Peanut butter whiskey is American whiskey or bourbon blended with peanut flavoring and sweetener after distillation. Skrewball created the category and still defines it, and most of what follows on this page is either a competitor to Skrewball or a variation on the same idea. Eight bottles here, from standard 750ml to 50ml multi-packs.
One thing worth knowing before you buy. Federal rules require whiskey to be bottled at 80 proof or higher, and Skrewball comes in at 70. These are flavored spirits shelved with the whiskey. That is not a knock on them, but it is a different product from the bourbon sitting next to it, and people who know that going in tend to be happier with what they poured.
What Peanut Butter Whiskey Actually Is
The base is American whiskey or bourbon. Peanut flavoring and sweetener are added after distillation, which is what puts the category with flavored whiskey rather than with straight bourbon.
Proof is the part most people miss. Skrewball is 70 proof, 35% ABV, and the rest of the category sits in the same range or lower. Lower proof plus added sugar is why these drink closer to a liqueur than a spirit, and why a shot of one goes down considerably easier than a shot of bourbon. Whether that is a feature depends entirely on what you wanted.
Flavor is fairly consistent from brand to brand: roasted peanut on the nose, vanilla and caramel underneath, and a salty-sweet finish that reads more like dessert than like whiskey. The differences between bottles are mostly a question of how sweet and how thick.
These are made with peanut flavoring and are not suitable for anyone with a peanut allergy. Check the specific label if you are buying for someone else. The rest of the flavored whiskey range is built the same way.
The Brands We Carry
Skrewball is the reference point. Made in San Diego, bottled at 70 proof, and the bottle most people mean when they say peanut butter whiskey. It is sweeter and thicker than the alternatives, which is either the appeal or the objection depending on who you ask. The 750ml is the standard buy. The Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey Eggnog ($19.99) is the seasonal cream version, closer to a finished nog than to a whiskey, and it is a different purchase rather than a smaller one.
Ole Smoky comes out of the Tennessee moonshine house, so the starting point is not Kentucky bourbon. Ole Smoky Peanut Butter Whiskey ($21.99) is the pick if you tried Skrewball and found it too sweet or too heavy.
Sheep Dog is the value alternative, and Sheep Dog against Skrewball is the comparison people actually run. It is the closest thing to a like-for-like swap in the category. We stock it as a 12-pack of 50ml bottles.
Bird Dog is the Kentucky option and the lowest price point here, running sweeter and lighter than the rest. It comes in a 750ml and a 10-pack of 50ml minis. The wider Bird Dog range covers the other flavors.
Texas Ranger Peanut Butter Cup ($28.99) adds chocolate, which makes it the one bottle here that is not trying to be Skrewball. If you have worked through the others, this is the one that tastes like a different decision.
Revel Stoke Nutcrusher turns up in most rundowns of the category. We do not carry it, and Sheep Dog covers roughly the same ground.
How to Drink It
Cold, mostly. Keep the bottle in the fridge or the freezer and pour it as a chilled shot, or over ice if you want it to loosen slightly. Neat at room temperature is the one serve that tends to disappoint, because the sweetness has nothing working against it.
As a mixer it goes where dessert goes. Coffee and cold brew are the easiest pairings, since the bitterness cuts the sugar. Chocolate, banana and root beer all work. A milkshake is not a novelty suggestion, it is probably the second most common use after the shot.
Two cocktails come up repeatedly. A peanut butter old fashioned swaps some or all of the bourbon for peanut butter whiskey and drops the simple syrup, since the bottle brings its own sugar. An espresso martini takes it in place of the coffee liqueur.
The eggnog bottle is its own case. It is already a finished drink, so it needs nothing beyond a cold glass, though it holds up in coffee. Our spiked eggnog guide covers the rest of that.
Gifting Peanut Butter Whiskey
This category gifts well for a fairly unglamorous reason. Novelty bottles usually sit unopened, and this one gets finished. It is approachable enough for someone who does not drink whiskey and inexpensive enough to give without much ceremony.
Format matters more than brand here. The 50ml multi-packs from Bird Dog and Sheep Dog are built for stocking stuffers and party favors, and they let someone try the category without committing to a full 750ml. The Skrewball gift set is the wrapped option when stock allows.
More options sit in whiskey gift sets and the wider gift sets range, or build a gift box to choose the contents yourself and ship direct to the recipient. Buyer and recipient both need to be 21 or older, and ID or a signature may be required at delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Skrewball actually whiskey?
Not by the federal definition. Whiskey has to be bottled at 80 proof or higher, and Skrewball is 70. It is a flavored spirit on a whiskey base.
What is peanut butter whiskey good to mix with?
Coffee and cold brew first, since the bitterness balances the sugar. Chocolate, banana, root beer and ice cream also work. In cocktails it stands in for bourbon in an old fashioned or coffee liqueur in an espresso martini.
Which peanut butter whiskey is best?
It depends what you want from it. Skrewball is the sweetest and the standard. Ole Smoky is the lighter pour. Sheep Dog is the value swap. Texas Ranger adds chocolate.
Is peanut butter whiskey any good?
It divides people, reasonably so. If you want something that drinks like bourbon, this is not it. If you want a sweet, low-proof shot or a base for dessert drinks, nothing else on the shelf does it better.
Does peanut butter whiskey contain peanuts?
It is made with peanut flavoring and is not suitable for anyone with a peanut allergy. Check the label on the specific bottle if you are buying for someone with one.
What proof is peanut butter whiskey?
Skrewball is 70 proof, or 35% ABV. Others in the category are similar or lower, so read the label if proof matters to you.
Is it Skrewball or Screwball?
Skrewball, with a K. Screwball whiskey is the common misspelling and it points at the same bottle.
How long does an open bottle keep?
Longer than a cream liqueur, not as long as a straight whiskey. The sugar and flavoring fade over time, so plan on finishing an open bottle inside a year. Refrigerate the eggnog version once opened.