Cocktail: Vanilla Coke (Simplest Recipe Ever!)
Vanilla Coke
Equipment
- Rocks Glass
- Jigger
- Cocktail Stirrer/Spoon
- Cocktail Skewer (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 Extra Large Ice Cub
- 2 oz Vanilla Bourbon (60ml)
- 4 oz Coca-cola (120ml)
- 1 Maraschino Cherry (optional)
Instructions
- In a rocks glass, put one extra large ice cube. The bigger the better.
- Measure out and pour the vanilla bourbon over the ice.
- Add the coca-cola over top and gently stir.
- Add a maraschino cherry as an optional garnish.
Notes
A Vanilla Coke That Does NOT Disappoint
The Vanilla Coke cocktail is criminally simple to make. By all rights one should expect much more work for something that taste this good. Unfortunately, there is one minor hitch. You need vanilla bourbon. More on that in a second.
Can’t Coke do it?
You might think you can cheat the system by using a standard bourbon and vanilla flavored Coke. This seems like an obvious shortcut, but you’re just going to end up with a subpar cocktail. The guiding force of this amazing cocktail is the awesome, and natural, vanilla flavor that shines through in every sip. Vanilla Coke, for those that have had it, comes off more like a bad imitation of vanilla.
On the topic of Coca-Cola, you might be wondering if it’s alright to sub it out for Pepsi, Cola Turka, or some other brand. If you really hate Coke that much, do what makes you happy. I never invested much into the cola wars, but as mentioned on our Cuba Libre recipe, Coca-Cola’s overall taste lends itself particularly well as a cocktail mixer. Other colas came up much flatter, pun intended, when tried. I honestly thought it wouldn’t matter, but it made a huge difference. Thus, Coke is our go to cola mixer for any and all cocktails now.
Getting Vanilla Bourbon
Is vanilla bourbon a thing?
Yes, it’s a thing but it’s just not that popular. Through my research I discovered that Jim Beam makes a vanilla flavored bourbon. I have no idea how it tastes. Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried it.
Instead of hunting for a bottle of overpriced vanilla bourbon, just make some. It’s dead easy to do, just follow the directions here:
Make your own Vanilla Bourbon! It’s easy!
Vanilla Infused Alcohol
As mentioned in the above page, I use the Four Roses red label, which runs around $10 a bottle in Japan. The magic of alchemy is turning a bottom shelve spirit into something show stopping.
Ice; More Important Than You Realize
The last little thing you want to get right is the ice. Don’t use small cubes or pebble ice. They will melt quickly and water-down the drink, ruining the taste.
Instead, use extra large cubes. You can easily find cubes like this at your local supermarket. Don’t underestimate how important the right ice is. This can make or break your drink.
Just in case you missed our post getting your home bar up and running:
COCKTAILS; GETTING STARTED
Wakao! Much like this Indian commercial for Vanilla Coke, this cocktail packs a punch. Remember to moderate.