High proof, low buzz: This new whiskey doubles as a mosquito repellant
An unconventional answer to the pesky bugs that disrupt summer’s backyard cocktail parties.
Spritz your drink with...whiskey bug spray? Suspend your disbelief for a moment to consider Skeeter’s, a whiskey flavored with an ingredient that naturally repels mosquitos and adds a citrus note to the spirit: nootkatone. Nootkatone is essentially an all-natural version of DEET that is also used as a food flavoring and cosmetic additive. The specific nootkatone used in Skeeter’s is derived from grapefruit skins.
Skeeter’s, which comes in a spray and not a traditional 750 ml whiskey bottle, is the latest off-kilter alcoholic innovation from Steven Grasse, Philly native and founder and owner of Tamworth Distilling, the creative company Quaker City Mercantile, and the now-closed Art in the Age in Old City, which has evolved into Art in the Age Spirits, a brand that lives on in through craft spirits and pop up cocktail events.
“What started as a moment of frustration outdoors turned into a question: how do we make the experience better without compromising the drink?” said Matt Power, the botanical chemist and distiller of Tamworth Distilling. “Skeeter’s is designed to enhance what’s already in your glass—while making sure nothing else gets in the way.”
The whiskey is heavily scented with woodsy, citrus notes – it smells like something you’d spray in the corners of a wardrobe to ward off moths. It adds a pleasant depth to martinis and Manhattans alike. Skeeter’s is specifically designed for outdoor drinking, and though the company does not mention this alternate use, it works exceedingly well to ward off mosquitos when sprayed upon one’s ankles.
Upon the tongue, it tastes indeed, like whiskey, though the pleasant tingling sensation from the nootkatone lingers, making Skeeter’s quite unlike any other whiskey on the market.
Skeeter’s Nootkatone Flavored Whiskey is sold in both a 100ml spray bottle and in a 375ml can (with which you would refill your spray bottle). It launches for direct-to-consumer online purchase to 45 states, including Pennsylvania on May 25 at www.tamworthdistilling.com
