PB&J Cocktails Let You Relive Childhood Nostalgia As An Adult
Just because you're old enough to make adult beverages doesn't mean you can't gear them toward your inner kid. Nostalgic drinks like Kool-Aid cocktails prove as much, blending childhood staples with liquor for the ultimate taste experience. And Kool-Aid isn't the only way to create an alcoholic blast from the past: If you look wistfully back on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from your homemade school lunches, you can now transform this childhood favorite into a PB&J cocktail.
Peanut butter and jelly cocktails require a bit more effort than mixing Kool-Aid with vodka, but they're well worth the time. Peanut butter whiskey and fruity liqueur give these drinks their unique mix of nutty and fruity flavors. This combination ensures these drinks are sweet, but not over-the-top. Garnishes and syrups can be tweaked to make the taste precisely to your liking. PB&J cocktails are the ideal way to toast the back-to-school season, transporting the drinker right back to their own days in the school cafeteria.
How to make PB&J cocktails
Most recipes for PB&J cocktails start with peanut butter whiskey. Skrewball is often the preferred brand because of its well-known quality, but any peanut butter whiskey will do. If you want to keep things simple, just mix the whiskey with a grape, strawberry, or raspberry liqueur and pour it over ice. Some recipes recommend adding brown sugar or vanilla syrup, which will infuse your drink with extra sweetness.
Of course, variations of the PB&J cocktail exist, and they differ in terms of complexity. For less alcohol content but the same amount of simplicity, you can blend peanut butter whiskey with fruit-flavored simple syrup or unsweetened fruit juice. Poured over ice, this is basically a PB&J-flavored Old Fashioned. You can also add vermouth to turn your drink into a PB&J Manhattan.
Some takes on PB&J cocktails take the theme even further, like washing whiskey in peanut or almond butter beforehand. The process of fat-washing whiskey with peanut butter involves spreading the latter in a baking pan, then pouring the whiskey on top. Cover this combination in plastic wrap, then let it sit anywhere from eight to 12 hours. Once this time is up, carefully pour out the whiskey, then filter out any peanut butter remnants using a coffee filter or tea cloth. For the smoothest result, strain the concoction multiple times.
Garnishes can level up your PB&J cocktail
Garnishing your PB&J cocktails can make them feel more nostalgic than ever, especially if you use an actual sandwich to top things off. Obviously, a whole PB&J won't fit in your drink, but cutting off a small piece, spearing it on a toothpick, and placing it on your cocktail will make the finished product look as it good as it tastes. (You'll also have a fun snack to munch on once you're done sipping!)
Decorating the rim of your glass can enhance every sip, and you can do this multiple ways. If you can never have enough peanut butter, spread it around the rim, ensuring an even nuttier taste than you'd get from the whiskey alone. For those who prefer fruity flavors, you can achieve a similar effect using grape or berry syrup. Since peanut butter and syrup are both sticky, you can also coat the rims in sugar.
Finally, as PB&J cocktails have a fruity layer, garnishing them with strawberries, raspberries, and even bananas can further complement the beverage. The latter will no doubt bring back memories of peanut butter and banana sandwiches, a solid alternative to these drinks' inspiration. Fruit will also ramp up the appearance and offer you something to chew on, as the best garnishes usually do.
Where to find PB&J cocktails
You'll be hard-pressed to find a finished PB&J cocktail for sale in stores, but some bars and restaurants may have this nostalgic favorite on the menu. It's gained traction in recent years thanks to food bloggers, social media, and an increasing interest in unique cocktails.
Even if your local bar doesn't have PB&J cocktails on the menu, it's easy enough to order one. All you need to do is ask the bartender for a combination of peanut butter whiskey and fruit syrup or liqueur. Assuming they have the necessary ingredients, they can whip it up in no time. There may not be any fancy garnishes, but the basics still capture the flavors that make these cocktails compelling in the first place.
Anyone looking for a more serious PB&J cocktail will need to put it together at home. Fortunately, the truth about Skrewball peanut butter whiskey is that it's widely available in liquor stores — in fact, most of the ingredients required for this drink can be found in liquor shops or grocery stores.