Van Gogh Releases PB&J Flavored Vodka

Sigh.

It’s true that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a beloved American classic. I had one for lunch, in fact. But do we really need a PB&J Vodka? Van Gogh thinks so, although their credibility must be examined after introducing the world to other questionable flavors (though non quite so horrid as those perpetrated by others – looking at you, Three Olives).

At this point, it’s becoming difficult to take such releases seriously. It’s also difficult to believe Van Gogh created PB&J vodka with of-age drinkers in mind. And apart from dumping it on bread, what’s the practical application? We’re hard-pressed to imagine a cocktail benefiting from the addition of peanut butter and jelly vodka.

That said, maybe we’re just not imaginative enough to get it. We’re certainly not the target market — 12-year-olds have that segment wrapped up. Which brings us to our next point:

The bottle is decorated like the average Willy Wonka factory. Or My Little Pony wallpaper. It’s hard to believe adults will purchase this. Although, the same can be said for whipped cream vodka, bubblegum vodka, and others of that ilk, which — as evidenced by increasing shelf space — seem to be doing fine.

Obviously, we have no plans to secure a bottle for ourselves, and our storage closet is already jammed with full bottles of obnoxiously-flavored vodkas. But in the spirit of honest reporting, we’ll at least provide some notes from Van Gogh’s Master Distiller, Tim Vos, who decided upon raspberry jelly after taste-testing a variety of sandwiches.

For me, the raspberry jelly came out the best…It is fresh, fruity and mingles very well with the oily structure of the peanut butter. While the fragrance is predominantly of peanuts, it is complemented by the fresh fruit aroma of the raspberry.  On the tongue, the roles are reversed and the raspberry flavor is more of the focal point, giving it a velvety texture with a hint of vanilla on the side.

If that’s your thing, Van Gogh PB&J Vodka is hitting store shelves now and retails for about $27. Or a week’s worth of allowance for your average sixth-grader.