Alright, so folks have been asking about this “baseball liquor” thing I mentioned a while back. It wasn’t some fancy brand I discovered, nope. This was one of my little experiments, a real hands-on, get-your-kitchen-messy kind of deal. And let me tell you, it was a journey.
The Brainwave – Or So I Thought
It all started one afternoon, I was watching a game, you know how it is. And I had this bottle of pretty decent whiskey, nothing top-shelf, but good. Then I saw some ad for artisanal infused spirits, all fancy botanicals and whatnot. And a lightbulb, a very dumb lightbulb, went off in my head. “Baseball,” I thought. “What if I could make a liquor that tasted like the ballpark?” Yeah, I know. Stick with me.
My grand vision was something that would remind you of sitting in the stands. Not beer, something… else. Something unique. I wasn’t aiming for Michelin stars, just a fun little project.
Scrounging for “Authenticity”
So, what screams ballpark? Peanuts, obviously. Roasted peanuts. I figured that was a good starting point. I also had this weird idea about getting a woody note in there, like a baseball bat. Don’t worry, I didn’t actually try to stick a Louisville Slugger in a bottle. I thought about toasted oak chips, the kind homebrewers use. Seemed safer.
So, I got myself:
- A bottle of mid-range bourbon. Didn’t want to waste the good stuff if this went south, which, spoiler, it kinda did.
- A bag of unsalted, roasted peanuts. Figured salt would be a bad idea.
- Some medium-toast oak chips.
Getting these things wasn’t hard, just a trip to the store and an online order for the chips. The cashier gave me a funny look buying just peanuts and bourbon, but hey, who cares.
Operation: Ballpark Brew
First up, I decided to lightly crush the peanuts. My thinking was it’d release more flavor. I put them in a clean glass jar. Then I added a small handful of the oak chips. Not too many, I didn’t want it to taste like I was licking a tree.
Then came the bourbon. I poured it over the peanuts and chips, making sure everything was submerged. Sealed the jar up tight. And then, the waiting game began. I put it in a cool, dark cupboard. The plan was to let it sit for a week or two, giving it a little shake every day.
I remember peeking at it after a few days. The bourbon was getting cloudy. And there was this… oily film starting to appear on top. That was probably the peanut oil. “Character,” I told myself. “It’s developing character.”
The Big, Uh, Reveal
After about ten days, I couldn’t wait any longer. The color was a deep, murky brown. It didn’t look particularly appetizing, if I’m honest. I got a clean glass. The aroma when I opened the jar… well, it was definitely peanuts. And oak. And bourbon. All hitting you at once, like a foul ball to the face.
I strained it first. Through a coffee filter. This took ages. The oily stuff made the filter clog up pretty quick. I ended up using a few. What came out was still a bit hazy, but better.
Then, the taste. I took a small sip. Look, I wanted to like it. I really did. But man, it was… rough. The peanut flavor was super strong, almost like that artificial peanut flavoring, but with a weird, oily mouthfeel. The oak was there, but it was fighting with the peanut, not complementing it. And the bourbon underneath it all just tasted confused, like it didn’t know what it was doing there.
It wasn’t smooth. It wasn’t “ballpark.” It was more like “bottom of the dugout after a rain delay.” My wife tried a tiny drop and just made a face. Didn’t even need words.
So, What Did I Learn?
Well, for starters, some ideas are best left as ideas. That “baseball liquor” was a strikeout, plain and simple. I didn’t end up drinking it. Most of it went down the drain, which felt like a waste of decent bourbon, to be honest.
But you know what? It wasn’t a total loss. I learned that infusing stuff, especially oily things like peanuts, is trickier than it looks. There’s a reason people pay for professionally made craft spirits. They actually know what they’re doing.
And it was kind of fun, in a messy, experimental way. Gave me a story to tell, right? I wouldn’t recommend trying to make “peanut-bat bourbon” yourself. Just go buy a bag of peanuts and a good bottle of whiskey and enjoy them separately while watching the game. Some things are classic for a reason. This experiment? Not destined to be a classic. But hey, I tried. And now I know.
