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Lynchburg, United States

Lynchburg Lemonade

Also known as Jack Daniel's Lemonade, Tennessee Lemonade

A tall, fizzy whiskey sour that uses Tennessee whiskey and a splash of triple sec to round out the sharp edges.

whiskeylemonfizzysweettartrefreshingtalleasy-drinking

%

ABV

Difficulty

Lynchburg Lemonade

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip hits you with sharp lemon and a wave of sweetness, followed by the char and caramel of the whiskey coming through the bubbles. It finishes wet and crisp with a lingering citrus bite, but the soda keeps it from feeling heavy.

Who will like it

For people who like whiskey sours but want something taller, colder, and easier to drink on a hot day.

When to drink

This is a backyard barbecue drink — serve it when the sun is out and you need something cold in a hurry.

Ordering tip

Ask the bartender to go easy on the sour mix if you don't want it tasting like candy; fresh lemon juice makes all the difference.

Ice: CubedTemp: ColdCost: $2–$4Glass: HighballBatch-friendlyHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This is a sweet-and-sour whiskey drink built for maximum refreshment. The lemon and soda make it sharp and fizzy up front, while the triple sec and syrup smooth the edges out so it goes down easy. You taste the brown sugar and char of the whiskey on the mid-palate, but the bubbles sweep it away quickly. It is not a drink for pondering — it is a drink for cooling off.

Finish: The finish is short and wet, leaving a lingering lemon tartness and a faint caramel warmth from the whiskey.

Primary tastes

sweetsourfruity

Secondary

earthysmoky

Aroma

lemon zestcharred oakorange peel
  • Bitternesslow bitterness

    There is almost no bitterness here, just a faint char note from the whiskey that keeps the sweetness in check.

  • Sweetnessquite sweet

    The simple syrup and lemon-lime soda stack up, making this a noticeably sweet drink even with the citrus.

  • Sournessmoderately sour

    The fresh lemon juice gives a sharp, mouth-watering tartness that cuts through the sugar.

  • Strengthmoderate strength

    The soda and ice stretch the whiskey down to a moderate, easy-drinking alcohol level.

  • Refreshingvery refreshing

    Cold, fizzy, and loaded with citrus, this is about as refreshing as a mixed drink gets.

  • Smokinessfaint smoke

    The charcoal-mellowed Tennessee whiskey brings a very subtle smoky, charred edge in the background.

  • Complexitylow complexity

    It is a straightforward mix of sweet, sour, and fizz without deep layers to untangle.

Recipe

Make it at home

Shaken · Highball · equal parts on Tennessee Whiskey. Jack Daniel's is the standard and intended choice

Before you start

Squeeze your lemon juice before you start, and make sure your soda is cold so the drink stays fizzy longer. Get your highball glass in the freezer for a few minutes if you have time.

Ingredients

  • Tennessee WhiskeyBase SpiritJack Daniel's Old No. 7 is traditional45ml
  • Triple SecLiqueurAdds a subtle orange sweetness that smooths the drink out15ml
  • Lemon JuiceJuiceFresh squeezed only; bottled juice makes this taste flat30ml
  • Simple SyrupSyrupOne part sugar dissolved in one part water15ml
  • Lemon-Lime SodaSodaSprite or 7-Up; adds the fizz and extra sweetness90ml

Garnish: Lemon wedge, Maraschino cherry

Tools

  • Cocktail Shaker · Shaking

    To shake and chill the whiskey, citrus, and syrup before adding the fizz

    At home: A large mason jar with a tight lid

  • Jigger · Measuring

    To measure the whiskey, liqueur, juice, and syrup accurately

    At home: A shot glass or measuring spoons

  • Hawthorne Strainer · Straining

    To hold back the ice while pouring the shaken mix into the glass

    At home: A slotted spoon or fine mesh sieve

  • Highball Glass · Serving

    To hold the drink and plenty of ice for a tall, cold serve

    At home: Any large pint glass or tall tumbler

Ingredients and tools to make Lynchburg Lemonade
Ingredients and tools

Steps

  1. 1

    Fill your highball glass to the top with ice — regular cubes are fine, but the more ice you pack in, the slower it will water down. Set it aside while you build the drink.

    Step 1 — how to make Lynchburg Lemonade

    !Underfilling the glass with ice, which makes the drink warm up and go flat fast.

  2. 2

    Pour 45ml of Tennessee whiskey, 15ml of triple sec, 30ml of fresh lemon juice, and 15ml of simple syrup into your empty cocktail shaker. You don't need ice in the shaker yet — just get the liquids in there first.

    Step 2 — how to make Lynchburg Lemonade

    !Using bottled lemon juice, which tastes metallic and kills the freshness of the drink.

  3. 3

    Add a handful of ice to the shaker — enough to cover the liquid. Seal the shaker tight and shake it hard for about 10 seconds until the outside of the metal tin feels freezing cold and frosty.

