I know, I know, but...

[dSculptor]

I know we all drink our whisky as we like, but..

I recently got my younger brother into whisky, well it started out by me telling him to look out for some special bottles, well he found me 2 GTS’s back in the fall of last year. He lives about 2 hrs. away, so he called me from the LS and asked if I wanted them, YES I’ll take them, well after I opened my mouth and told him that those were hard to find and rather tasty, he decided to keep them. WHAT! Well I was rather upset and didn’t talk to him much after that for a while, but me being the bigger person, I let it slide,(because I also had found a few bottles anyway) and asked if he drank them, he did drink one, but he drank it with COKE!

COME ON MAN! I have to draw the line somewhere, GTS with coke? Now he bought a bottle of EC21 and some other pricier juice, and is drinking them with coke. He says he can taste the difference, which I have no doubt, but why would anyone want to mix this juice with coke? He doesn’t like the fact that I get rather upset when he tells me this, and I have been trying to steer him in the right direction with some other mixing whiskies, which I think he’s finally getting the picture, or his wallet is going dry.

I enjoy a mixer now and then, but I will only use the less expensive stuff for that, occasionally using some EC12 or BT, but that’s it.

How far up the chain of whiskies will you guys mix with coke?

I know, I know, to each his own, but….

[Tony Santana]

Yeah, to each his own. Most of us may consider it sacrilege to mix a high quality bourbon with Coke, but I guess if it's your bourbon you can do what you want with it.

Just look away.

[mosugoji64]

I'd be more pissed about him keeping the GTS after asking if I wanted them. He can drink his stuff however he likes.

[Tony Santana]

I'd be more pissed about him keeping the GTS after asking if I wanted them. He can drink his stuff however he likes.

[GaryT]

I'm not a big fan of bourbon and coke, but I personally don't use anything other than the bottom 20% of my stash for mixed drinks (which I probably only enjoy one for every 25 pours of whiskey). To me, if I'm enjoying a whiskey sour, the whiskey doesn't make a huge difference (although I haven't tried GTS or ECBP in there; maybe those would!) I just enjoy it so much by itself, I wouldn't do that. I agree with Brian though - I'd be irritated with him not at least sharing one of the two if he knows how much you enjoy them.

[cadillac doc]

I rarely mix Coke with bourbon but have enjoyed it in the past (been years). I wouldn't use an expensive/rare spirit with Coke but do like them in a Manhattan/Manhattan clone.

[tylermke]

I've bought my share of $50+ bottles that I find better as mixers rather than sippers. My most recent example being the CEHT Single Barrel. It just never opened up and was very hot. Cutting it with some Coke made it drinkable again.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

I don't mind bourbon with a splash of sprite and an ice cube. Usually makers, BT or wt101 is the highest shelf I will do that with.

[nd2005]

I rarely mix Coke with bourbon but have enjoyed it in the past (been years). I wouldn't use an expensive/rare spirit with Coke but do like them in a Manhattan/Manhattan clone.

I definitely use "nice" bourbon in a classic cocktail; but I don't put something like Stagg in it. For one, I find it very hard to make a decent drink with such a high proof bourbon; for another when it comes to Stagg (or basically any premium ultra-aged) i drink that stuff an ounce at a time, sipping and enjoying it over the course of an hour or so.

[mbroo5880i]

I can understand your frustration, especially since you are an enthusiast and he probably isn't. Since he asked if you wanted them and bought them on your recommendation, he really should have given you at least one of the bottles (at cost, obviously). It is sort of the "bourbon code."

That said, he is your brother and sometimes brothers do silly things. It doesn't sound like this issue has come between you much more than temporarily being ticked off. Did you tell him that the fair thing would have been to give you one of the bottles? If so, and he chose not to, then let him know that is cool but that you expect him to save it and share it with you next time you visit.

Has he ever drank bourbon without a mixer? If not, then he may just be drinking it the only way he ever has.

[dcbt]

How far up the chain of whiskies will you guys mix with coke?

I don't mix bourbon with anything ever, not even to make a manhattan. But if I did mix, that's what our BOTM, JBW, is for...

[tigerlam92]

Same thing here. I brought a PVW 15 and a GTS 09 to my friends at two different occasions and most drank it with coke!!! After that I bring other good but mid shelf or easier to find.

Also can understand the frustration of him keeping it after he said he would pick them up for you.

Some always hold to their words no matter what that used to be the way and the good old days. I still do.

