cocktaildna

United States

Whiskey Coke

Also known as Bourbon and Coke, Jack and Coke, Whiskey Cola, JD and Coke

A simple, boozy highball that mixes the caramel and oak of whiskey with the sweet fizz of cola.

sweetcolacaramelfizzyeasy-drinkinghighballbourboncasualice-cold

%

ABV

Difficulty

Whiskey Coke

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip hits you with sweet cola and a bite of carbonation, followed by the whiskey's warmth and caramel coming through underneath. It finishes with a lingering, slightly sticky sweetness and a gentle burn from the booze.

Who will like it

For people who like sweet, easy-drinking cocktails where the mixer does most of the heavy lifting.

When to drink

This is a go-to for casual parties, dive bar nights, or anytime you want a drink in your hand without thinking too hard about it.

Ordering tip

Ask for your preferred whiskey brand by name, and specify if you want it topped with regular or diet cola, since the default well whiskey and house cola can taste overly harsh.

Ice: CubedTemp: ColdCost: $1–$4Glass: HighballBatch-friendlyHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This is a sweet, fizzy drink that goes down easy. The cola dominates the flavor, bringing a heavy sugar rush and spice, while the whiskey adds a warm, caramel-like backbone and a little bit of a bite at the end. It is not a complicated or nuanced cocktail, but it is cold, boozy, and refreshing. Squeezing the lime into the glass helps cut the sweetness and gives it a bit of sharpness it otherwise lacks.

Finish: The finish is short and sweet with a lingering cola stickiness and a gentle, warming alcohol burn.

Primary tastes

sweetfruity

Secondary

smokyearthy

Aroma

caramelvanillacola spiceoak
  • Bitternesslow bitterness

    The cola has a tiny bitter edge from the kola nut and phosphoric acid, but it's buried under sugar.

  • Sweetnessvery sweet

    This is a sugary drink, driven almost entirely by the heavy sweetness of the cola.

  • Strengthmoderate strength

    The standard two-to-one pour gives you a solid buzz without tasting purely of alcohol.

  • Refreshingfairly refreshing

    Cold ice and carbonation make it go down easy, though the sugar keeps it from being truly thirst-quenching.

  • Smokinesslight smokiness

    You get a faint char and wood smoke from the whiskey barrel aging, but it stays in the background.

  • Complexitylow complexity

    It is a straightforward two-ingredient mix where what you see is exactly what you get.

Recipe

Make it at home

Built · Highball · equal parts on Bourbon Whiskey. Bourbon recommended for its sweeter profile; any blended or rye whiskey works too.

Before you start

Make sure your cola is cold and freshly opened so it keeps its fizz. Grab a tall glass and get your ice ready.

Ingredients

  • Bourbon WhiskeyBase Spirit60ml
  • ColaSodaStandard sweet cola like Coca-Cola or Pepsi.120ml

Garnish: Lime wedge

Tools

  • Highball glass · Serving

    Holds the drink and ice, giving enough room for the pour and fizz.

    At home: Any tall drinking glass

  • Jigger · Measuring

    Measures the whiskey so the drink doesn't end up too strong or too weak.

    At home: A shot glass or measuring spoon

  • Bar spoon · Mixing

    Stirs the drink gently to mix the whiskey and cola without flattening the soda.

    At home: A long dinner knife or regular spoon

Ingredients and tools to make Whiskey Coke
Ingredients and tools

Steps

  1. 1

    Fill a highball glass to the top with ice cubes. You want the glass packed so the drink stays cold and the soda doesn't go flat as fast.

    Step 1 — how to make Whiskey Coke

    !Using too little ice, which makes the drink warm up and lose its fizz quickly.

  2. 2

    Pour 60ml of bourbon whiskey directly over the ice. The cold ice will start bringing the temperature of the whiskey down right away.

    Step 2 — how to make Whiskey Coke

    !Free-pouring without measuring, which often leads to a drink that's far too strong.

  3. 3

    Top the glass with about 120ml of cold cola, pouring it slowly down the side of the glass if you can. This keeps the carbonation from foaming up and spilling over the rim.

    Step 3 — how to make Whiskey Coke

    !Pouring the cola too fast from the very top, which makes it fizz everywhere and leaves you with half a glass.

