Fat-Washed Bourbon Is Your Ticket To Peanut Butter Flavor In Your Favorite Whiskey Cocktails

When you're crafting a cocktail with a specific palate in mind, it can be difficult to find a way to integrate flavor. Say you're after a mixed drink that melds the nutty, sweet, and spiced notes of peanut butter and whiskey. You could opt for an already-infused and delicious bottle, such as Skrewball. However, there's something extra-satisfying — and flavorful — to merging the nut butter and booze yourself.

Turn to fat-washing bourbon; it's the best way to combine peanut butter and the bottle of your choice. While it requires some patience, the method's easier than it sounds. Simply buy one of the best natural peanut butters and smooth out its entire contents on the bottom of a large casserole dish. Empty a whole bottle of bourbon on top, then seal with plastic wrap. Wait at least 12 hours (or up to two days), then pour the contents through a thick paper coffee filter, saving the liquid. The bourbon infuses certain fat- and water-based aromatic compounds from the peanut butter, thereby flavoring the spirit. It's not completely certain how tasting notes mingle, but you definitely get a peanut butter-flavored spirit. Now that you have one of the best ways to add peanut butter to your cocktails, you can shake or stir up to enjoy all the delicious tipples.

To make sure your peanut butter whiskey cocktail really shines, carefully select ingredients. You don't need a top-shelf bottle — some of the bourbon's intricacy does diminish — but opt for a spirit you'd enjoy otherwise. Avoid higher-proof expressions since their boozy burn can throw the creation off balance. Consider one of the bottom-shelf bourbons worth the buy, such as Elijah Craig or Buffalo Trace (two options that come with an aromatic, dessert-like palate).

When it comes to the peanut butter, definitely don't buy a salted jar. Rather, reach for a brand composed exclusively of nuts. To maximize spirit and condiment contact, go for a smooth consistency since it enables better mixing. Either way, you're left with peanut butter solids at the conclusion of infusion. While many people discard this remnant, you could hold onto these bites for use in bourbon-flavored baking applications. Otherwise, just filter the bourbon-peanut mixture through a coffee filter and you're ready to mix. The peanut butter old fashioned is an especially popular application; you could also pair peanut butter whiskey with Chambord for a PB&J shot, craft a nutty whiskey sour, or swap into another cocktail template.