Jack and Coke is a highballcocktail made by mixing Jack Daniel's brand Tennessee whiskey with Coca-Cola. It is especially popular in the American South. The drink is generally served with ice – sometimes in an old-fashioned glass or a Collins glass – and sometimes in less expensive containers such as disposableplastic cups. Bourbon and Coke, more generically called Bourbon and Cola, is basically the same drink, except not identifying a particular brand of whiskey, while the term "Jack and Coke" specifically identifies that the Jack Daniel's brand is used. The "Coke" part of the name may tend to imply that the Coca-Cola brand of cola is used, but it is common for any brand of cola to be referred to as "Coke" in the American South. The drink is considered low-brow cultural fare and tends to be frowned upon by whiskey aficionados; it is generally not featured on the menus of fine dining restaurants, and some upmarket establishments may refuse to serve it or suggest alternatives if it is requested.
History
The first known mention of a drink made by mixing whiskey with Coke was in a 1907 report of an employee of the United States Bureau of Chemistry and Soils, who encountered the drink when visiting the South, and said the proprietor called it a "Coca-Cola high-ball". Bourbon and Coke would grow to become a common starting point for introducing novice drinkers to bourbon, according to Dave Pickerell, a former master distiller of the Maker's Mark brand of bourbon. According to Massachusetts Beverage Business in 2005, the popularity of the Jack and Coke combination was on the rise among 21- to 34-year-olds. Mike Keyes, Jack Daniel's Senior Vice President and Global Brand Director, was quoted in 2007 as saying that "Over time, more of Jack Daniel's is being consumed with mixers, such as Coca-Cola." In 2016, after the death of Lemmy Kilmister, the frontman and bassist of the heavy metal bandMotörhead, his fans began a campaign to rename the cocktail after him, due to his prominent and frequent consumption of the drink. On January 12, 2016, Food and Beverage magazine said they had officially named the Jack and Coke combination as "The Lemmy".
Variations
Jack and Coke
The term "Jack and Coke" was used in some combined advertising for Jack Daniel's and Coca-Cola, and several products were created as part of this marketing campaign, including bar signs and taps. Around 1996, Jack Daniel's released a canned beverage called "Jack Daniel's and Cola", a mixed beverage of the same type as Jack and Coke, in several markets in the South Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand.
Similar beverages
In Canada a similar cocktail called Rye and Coke replaces the bourbon with Canadian Whisky. Although not traditional, the modern cocktail is often garnished with a wedge of lime. A related cocktail, Rye and Diet, is made with diet cola.
