I Like Peanut Butter Whiskey! Sue Me!

A quick web search revealed that Skrewball peanut butter whiskey has been available in Canada since 2020, but I really only started seeing ads for it this summer—and boy, did I see a lot of ads. Almost as many ads as I have been seeing for fast fashion brands (I clicked on one fruit-printed sweater a year ago and they’ve never let me forget it) and bidets (these ones are almost working). I’ve seen ads for peanut butter whisky on Facebook, Instagram, in newspapers, and even in our own magazine. I think it’s possible that Skrewball’s marketing team never sleeps.

And for good reason—of course, strict whiskey purists are going to be against anything that’s bizarre and maybe a little trendy. It takes a lot of work to get over the initial response to peanut butter whiskey… which I think for most people, is something like, ew. (Sorry Skrewball, that’s the price you pay for being unique).

All this aside, the first time I tried Skrewball wasn’t because of an ad, and it also wasn’t because Skrewball sent me a free bottle (although they did do that, later, which I’ll come back to). It was because, on a serene summer night gathered around a campfire with my family, my dad emerged from inside carrying a tray of peanut butter whisky shots.

We are not fancy people–my dad’s usual go-to campfire shots are Fireball or Honey Jack Daniels—so I expected the shot to be the traditional face-scrunching, throat-burning burden you only take on because of peer pressure and also because it’s free. But to my surprise, it was delicious. It really does taste like peanut butter—creamy somehow, sweet and nutty, and doesn’t make you wince on the finish (unless you’re a big baby).

Yes, it’s not traditional whiskey. Who wants to do a shot of traditional whiskey when you’re gathered around a campfire with your charmingly trashy family, or having an ugly sweater party in your friend’s equally ugly basement? This whiskey isn’t made for glamourous gatherings with pretentious strangers (and I’m not calling all whiskey-drinkers pretentious, either—some of my best friends drink whiskey). It’s made for risk-takers and dumbasses and people who aren’t afraid to admit they like something that isn’t necessarily “cool.”

I’m all three, and am a fan. Obviously, you don’t need to take shots—the whiskey is good on the rocks, with Coke and in a white Russian (or really any creamy, dessert-y cocktail). Some folks online recommend using it in a Screwdriver (Skrewdriver?) which sounds gross to me. But hey, people have been doing peanut butter and orange juice as a breakfast staples for years—why not together? I’m certainly not judging.

Full disclosure, Skrewball did gift me a bottle of their peanut butter whiskey to review… but to be honest, I haven’t opened it yet. I already had my own. If anyone wants to send me a free bidet, though, I’m game.