Whip up a simple Jack & Coke, one of the best quick and easy cocktails! To make the best version of this two-ingredient
Save this for later!
We'll email a link to you, so you can come back to it whenever! Plus, you'll get great new recipes and tips in your inbox each week.
DISCLAIMER
*This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Feast + West may receive commissions for purchases made through those links — at no cost to you. All opinions are our own. Please read our full disclosure for more information.
Jack & Coke recipe
When you want a cocktail but don’t want to get out a cocktail shaker * and a bunch of ingredients, a two-ingredient
The Jack & Coke is the perfect example. It’s my mother-in-law’s go-to
In 2022, Jack Daniel’s came out with a canned Jack & Coke, which is made in conjunction with the iconic Coca-Cola brand. There is also a new version of this portable format made with Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.
But why pay extra for the canned version when these drinks are so simple to make yourself and customize how you like them?! I don’t see a good reason! As with any recipe that has only a few ingredients, both the quality of ingredients and proportions matter a lot. Here’s what you need to know to make the perfect Jack & Coke
More two-ingredient
Why you’ll love this recipe
- With just two ingredients, it is a simple
drink to make. A great one for beginner cocktail makers. - Jack Daniel’s brings a refreshing experience. If you like other types of whiskey with cola, it’s a great combo to try!
- Make it your own with mix-ins and flavors. Try Cherry Coke, a small batch brand or whatever sounds good.
Tools & glassware
To make the popular Jack & Coke, you don’t need any fancy equipment. However, a jigger will be a big help in getting the right proportions — very important when there are only two ingredients in a cocktail! (And the ingredients need to be really good, too!)
You can serve a Jack & Coke in just about any kind of glass. A lowball glass (or rocks glass) is most common, but you can also serve it in a highball glass *.
favorite highball glasses
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → *
What Tennessee whiskey brings to the Jack & Coke
Jack Daniel’s is a brand of Tennessee whiskey, which is a type of whiskey very similar to Kentucky whiskey, AKA bourbon and checks a lot of the same boxes. They’re both made in the United States, are made with at least 51% corn, are bottled at no less than 80 proof or 40% alcohol by volume, and must be aged in new charred oak barrels.
But there is one key difference between Tennessee whiskey and bourbon: Once the whiskey has been distilled in copper stills, it goes through an extra step called charcoal mellowing, AKA the “Lincoln County Process” (referring to the Tennessee county where it’s made).
Charcoal mellowing means it is filtered through 10-foot stacks of sugar maple charcoal, removing impurities and the taste of corn. When bourbon goes through any extra process or gets extra coloring and flavoring — such as being charcoal mellowed — legally, it can no longer be considered bourbon.
Without the flavor of corn in the whiskey, Jack Daniel’s and other Tennessee whiskeys have a warm, vanilla and caramel-like aroma that pairs really well with cola, adding more smoothness and less bite. Sugary sodas in general help to mask the kick of spirits, but Jack is already, well, mellowed, so it is even smoother than bourbon when mixed with cola.
Price is another consideration. Most whiskey fans save the best bottles for sipping straight. Jack is a mid-shelf whiskey, meaning it’s not a premium price, so it’s a popular pick for mixing into highballs like a whiskey & Coke.
Types of Tennessee whiskey
Jack Daniel’s may be the most well-known Tennessee whiskey, but it isn’t the only one — or technically the first. Nathan “Nearest” Green, nicknamed Uncle Nearest by his Lynchburg family and friends, was the first known African-American master distiller.
An slaved man who worked for a country preacher and distiller, he incorporated a charcoal-filtering process that food historians say people in West Africa used for filtering water and purifying foods. Nearest taught a young Jack Daniel how to make Tennessee whiskey, and Daniel later hired Nearest as his head distiller.
Today, a black-owned brand called Uncle Nearest honors the whiskey’s first-known African American master distiller with a range of Tennessee whiskeys. Jack Daniel’s, too, has more than just its signature bottle. The premium version, the 80-proof Gentleman Jack, is charcoal mellowed twice. Some say it’s even better in a Jack & Coke than regular Jack.
Jack Daniel’s also has several flavored whiskeys, including a honey whiskey (Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey), cinnamon whiskey (Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire) and an apple-flavored whiskey (Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple).
You can also find other brand of Tennessee whiskey, made outside of Lynchburg and across the Volunteer State, including Belle Meade (Nashville), Blue Note (Memphis), Chattanooga Whiskey (Chattanooga), George Dickel (Tullahoma), Heaven’s Door (Nashville), Old Dominick (Memphis) and Yellow Bird (Columbia).
Best cola for Jack & Cokes
Coca-Cola is the most popular brand for a classic Jack & Coke cocktail. Some people might argue the red can’s secret sauce is the only choice. After all, it has a high acidity which smooth Tennessee whiskey helps to balance out. However, there are a lot of other brands worth trying instead — just to find your favorite!
