10 Absolute Worst Mixers To Add To Bourbon, According To A Bartender

Bourbon is a beloved American spirit, and one of the reasons it is so popular is that it pairs well with a variety of different mixers to make a mean cocktail. Of course, it tastes phenomenal as-is, too. However, there are a few mixers you'd be wise to keep far away from your bourbon — as it turns out, it's not a complete free-for-all.

Bourbon typically features notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak — it's also inherently sweet. While these traits pair wonderfully with a myriad of mixers, they clash with quite a few as well. A well-crafted bourbon cocktail or highball allows the nuanced flavors of bourbon to shine through without getting overpowered. I should know, I was a bartender for 10 years, spent an additional 10 years working as a server, and then there's my decades-long love affair with the brown spirit. So take it from me, even if you stick to expert-recommended bourbon-buying rules, you can still mess it up with one of the 10 absolute worst mixers described below. Don't let this happen to you.

Without a doubt, the first thing that came to mind when I was conjuring up a list of the absolute worst mixers for bourbon was milk. I mean, just thinking of it makes my stomach churn — yuck! Aside from the gut reaction it caused in me, milk is way too dense and heavy to give bourbon the room it needs to make a well-balanced drink. Talk about stealing the show, and who wants milk to be the star when imbibing? No one, that's who.

There's a drink, the Bourbon Milk Punch, that calls for milk (it's in the name, after all), but I honestly can't believe how or why it is a thing. It probably tastes okay, much better than plain old milk and bourbon because it features simple syrup and vanilla extract, but it's still a firm no from me. Before you get any ideas, I recommend steering clear of any kind of milk — regular, plant-based, chocolate, whatever. They should all be kept far away from your bourbon, at least if you know what's good for you.

Tomato juice is another mixer that doesn't pair well with bourbon. For starters, it seriously overpowers the nuanced notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak found in most bourbons. Even if it didn't, does vanilla and caramel flavored tomato juice sound good to you? My guess is no. Plus, the high acidity of tomato juice clashes with bourbon quite a bit, leading to a poorly balanced, less-than-desirable taste you'll likely wish you never experienced in the first place. No, thanks.

You can go ahead and add other tomato-based mixers like Clamato and Bloody Mary mix to the list of the absolute worst mixers for bourbon as well. Largely made with tomato juice, they don't get the job done when looking to make a delicious cocktail or highball with the brown spirit. I'll admit, some people like a bourbon Bloody Mary at brunch, but it's definitely an acquired taste, and it's not one I want to develop. Do yourself a favor and stick to more accommodating mixers like ginger ale, Coke, or even straight-up soda water, and you'll be glad you did.

Mountain Dew and bourbon are a classic highball combo in West Virginia, but straight-up energy drinks like Red Bull make a nasty pairing with the beloved brown spirit. They are all way too sweet for you to savor the bourbon within. The somewhat chemical taste of most energy drinks also clashes with bourbon's inherent flavors (caramel, oak, and vanilla). Making a cocktail with bourbon and some kind of energy drink will give you some extra pep in your step, but it certainly won't taste good. I'd even go so far as to say it will taste downright awful.

The tangy flavor in energy drinks that gets you in the back of your throat won't save you from bourbon's burn, either, so they won't even do a good job masking lower-quality bottles. Just so you know, I like energy drinks as much as the next person, maybe more if we are talking Red Bull exclusively, but they simply aren't a good mixer for bourbon. And yes, I drank plenty of Red Bull vodkas in my early 20s and loved them. Swap out the vodka for bourbon, though, and you're bound to be left with nothing but a bad taste in your mouth. Moving on.

Another hard no in the bourbon mixer game is grape soda. The extremely saccharine flavor annihilates the taste of bourbon. Actually, overpowering bourbon with an excessive amount of sugar is one of the common mistakes experts recommend avoiding when crafting whiskey cocktails because it doesn't give bourbon any space to shine. So yeah, if you want to taste your bourbon, keep grape soda far away from it.

Even if grape soda doesn't cover up your bourbon entirely, the grape flavor — a term I use loosely since we all know the real flavor is purple — mixes with bourbon to create a drink that tastes as radioactive as the color. Yeah, I'll pass. In addition to grape soda, I recommend staying away from similar caffeine-free sodas geared primarily towards children, like strawberry and orange. They are just as sweet and overbearing as grape soda. To avoid having to dump out a drink you just can't stomach, opt for a simple soda instead. You may think a soda with a bright burst of color could be fun, but soda water, ginger ale, and Coke are your best bets if you are looking for the most straightforward, tasty bourbon highball.

Along the same lines as grape soda, Kool-Aid is easily one of the worst possible mixers for bourbon. After all, it's nothing if not sweet. Sure, Kool-Aid comes in fun flavors, and some of them might be okay with bourbon, but the overly saccharine flavor beats out any semblance of fruitiness that may potentially complement bourbon's delicate tasting notes.

