So when quarantine first hit last year in March, I decided I would take this “negative” lockdown, and turn it into a positive. I thought what could be more fun than learning about cocktails. I started watching more YouTube channels such as The Educated Barfly, How To Drink, and Cocktail Chemistry, as well as reading various websites and blogs that both shared interesting cocktail recipes, the science behind the best methods to use, or what tools worked best.
After trying out several recipes (and collecting a wide variety of bottles), I thought I’d try to come up with a few of my own. Some were great, some were just okay, and some were…well…not the best. Luckily, my first attempt at an original cocktail was this one. I knew I wanted to use the Screwball whiskey, but I also wanted to cut the peanut butter flavor back a little. Favoring spirit-forward drinks, bourbon seemed like an excellent way to do this. Additionally, for my recent birthday, one of my best friends bought me the Embitterment Heritage Bitter Pack.
I had tested them in different drinks and thought the sarsaparilla would be a good combo with the peanut butter. Also, after trying out different simple syrups, I had grown quite fond of demerara. I dropped a large ice cube in a tumbler, added the ingredients, and gave a stir until it felt chilled. I handed it off to my wife, AKA my resident taste tester, and waited nervously. She took a sip, smiled, and said “I love it! What’s it called?” I told her I hadn’t come up with a name and she very frankly said, “It should be called Mr. Peanut!”
Despite my numerous protests at the name, I couldn’t come up with anything else and thus it stuck. Since then I keep making new syrups and trying out new recipes. For Christmas, my wife even made me different flavored bitters. To this day, some recipes I create work, and some still don’t. Overall though, I love my new hobby, and want to thank you for introducing me to so many new and different cocktails!
Mr. Peanut
Ingredients
- 2 oz Bourbon Benchmark 8
- 1 oz Demerara Syrup 1:1
- 1/2 oz Whiskey Screwball Peanut Butter
- 3-4 dashes Frontier Sarsaparilla Bitters
Instructions
- This drink can be made in a mixing glass and poured into your drinking glass, or just made directly in your drinking glass.
- If this drink is made in a mixing glass, first add all the ingredients above with large ice cubes.
- Stir.
- Pour into a tumbler with one large ice cube.
- There is no garnish, but Brandon Sweeney is open to any suggestions!
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