    ~10s

    Step 3 — how to make Lynchburg Lemonade

    !Shaking too gently, which leaves the drink warm and doesn't properly mix the syrup and citrus.

  4. 4

    Pop the top off the shaker and fit your Hawthorne strainer over the tin. Pour the shaken mix into your ice-filled highball glass, letting it fill about two-thirds of the way up.

    Step 4 — how to make Lynchburg Lemonade

    !Pouring too fast and splashing the liquid over the rim of the glass.

  5. 5

    Top the glass off with 90ml of cold lemon-lime soda, pouring it slowly down the side of the glass so it keeps its fizz. Give it one gentle stir with a straw or spoon just to mix the soda into the rest of the drink.

    Step 5 — how to make Lynchburg Lemonade

    !Stirring too hard after adding the soda, which knocks all the carbonation out.

  6. 6

    Drop a lemon wedge onto the rim of the glass and drop a cherry right into the drink. Serve it with a straw so the drinker can keep it lightly mixed as the ice melts.

    Step 6 — how to make Lynchburg Lemonade

Serve

Serve it right away while it's still fully carbonated and ice-cold. The glass should look full and frosty on the outside.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Tennessee Whiskey

  • Tennessee WhiskeyBourbon Whiskey
    Match
    Common availability

    Tennessee Whiskey → Bourbon Whiskey: Makes the drink slightly sweeter and less charred, losing the distinct charcoal-mellowed edge.

Swap options for Triple Sec

  • Triple SecCointreau
    Match
    Common availability

    Triple Sec → Cointreau: Adds a drier, more pronounced orange flavor with less syrupy sweetness.

Swap options for Lemon-Lime Soda

  • Lemon-Lime SodaClub Soda
    Match
    Common availability

    Lemon-Lime Soda → Club Soda: Cuts the sweetness significantly and removes the citrus soda flavor, making it a drier, sharper drink.

Related

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Whiskey Sour

Similar cocktail

Whiskey Sour

The Lynchburg Lemonade adds triple sec and tops it with soda, making it a taller, fizzy drink.

Match

Both drinks share that core whiskey-lemon punch, but the Lynchburg Lemonade is lighter, sweeter, and carbonated, while the Whiskey Sour is denser and richer from the egg white.

In common: Whiskey and citrus base, Shaken and served cold, Sweet and sour flavor profile

Ingredients

Both share

Tennessee Whiskey, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup

Only in Lynchburg Lemonade

Triple Sec, Lemon-Lime Soda

Only in Whiskey Sour

Egg White

The Lynchburg Lemonade swaps the Whiskey Sour's egg white for triple sec and soda, stretching the drink out and adding fizz instead of a foamy top.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Whiskey-citrus backbone, Sweet and sour balance

How Whiskey Sour differs

Fizzy instead of foamy, Lighter body, Sweeter finish

View recipe & details →

Tom Collins

Similar cocktail

Tom Collins

The Tom Collins uses gin instead of Tennessee whiskey, changing the whole flavor direction to herbal and dry.

Match

They feel the same in the glass — tall, cold, and fizzy — but the whiskey gives the Lynchburg a heavier, sweeter, earthier base compared to the gin's dry, piney bite.

In common: Long fizzy serve, Citrus and soda construction, Highball glass

Ingredients

Both share

Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Lemon-Lime Soda

Only in Lynchburg Lemonade

Tennessee Whiskey, Triple Sec

Only in Tom Collins

Gin

The Lynchburg Lemonade replaces the gin with Tennessee whiskey and adds a splash of triple sec for extra sweetness and depth.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Sharp lemon tartness, Sweet soda fizz, Refreshing cold serve

How Tom Collins differs

Caramel and oak notes instead of juniper, Slightly heavier body, Rounder, sweeter mid-palate

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

This drink was created and heavily promoted by the Jack Daniel's Distillery as a signature highball to sell more Tennessee whiskey. It is named after Lynchburg, Tennessee, the home of the distillery, despite the town being in a dry county where the drink cannot legally be sold.

Creator
Jack Daniel's Distillery
Era
1980s
Confidence

The exact ratio of lemon to syrup varies widely depending on how sweet the soda is; the recipe here assumes standard lemon-lime soda like Sprite.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

  • Use a 2:1 ratio of lemon juice to syrup if you prefer it on the tart side.
  • Chill your highball glass in the freezer for 10 minutes before making it.
  • Pour the soda down the side of the glass to keep it from going flat.
  • Skip the cherry if you don't want extra sweetness at the bottom.

Avoid

Common mistakes

  • Using bottled lemon juice makes it taste flat and metallic.
  • Shaking the soda with the rest of the drink will make it explode.
  • Leaving the finished drink sitting too long kills the fizz.