  4. 4

    Take your bar spoon and give the drink a gentle pull from the bottom up, just two or three times. You just want to mix the whiskey into the cola without stirring out all the bubbles.

    Step 4 — how to make Whiskey Coke

    !Stirring too hard or too long, which knocks all the fizz out of the soda.

  5. 5

    Place a lime wedge on the rim of the glass. Give it a squeeze over the top of the drink right before you take a sip to cut through some of the sweetness.

    Step 5 — how to make Whiskey Coke

    !Forgetting the lime, which leaves the drink tasting flat and one-dimensionally sweet.

Serve

Serve it right away while the ice is solid and the soda is still fizzy. The glass should look tall, dark, and topped with a bright green lime wedge.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

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

Swap options for Bourbon Whiskey

  • Bourbon WhiskeyRye Whiskey
    Match
    Common availability

    Bourbon Whiskey → Rye Whiskey: Adds a drier, spicier kick that cuts through the cola's sweetness more aggressively.

  • Bourbon WhiskeyTennessee Whiskey
    Match
    Common availability

    Bourbon Whiskey → Tennessee Whiskey: Smoother and slightly sweeter with a charcoal mellowing finish, making an even softer drink.

  • Bourbon WhiskeyScotch Whisky
    Match
    Common availability

    Bourbon Whiskey → Scotch Whisky: Brings a smoky, earthy profile that clashes with the cola's sweetness unless you use a mild blended Scotch.

Swap options for Cola

  • ColaDiet Cola
    Match
    Common availability

    Cola → Diet Cola: Removes the sugar weight, making the whiskey taste sharper and more astringent.

  • ColaSpiced Cola
    Match
    Specialty availability

    Cola → Spiced Cola: Adds clove, cinnamon, and citrus notes that complement the whiskey's barrel spices.

Related

Similar cocktails

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

Rum and Coke

Similar cocktail

Rum and Coke

Rum and Coke uses a sugarcane-based spirit, making the drink lighter and sweeter without the oak and caramel notes of whiskey.

Match

The Rum and Coke drinks a bit lighter and sweeter, missing the dry oak bite that the whiskey version has on the finish.

In common: Sweet highball, Built over ice, Simple two-ingredient mix

Ingredients

Both share

Cola

Only in Whiskey Coke

Bourbon Whiskey

Only in Rum and Coke

Dark Rum

Swapping bourbon for dark rum removes the oak and vanilla notes from the grain spirit and replaces them with the molasses and brown sugar flavors of rum.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Sweet cola backbone, Fizzy and refreshing, Low complexity

How Rum and Coke differs

Lighter body, Less warming bite, Sweeter overall

View recipe & details →

Whiskey Ginger

Similar cocktail

Whiskey Ginger

Whiskey Ginger uses ginger ale instead of cola, making the drink drier and more sharply spiced rather than sweet.

Match

The Whiskey Ginger is less syrupy and has a sharper, drier bite from the ginger, making it taste a bit more balanced and less candy-like than the Coke version.

In common: Whiskey highball, Built over ice, Casual and easy-drinking

Ingredients

Both share

Bourbon Whiskey

Only in Whiskey Coke

Cola

Only in Whiskey Ginger

Ginger Ale

Replacing the heavy, dark sweetness of cola with ginger ale shifts the mixer from fruity and sugary to dry and spicy.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Whiskey-forward warmth, Fizzy carbonation, Refreshing chill

How Whiskey Ginger differs

Drier profile, Spicy ginger bite, Less sugary stickiness

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The exact origin is unknown, but mixing whiskey with cola became a widespread habit in the United States during the mid-20th century as bottled cola grew in popularity. It was never invented by a bartender so much as it evolved naturally as a simple, everyday way to stretch a shot of whiskey.

Era
1900s
Confidence

The ratio of whiskey to cola varies widely by personal preference; 1:2 is a standard starting point.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

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

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

  • Use fresh, unopened cola so the drink actually has fizz.
  • Squeeze the lime wedge into the drink to cut the sweetness.
  • Pour the cola down the side of the glass to keep it from foaming over.

Avoid

Common mistakes

  • Stirring too hard and making the soda go flat.
  • Using cheap, harsh well whiskey that tastes rough with sweet cola.