“I bet you didn’t think when you woke up this morning you were going to fall in love with a five-foot-four gremlin…”
If you’re not in love with Benny Blanco already, you’re about to be. The award-winning producer and songwriter joined forces with Uproxx for “Skrew The Usual,” a partnership with Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey to highlight his unorthodox approach to, well… everything.
Benny isn’t just one of the most effective hitmakers of the past fifteen years, he’s also a best-selling author, an actor, and a great cook (with a hit cook book). But if you heard it from him, he’s not particularly good at anything. He will only admit to having good taste and being passionate about everything he touches, which has served him well throughout his career.
“My creative superpower?” he asks in the video above. “Knowing when something is done, when it’s not done, when you just gotta add a little twinkle on top.”
Throughout “Skrew The Usual,” Benny exhibits some of the magic he brings to his various projects by helping bartender Saeed “Hawk” House elevate a great cocktail into the sort of drink that would be worthy of winning a Grammy. If… you know… cocktails won Grammy Awards.
The video showcases how curiosity and passion are effective tools for any creative endeavor. Throughout the video, Benny is like a kid in a candy store, marveling at Hawk’s different bar tools, from smokers to torches. They experiment with boba, popsicles, shaved coconut, and pineapple sorbet, all in an effort to craft the perfect drink.
The process reminds Benny of crafting various hits in his music career, from writing Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” to Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite.” Towards the end of the video, the tables turn and Benny is put in the hot seat, improvising a dessert using Skrewball-infused ingredients.
The video is a must-watch whether you’re a fan of music, whiskey, or simply interested in the creative process. It’s also just a ton of fun to spend any time with Benny and Hawk. Check it out above!
