Drinking around a campfire is one of summer’s greatest pleasures. So too is licking the gooey s’mores guts off your campfire-smoke-smudged fingers. What if we could combine these two joys?
God bless American ingenuity: Someone’s done it. New York City artisanal marshmallow shop just released a line of booze-infused marshmallows perfect for turning your favorite childhood camp treat into something that doesn’t feel quite so “scout’s honor.”
“We kind of approach our marshmallows as a blank canvas and think, ‘What can we add to make them unique? What can we add to make them an experience?’” says Hannah Scarritt-Selman, one of the founders of the bakery.
The marshmallows come in three very adult flavors: Portobello Road’s No. 171 gin, grapefruit, and basil; Knappague Castle Irish whiskey, cocoa, hazelnut, and black pepper; and Mr. Kat’z Rock and Rye, spicy honey, and lemon. “We wanted to create something that was like a craft cocktail,” says Scarritt-Selman, “and but not too sweet. When a marshmallow is too sweet it takes away from the flavor.”
Of course, these marshmallows are still very sweet. After all, they’re sugar, water, and gelatin whipped into a frenzy of deliciousness. But when wedged between a few squares of bittersweet chocolate, you won’t mind the dentist’s-worst-nightmare level of sugar.
Right about now you’re probably wondering about the safety of dangling an alcoholic sugar pillow over an open flame. Little Boo Boo says it tested the marshmallows to make sure they weren’t absurdly flammable. “They’re only about five percent alcohol, so it’s not like a liquor soaked rum cake or anything like that,” says Scarritt-Selman. “But like anything, it’s important for people to use common sense when they’re roasting them.”
Which may be easier said than done after a few boozy s’mores.