[Harry in WashDC]

Did you actually SEE your brother mix GTS and Coke then drink it? You sure this isn't one brother teasing another brother to get back at you for years of indignities?

As I wrote in the JBW BOTM thread, I was really surprised at how GOOD JBW and Coke tasted. RE: how far up . . . I love bourbon neat up to maybe 110 (even OGD 114 gets too hot sometimes, just sometimes) but my usual addition up there is water. But bowing to others' tastes, I do use EWB in "average" cocktails. For special cocktails or when making them for persons I know like good spirits, I'll use, for example, Ritt or a similar 100/100+ proof rye in Manhattans. BUT, I don't think I'd mix anything from a shelf higher than, say, EWB with Coke unless it was a clunker that I just couldn't drink neat - and there are a few in there.

[Vosgar]

Since it's your brother, a shot to the nuts is appropriate and acceptable

[GerryM]

Since it's your brother, a shot to the nuts is appropriate and acceptable

LOL +1

He reminds me of my own brother who sometimes just doesn't get it.

[squire]

I'm reliably informed God uses ginger ale as a mixer so we should be cautious about insisting there is only one best way.

[MauiSon]

Ginger ale with lamb's blood? To each His/Her own.

[bourbonfoot]

I had something similar happen recently. I'm in the "if you don't want it drank then put it away" camp so I took the blame but...

Anyway, a friend came over and was enamored with my collection. He's a novice and all, but I'm not stingy with my pours. So I head into the living room and when I return to the kitchen he's helped himself to some PVW 15, on the rocks, and he's chasing it with a local brewery's porter.

[smknjoe]

There is nothing wrong with drinking good bourbon on the rocks or mixing it. I only drink it neat because that's how I like it, not because it's trendy. Several bourbon master distillers and "experts" drink the good stuff on the rocks and with a mixer. Elmer T. Lee drank his name sake with Sprite and there is another highly regarded expert on this site, who's name I've forgotten (I'm sure one of the old timers can chime in with it), that drinks everything with diet coke (I think.) Even J Van Winkle has spoken about mixing PVW15 with Mountain Dew while hunting with his buddies.

[OscarV]

I always use the best available regardless of how I am drinking it.

Neat, on the rocks or a cocktail, they all call for the best available and I can tell the difference.

I prefer neat but I am not going to dumb down my on the rocks pour or my Old Fashion.

Why would a person use old spoiled vegetables to make vegetable soup?

You always use the freshest and the best.

I don't like bourbon and coke but I like Weller and coke a heck of a lot better than Jim Beam and coke.

[Richnimrod]

In general, I don't mix my Bourbon with anything, other than once in a while a cube of ice, or a little water; but it's not like I never mix any with a soda. I never did like Bourbon and Coke; but I do occasionally mix a 'dud' bourbon with Vernor's Ginger Ale, or 'Fiery' Ginger Ale (two more different Ginger Ales you likely won't find). The two make quite different Hi-balls; but I like each for it's own quaint qualities, when I'm in that mood. I've never tried GTS.... or any rare or long-aged Bourbon with any sort of soda. Maybe I'm missing out; but I'm OK with that.

[smknjoe]

I've never tried GTS with any sort of soda. Maybe I'm missing out; but I'm OK with that.

I think that's going to be my new sig.

[Dannabis]

hmmm... I think I'd only generally mix a bourbon if it were not great neat. I'd mix an 80 proofer, EW or HH.

I am sorry to hear that bourbon has brought strife to your sibling relationship.

[Dannabis]

I only drink it neat because that's how I like it, not because it's trendy.

Is it trendy?

You all here on SB are the only bourbon role models/drinkers I know currently so I am out of touch with what is trendy.

I could be a pig, but I started with sweet and mixed faux-bourbons, graduated to bourbon with a mixer and finally came to neat. It was a natural progression as I learned to appreciate the flavors and became irritated by overly sweet drinks.

[jmj_203]

I don't know but next family gathering, you should ro-sham-bo your brother with a good swift kick in the nutz and tell him you officially just disowned him. What? I get pissed off on reddit bourbon seeing people cry they have no ETL in their area to mix with sprite so they had to dare mix lesser bourbon for a month. I have 12 bottles of past ETL for a reason. No you should drink vodka with soda if you are like that. Stop wasting our juice of the gods on mixed drinks because your tight pants hipster crowd has you informed drinking good bourbon with soda raises you to elite tight pants status. Leave the juice for us who enjoy sipping the good bourbons like they were meant to be savored.

Edited June 15, 2014 by jmj_203