter flavor is there, too (although it's not overwhelming). When we asked how the two were combined so seamlessly, a company representative unfortunately told us that the recipe and process are secret.
This is especially great for non-whiskey drinkers because the boldness that typically comes with the spirit is slightly muted by the richness of the peanut butter. It’s comparable to Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey in the sense that it’s smooth, flavorful and moderately sweet. There’s no harsh bite, and it leaves a great aftertaste lingering at the back of your throat. Just don’t go kissing anyone with an allergy. Skrewball is 70 proof, yet perfectly enjoyable neat, on the rocks with no mixer or as a shot.
^^^ sounds like one I need to try.