Many of us have tried to combine alcohol with other edible items with limited success. Sugar Philly has come to our rescue with their newest offering: boozy macarons. I took it upon myself to taste these delightful little morsels, provided by a donor referred to as KZM (who is also my roommate, an intern at Sugar Philly, and the photographer of this article) who shall remain anonymous to avoid conflict-of-interest accusations.
Tequila Pineapple Ancho Chili
Apparently tequila can actually taste good. We could definitely taste the alcohol in this one, but it tasted more like a pineapple margarita than a straight-up shot (thank god). The filling was citrusy and not overly sugary, which meshed well with the delicately sweet macaron shell to produce a well-balanced bite.
“Tequila sucks” -KZ
Maple Bourbon Walnut
PRETTY FLECKS and a buttery, gooey filling. The brown sugar combined with the walnut gave a classic nutty taste, almost like a praline. The smokiness of the bourbon added another layer of richness to give a full-bodied flavor. As a bonus, our macaron had a huge air pocket, which maximized the crispiness of the cookie. Yum.
“This one really puts the OOZY in the BOOZY! HEHEHEHEHE [sic].” -KZ
Rum Cherry Chocolate
Note: Neither of us like cherries. Oops.
We highly recommend this for lightweights – we could barely taste the rum over the fruitiness of the cherries. At first, the tartness of the cherry chunks came through, but the ending was pleasantly chocolatey. The sprinkles added a nice texture to each bite (wink wink).
“Ew, I hate cherries.” -KZ
Campari Orange Daquiri
Warning: not for the faint of heart. You might not be able to handle the cuteness overload.
Two hearts from us. This macaron was adorable, and the filling was sweet and smooth, just like a good relationship. We couldn’t taste the alcohol in this one, but the orange flavor perfumed with a subtle tanginess won us over.
“Wow, it tastes like an orange lemon bar. You know, a lemon bar. But orange.” -KZ
Our Fave: Campari Orange Daiquiri
Maybe it’s because we’re babies who prefer alcohol that doesn’t taste like alcohol, but this macaron was the winner for both of us. The Campari Orange Daiquiri was a smooooooth ride from the beginning to the end, and the subtle flavor was addictive.
If you are struggling to find a Valentine’s Day gift for your beloved (or if you enjoy macarons and/or alcohol), you too can get a box from Sugar Philly here. Grab them while you can – it’s not every day that you can get drunk off macarons.