Bottled Mexican Coke is made with real cane sugar and doesn’t contain corn syrup, so it makes for a delicious pairing. Another one of the iconic brands of cola, Pepsi comes from my home state of North Carolina, and it’s slightly sweeter than Coke, too.
And then there are the specialty brands like Boylan Sugar Cane Cola Soda (one of my favorites to pick up at a specialty shop), and even ones sodas that are explicitly crafted for use in cocktails, like Fentimans Curiosity Cola and Fever Tree Madagascan Cola.
How to make a Jack & Coke
With a base of two ingredients, the Whiskey and Coke is one of the easiest cocktails you can make. And it’s so good on a hot day!
The first time you make this cocktail, you might be tempted to just pour some Jack and Coke together and call it a day, but I suggest you measure it out with a jigger.
- Start with a chilled glass and add lots of ice. If you’re adding a mix-in like vanilla syrup, add it here. Then, add your whiskey — about 2 ounces should do the trick.
- Top with fizzy cola. Let the bubbles die back, then add more to fill the glass.
- Add a wedge of lime or lemon as a garnish. Squeeze it in before taking a sip!
Got leftover Jack? Use it to make a Tennessee Mule or a Lynchburg Lemonade.
Jack & Coke substitutions & variations
Even though there are just two ingredients, there are so many ways to mix up the Jack & Coke!
Whiskey swaps
- Use another Tennessee whiskey. Use the twice-mellowed Gentleman Jack or another brand instead. Or you could try a flavored whiskey like Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire.
- Double the whiskey. Use twice the amount of Jack, and a little less Coke, for a stronger
drink . (But pleasedrink responsibly!) - Substitute the whiskey altogether. Substitute rum for Jack Daniel’s to make the classic rum & Coke. Add a squeeze of lime and, call it a Cuba Libre! Or use any other kind of whiskey, but bourbon whiskey and Canadian whisky are most popular.
make it a mocktail
If you want a Jack & Coke mocktail, you don’t have to
Cola swaps
- Add flavor. Vanilla Coke and Cherry Coke both work well. A squeeze of fresh lime juice imparts tart flavor that balances the sweet taste of cola.
- Try homemade syrups. Pair homemade cola syrup with club soda. You can also add flavor to regular soda with other syrups, such as vanilla syrup or cherry syrup.
- Make it low-calorie or zero-sugar. If you like diet cola, of course, you can use that here! I know a lot of people who like these drinks with Diet Pepsi, Diet Coke, Coke Zero or Zevia Cola.
Tips & tricks
- Measure carefully: The trick to two-ingredient drinks is measuring well. The best ratio is a 1:3 ratio, but you can start there and alter to your tastes.
- Chill out: The colder the ingredients, the fizzier and crisper the soda will be. Make sure the soda and glass are chilled ahead of time. You can even place the whiskey in the freezer for a couple of hours before you begin.
- Make your own cola: Take it up a notch with a SodaStream and cola syrup.
Serving suggestions
Two ingredient drinks don’t have to look boring. Dress it up with a garnish like a cocktail cherry * or a slice of lime or lemon. Add a cute straw or serve it in a pretty glass to make a statement with a simple drink!
Bar foods like chicken wings, fried pickles or crescent roll veggie pizza are the perfect pairing for the Jack & Coke! They’re also a great cocktail to enjoy with a good burger and fries, fried chicken or some Memphis-style barbecue. For dessert, you could make up a batch of bourbon balls with Jack Daniel’s instead of bourbon!
FAQ
I recommend 1:3 ratio of whiskey to cola (2 ounces whiskey, 6 ounces cola). If you do a 1:1 ratio, the drink will be very strong.
Carbonation is at its fizziest when the ingredients are very, very cold, making the bubbles crisp and the flavor sharper. However, this does mean you may have to pour the soda in batches to allow it to fizz up. Diet Coke, in particular, fizzes more and faster than regular Coke.
Leave a comment or tap the ★★★★★ below to leave a rating — it helps others and supports our work. We love hearing how it turned out!
Jack & Coke
ingredients
- 2 ounces Tennessee whiskey such as Jack Daniel’s
- 6 ounces cola such as Coke or Pepsi
- 1 wedge fresh lime for garnish
- ice
instructions
- Chill a lowball glass in the freezer for 10 minutes before you begin. Fill the glass filled with ice.ice
- Pour Jack Daniel's whiskey over the ice.2 ounces Tennessee whiskey
- Top with cola, being careful not to add it all at once. Let the fizz die down, then top it up.6 ounces cola
- Garnish with a lime wedge.1 wedge fresh lime
notes
Save this recipe for later
We’ll email a link to you, so you can come back to it whenever! Plus, you’ll get great new recipes and tips in your inbox each week.
recommended products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Leave a Reply