Whiskey and “coke” blasphemous or a real drink?

Guilty here,

but I’ve liked a VERY stiff whiskey with a splash of Coke. I’m talking maybe a 10:1 or greater ratio here…literally a splash. Still a crazy proof drink when drinking barrel proof or the like.

Whiskey classics often call for some degree of sugar and maybe there’s something to it? I don’t want to cloy my drink of course but even in mixed drinks we like to choose our poison. So why not in a “Jack” and “Coke”

The history (or lack of) is interesting, was it from the Cuba Libre?

Interested to hear opinions!

I prefer red wine and coke.

I say drink what you like how you like it. Having said that, if you’re coming over to my house for drinks I’m probably not going to pull my best bottles then.

Have you tried other mixers like soda water?

Rajesh is right on. Drink whatever you like without guilt, but you’re really changing the whiskey’s flavor. I use water with overproof bourbon because I have a taste sensitivity to high alcohol. Watering back helps me actually taste it.

I do drink what I like…always!
I don’t mix “great” bourbon with coke or really any mixed drink but I also find the concept of not mixing such a high proof interesting. I was searching for an article I’d read before about the origin of mixing Coke and came up empty so I thought I’d pose the question. This was spurred by receipt of a gift of a Jack Daniels single barrel, barrel proof bottling. I haven’t had a JD in probably 15 years, I found it basically undrinkable on rocks but with literally a splash of coke I quite liked it.

Maybe it was just nostalgic, but that’s how the rest of the bottle will probably go.

I find the nuance of bourbon much less predictable blind than even the most elusive wine. I also like to make an occasional Manhattan with a nice(r) bourbon (I’m not talking pvw here, but I have used Elmer :slight_smile:) but I know that’s blasphemy as well.

nothing wrong with making cocktails with high quality liquor, within reason.

Agreed, where does your reason end on the spectrum of bourbon?

I’ll use larceny, Weller SR, eagle rare, Buffalo trace, knob creek, four roses obsv or whatever.

Generally I won’t use blantons or anything that’s too hard to replace.

There are times and places for whiskey and coke. Jack or Crown are designed for this. Save the better mixing bourbons for more transparent whiskey cocktails.

+1

Not sure about the thrust of the question. Is the issue Coke, specifically, or just that’s a carbonated pop?

I recall back when I was an undergraduate in Edinburgh you’d in some pubs see bottles of lemonade on tables for people to put with their whisky.

To each their own. I can’t relate to this , I never drink Coke it gives me a headache.

Oops, I just noticed the spelling in the subject line. Take whatever you like with it.

Whisky and whiskey are both correct

Yes, but they are used for different purposes. With an “e” is generally used for American and Irish, so I assume Richard’s point was something like: if you’re talking about US or Irish, then the beverage in question isn’t to be respected in the first place, so feel free to mix it with whatever.

FIFY

I’m not sure if Chris wasn’t trying to be provocative, as was I.
You are indeed correct, Sarah.

I distinguish North American Whiskey from the real thing distilled in Ireland and Scotland. The stuff distilled in the US and Canada is not fit for human consumption and, therefore, cannot be ruined any further with the addition of coca cola. The Canadian stuff already can contain up to 9% additives (orange juice, anyone?), so Coke cannot make it worse. I don’t drink cask seasoning, which is the only thing American corn juice is good for, except for adding to hog food along with the cobs.

I’ll have a whiskey and coke, sure, but it’s usually on a golf course or something with buddies when I feel like a whisky drink but the best they have is Crown or Jack. I quite like it.

I love Coke Zero and low cost bourbon. It was the drink of my youth. That said, I will also do it with pricier bottles that I don’t like neat and want to move on to make space.

Smoky Cokey (Lagavulin 16 and coke) is really good. I wouldn’t drink Lagavulin that way all the time, but once in a while is nice drink to have while grilling.