We Ask Founders Steven and Brittany Yeng About Taking a Shot with Skrewball Whiskey

Our exclusive interview with the founders of Skrewball Whiskey celebrates the innovative brand that is driving the spirits world nuts and has captured the hearts and palates of whiskey lovers around the globe.

Chilled chats with the visionaries behind this unique brand to gain insight into their journey, inspiration, and the secrets behind Steven and Brittany’s Skrewball story.

Tell us what’s new at Skrewball Whiskey.

Last year we entered a very exciting partnership with Pernod Ricard USA, giving us the perfect opportunity to boost our strategy, reach more people globally and sharpen our brand-building skills. Partnering with one of the world’s leading spirits producers is a true testament to the Skrewball spirit, and we’re so excited to soon share what’s been in the works for upcoming brand partnerships, global opportunities and more ‘screwball’ activations for our consumers to enjoy.

Talk to us about your whiskey’s huge success.

We fortunately have been welcomed by the misfits as unlikely spirits brand founders, and once we were able to get the product in people’s hands it spoke for itself. The growth of the brand has been everything we could have dreamed of – Skrewball Whiskey had one of the fastest market rollouts in the history of the spirits industry. It’s grown into an international consumer favorite, proven by our 2021 consumer retail growth rate of 1,976%, when we sold over 1M cases in just our third year on the market.

What inspired your whiskey?

It all began with formulating a creative shot in a Yeng family-owned bar in San Diego. The shot was inspired by Steve’s love for peanut butter, which was born from care packages he and his family had received as refugees in the United States. We quickly realized people loved the shot as much as we did, and when we had the idea to bottle peanut butter whiskey, I looked at my husband and said “We can do that. How hard can it be?”
Turns out, it was much harder than anyone ever could have explained to me in the beginning. Yet, we took a shot and were able to do something no one could have predicted. No matter how many obstacles we faced and risks we took, I just knew we’d make it work somehow.

What are bartenders doing with Skrewball behind the bar?

Skrewball is delicious on the rocks or mixed into almost any cocktail imaginable. We recommend it neat with a salty rim for what we call our ‘Salty Nuts Shot’ for simple, sweet, and savory flavor. I personally love it in a Peanut Butter Espresso Martini for a twist on the classic crowd favorite. Many bartenders also like to use the unique flavors to create innovative cocktails that play into consumers’ nostalgic love of peanut butter, making their own versions of PB&J shots with raspberry liquors or Reese’s inspired shots with chocolate bitters.

What are some of the key components you’d like bartenders to know about your whiskey?

We’ve never wavered from our belief that Skrewball is a drink that can be enjoyed by anyone, and that peanut butter whiskey has the power to bring people together, from seasoned whiskey drinkers to first timers. We want bartenders everywhere to know just how versatile it is; we don’t set limits on what’s possible with our whiskey. There are numerous unexpected flavors that Skrewball pairs shockingly well with, like fruit-forward mixers such as pineapple or coconut. We challenge experimentation and think bartenders will be surprised with the results.

What ingredients mix best? What are some of your most popular cocktails and why?

Classic Skrewball mixers that we love are coffee, cola, pineapple juice and cranberry juice, though we’d say you can go far beyond these, depending on your mixology goals. Our most popular cocktails are the PB & Jealous and the Peanut Butter Espresso Martini. For those who prefer a tropical taste that invokes the feeling of being on vacation, the Island of Misfits is an awesome choice. People love the subtle sweetness that Skrewball brings to any cocktail recipe.