Peanut Butter Manhattan: a Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey Recipe : Ugly Duckling Bakery

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This dry peanut butter manhattan recipe is made with peanut butter whiskey, dry vermouth, and a dash of bitters. It’s a unique variation of a classic cocktail that’s bursting with peanut butter flavor.

You may not think about a peanut butter manhattan when you first get a bottle of peanut butter whiskey. But it’s one you’ll make again and again.

peanut butter manhattan in a coupe garnished with peanut butter cookie next to a bottle of skrewball peanut butter whiskey.

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Backstory
About peanut butter whiskey
Tips and tricks
FAQs
Other peanut butter whiskey drinks
Related recipes
Recipe
What’s next
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Backstory

With a bottle of Skrewball peanut butter whiskey in hand, my peanut butter chocolate ganache drip cake inspired me to make a peanut butter cup cocktail. But no matter how I combined Skrewball peanut butter whiskey and chocolate liqueur, I couldn’t re-create the rich and creamy chocolate and peanut butter combination I love.

Update: April 2022: I did make a peanut butter cup cocktail for the 52 weeks of cocktails challenge. But this peanut butter manhattan is a better use of your peanut butter whiskey.

About peanut butter whiskey

Skrewball was the first peanut butter whiskey. It supposedly came about after the Skrewball founder, Steven Yeng, created a peanut butter and whiskey cocktail at his bar and restaurant. Since then, other distillers have started making peanut butter whiskeys following the success of Skrewball.

Tips and tricks

Making a manhattan

The classic manhattan recipe is made with two ounces of rye or bourbon whiskey, one ounce of sweet vermouth, and a dash or two of bitters. Stir with ice, and then serve over ice in a lowball glass or neat in a coupe.

Tip from the wise quacker: The general rule of thumb is that cocktails with citrus juices should be shaken. And cocktails with only liquor should be stirred, because shaking makes for a cloudy cocktail.

Peanut butter manhattans and cocktail tasting

The main goal of tasting cocktail variations is to figure out which one you like best. Full stop.

The peanut butter manhattan with the classic manhattan ratio was too sweet. So next we tried a dry peanut butter manhattan using the same ratio of peanut butter whiskey to dry vermouth. Finally, we tried a “perfect manhattan” using one half ounce each of dry and sweet vermouth.

If this were Goldilocks, the perfect peanut butter manhattan would have been just right. But it’s the dry manhattan recipe that brings out the brightest, nutty flavor from the peanut butter whiskey.

I encourage you to try this taste test for yourself. Make one classic, one dry, and one perfect, and see which one you prefer. And, if you really love peanut butter, compare Skrewball peanut butter whiskey with others.

As an aside, while the martini is classically made with dry vermouth, you can also make a “perfect martini” with an equal split between dry and sweet vermouth. There’s no right or wrong. It’s about finding out what you like.

Garnish ideas

You can use the standard cocktail cherry garnish for this peanut butter manhattan, or make my peanut butter cookies.

For dessert cocktails and more decadent drinks, mini peanut butter cups will work. Or rim your glass with a rim of fine chopped peanuts mixed with sugar.

What to serve with a peanut butter manhattan

With dry vermouth, this peanut butter whiskey cocktail isn’t necessarily a dessert cocktail. So, if you’re a peanut butter lover, sip a peanut butter whiskey drink alongside:

swimming rama tofu (with peanut sauce)
peanut butter chocolate ganache drip cake
chocolate peanut butter bonbons

FAQs

Is it spelled “whiskey” or “whisky”?

Yes. Both are correct.

Shouldn’t you capitalize “manhattan” in this peanut butter cocktail?

Style guides conflict on this question. The capitalized Manhattan is the New York City borough. As a cocktail style, it does not need to be capitalized.

What vermouth do you use in this peanut butter manhattan?

We like Dolin Vermouth de Chambery.

Why is this two servings?

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says that one serving for distilled spirits is 1.5 ounces.

Other peanut butter whiskey drinks

If you’re wondering what else to make peanut butter whiskey, here are a few ideas:

Combine equal parts of peanut butter whiskey and liqueur like Chambord for a peanut butter and jelly cocktail.
Make a peanut butter old-fashioned. Combine two ounces of peanut butter whiskey, one ounce of simple syrup, and a dash or two of Angostura bitters.
Try a peanut butter whiskey espresso martini with an ounce each of whiskey, espresso, coffee liqueur, and chocolate bitters.
Make a coconut peanut butter cocktail.

Check out other uglyducklingbakery cocktail recipes like the Lady Bridgerton Empress gin cocktail, a gin espresso martini, or a creamy espresso martini with Baileys. Manhattan lovers should make this perfect brandy manhattan.

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