Before you get any ideas about how Kool-Aid pickles (yup, you read that right) are a thing and so are Pickleback shots (aka bourbon or whiskey followed by a shot of pickle brine), this is one realm where the crossover simply shouldn't happen. That is, of course, if you don't want to regret your decisions in the morning. A Kool-Aid and bourbon may go down easy, especially for new drinkers who don't want to taste the booze at all, but it's a surefire recipe for a hangover. If you truly enjoy the flavor of bourbon, leave Kool-Aid out of it. Even if it's the only mixer you have on hand, it's better to mix your bourbon with water. Or, simply drink it on the rocks.

Tropical juice blends are great for spirits like rum and tequila, but the same can't be said for bourbon. Whether we are talking pineapple, strawberry, guava, banana, or even green juice, bourbon simply won't agree with it. As we all know, one of the reasons tropical juice blends are so delicious is that they are extra sweet and flavorful. While this is great as-is, it's virtually impossible to add them to bourbon and wind up with a well-balanced cocktail. I guess you could give it a try, but I've never experienced one that tasted right with bourbon.

In the few attempts I've made over the years to craft a bourbon and tropical juice cocktail, the bourbon simply gets swallowed up by the potent flavors. The sweet taste of caramel, oak, and honey in bourbon makes it even worse for the wear. The only somewhat tropical option that pairs well with bourbon is orange juice. The strong citrus flavor is something that bourbon revels in. You don't want to go overboard, though, and that's easier said than done. Plus, considering all the better, tastier options, why bother trying to force it? Just go for a tried-and-true mixer instead.

Coconut water isn't the most consistent beverage. Depending on the brand and the particular harvest, the taste ranges from musky to sweet to something else entirely. So, if you find a type of coconut water you like, it could taste entirely different the next time you buy it. No shade, I mean, I actually like coconut water quite a bit, but when it comes to mixing bourbon cocktails, consistency is key, and that's not something coconut water can provide.

Many brands of coconut water also add tons of sugar to their products, and as we know, bourbon is already sweet as-is. Adding a ton of extra sweetness is far from ideal. Even if you purchase a brand of coconut water that doesn't add extra sugars, the musky flavor of it is sure to clash with your bourbon. The caramel notes probably won't fare too poorly, but vanilla and oak? Yuck! I mean, there's a reason we don't put bourbon in Piña Coladas, right? Right. The electrolytes might help you feel your best the morning after tying one on, but I recommend drinking your coconut water after a few pours of bourbon, not with it.

Some of you diet soda fanatics out there are not going to like this, but diet sodas and bourbon are not friends. Sorry, not sorry. Simple mixers like soda are one of the best ways to upgrade the taste of cheap bourbon, but not the diet ones. Really, it doesn't matter what kind, either. Diet Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, whatever — they all contain artificial sweeteners that seriously clash with the nuanced flavors of bourbon. Plus, artificial sweeteners taste, well, artificial, and that isn't something you want in a well-crafted cocktail.

The synthetic flavor of artificial sweeteners also lingers on your tongue for quite some time. As a result, it becomes difficult to pick up on the subtle tasting notes of a quality bourbon. Aside from the artificial taste, these sweeteners are overly saccharine. I know they serve a purpose for people looking to minimize sugar intake, but that doesn't mean they get along with bourbon. If you want to avoid sugary mixers like Coca-Cola, make a bourbon and soda water, or simply add a few dashes of bitters. The list of tasty bourbon mixers is quite long; don't ruin your pour with diet soda.

You can go ahead and add smoothies and milkshakes to our growing list of the worst bourbon mixers as well. They interact with the spirit similarly to milk and fruit juices, but they are even worse because they are frozen. When you add liquor to frozen drinks, they start to melt rapidly, so you can only use a small amount if you go this route. If not, you wind up with a watery mess in a matter of moments. Additionally, smoothies and milkshakes are typically way too sweet for bourbon to shine. I'm not saying bourbon milkshakes can't be done; they can. Some are even pretty tasty, and they do a good job covering up the harshness of cheap bourbons, but that doesn't mean they aren't one of the worst mixers for the brown spirit.

The truth is that even if you avoid all of the mixers we've covered thus far, some bourbons are simply better left on the shelf. Instead of trying to mask a poor quality bottle with something heavy like a smoothie or milkshake, do yourself a favor and opt for a bourbon that has what it takes to stand on its own. That way, when you decide to mix cocktails with it will be because you want to, not because you feel like you have to in order to enjoy it.

Gatorade comes in a wide range of flavors, and you might think some of them would taste good with a splash of bourbon, but they won't. Gatorade's flavor is extremely unique, and it is almost hard to put your finger on it, but there's no doubt that it is sweet enough to overpower any bourbon. Some people also describe it as salty, and that's not something you want to mess around with when mixing bourbon cocktails. Even if you are attempting to mask the harsh flavors of a low-quality bourbon, Gatorade isn't your friend. Don't get me wrong. There are a few bottom shelf bourbons that are actually worth buying, but regardless of how much you spend, don't waste your next pour by mixing it with Gatorade.

I'll be honest: I hate Gatorade anyway, so it really didn't stand a fighting chance with me as far as using it for a mixer. My preferences aside, though, it is way too salty and sweet to complement bourbon. It certainly won't enhance it, either. Gatorade will give you some electrolytes, which just might counterbalance a hangover, but it won't taste good at all. Forget I even mentioned it as a bourbon mixer, and you'll be ahead of the game.