The 5 Best Soda Pairings For Scotch

It's smoky, it's intense, and it is very, very complex. Yes, Scotch is something special. The whisky, aged exclusively in Scotland, has quite the cult following among liquor enthusiasts who believe that enjoying a good Scotch is akin to a spiritual experience. It is to be savored and enjoyed with great ritual and care. For many, there is definitely a right way to enjoy Scotch, and a wrong way. Some enthusiasts will turn up their noses at those who drink it on the rocks, or cut with water. However, anyone worth their barrel-aged spirits can tell you that the best way to enjoy Scotch is exactly as you like it. So why not pair it with something fun like, say, a nice, fizzy soda?

While mixing with soda may confound some Scotch enthusiasts, when paired thoughtfully, this combo might actually help enhance your sipping experience. To help guide you on your path to bubbling boozy bliss, we've gathered five of the absolute best fizzing pairings for the oft smoky, barrel-aged liquor. These combinations will take the liquor far from its leather armchair reputation, bringing some much-needed vitality to this sophisticated beverage.

Let's start strong and spicy with ginger beer. The herbaceous, warm, bubbly soda makes an optimal pairing for a good, well-aged Scotch whisky. The smokiness and caramel notes of Scotch blend perfectly with a punchy ginger beer. You can serve this pairing as a simple highball, or amp it up with a few key additions. 

For example, this makes a great base for a Scotch mule (served in a copper mug, of course). You can also add in a bit of lime juice for some acidic brightness to cut through your Scotch's natural sweetness. If you don't have ginger beer on hand, or prefer something a bit more mild, you can try ginger ale instead, which will give your Scotch cocktail a sweeter flavor. And speaking of ginger ale, you can also add a dash of grenadine and some cherries for a grown up Shirley Temple. Some Scotch purists might scoff at this idea, but if you're open to a bit of flavor fusion, this is definitely a cocktail worth trying.

Club soda is carbonated water that has been enriched with minerals. Though you can use any form of sparkling water with Scotch for a refreshing pairing, club soda is particularly delicious, and pairs beautifully with the barrel aged beverage. According to Marshall Minaya, who serves as the beverage director for Lolita Agave and Sugarcane Distillate Cocktail Bar, club soda is the way to go, especially one with a stronger mineral flavor — think Topo Chico or Schweppes. 

It's not just minerality you'll want to look out for, however. You also want to go for a club soda with a higher level of carbonation. According to Minaya, "These bottles will hold carbonation well and really lighten up your drink." Club soda will brighten up the drink, and the added minerals will add a sharpness that beautifully contrasts the warmth and sweetness of the Scotch. For further refreshment, add a bit of lemon juice, or a simple twist of citrus to garnish. This simple, Scotch-forward pairing is the perfect choice for anyone who doesn't want to mask the taste of their liquor with other flavors. 

Now if you're looking for something refreshing to add to your Scotch that has a bit more zing than bubbly water give grapefruit soda a try. Grapefruit sodas, such as Fresca or Squirt, have a citrus edge that carries a bit more heft than your run of the mill lemon-lime soda, offering a floral, green taste and a slightly bitter edge that will highlight the more subtle elements. 

According to Lane Ezell, the bar director at The Hope Farm, a farm-to-table restaurant in Fairhope, Alabama, grapefruit pairs especially well with Islay Scotch because of its peaty, smoky flavor. "The acidity and brightness of the grapefruit can serve as a great contrast to the smoky aspects of this particular region's style." This is a great serving style for anyone who is intimidated by the liquor's deeper, more intense aspects. Ezell compared this combination to the super smoky mezcal-based Paloma cocktail, which also heavily features grapefruit.

To top off this combination, you can rim your glass with some bourbon-smoked sugar if you want to lean into that aspect of the drink. You can also customize the sweetness based on the type of grapefruit soda used. Squirt, for example, will be sweeter than the more subtle Jarritos grapefruit soda, which will also work beautifully when paired with Scotch.

Ok, so we just got done singing the praises of grapefruit soda, and how it offers more complexity and mystique than that standard lemon-lime soda. But, really, what is so wrong the with the classics? After all, whiskey and 7-Up (a lemon-lime classic) is the basis of a delicious, vintage 7 and 7 cocktail. So it stands to reason that combining a lemon-lime drink with Scotch is a guaranteed recipe for cocktail success.

Citrus sodas offer a brightness that that can give your liquor a sunny, sweet edge that uplifts the caramel and vanilla notes. This is a great serving style for anyone who doesn't care for the smoky stodginess of straight Scotch. If you want to add a bit of complexity to this drink, you can take Marshall Minaya's advice and use lemon or yuzu soda. The latter offers a bright and unexpected citrus choice that is still approachable. Yuzu sodas are usually made by boutique or independent soda companies, so it might be hard to get your hands on them at your usual grocery store. So you can either order some online, or you can make your own using sparkling water and yuzu syrup. 

Minaya also suggests using mixers rather than soda. "These bottles will be a touch more concentrated in flavor, as they are meant to be paired with a spirit and not just drank on their own," she says.

To finish things off, let's go for something rich. No, not just rich — let's go for something creamy, as in cream soda. For the uninitiated, cream soda isn't a frothy, dairy-based pop, as its name might imply. Nor is it a vanilla-tinged root beer, as it lacks the signature herbal taste. Nowadays, cream soda is mostly a vanilla flavored soda that is often golden in color, though some brands sell red versions.

Though the combination of cream soda and Scotch isn't as obvious as, say, club soda or citrus soda, it does make sense. After all, the creamy vanilla notes of cream soda perfectly match the vanilla, caramel notes of the liquor. And the sweetness of cream soda accents the smokiness often — though not always — found in the drink as well, giving it a toasted marshmallow edge. 

Lane Ezell also had an opinion on the specifics of this combination. "Cream soda and a single malt from the Highlands or Speyside also work extremely well and complements the honey and heather notes often found in scotch from this region nicely," she said. For this pairing, you should go for a higher end or craft cream soda for the creamiest, richest possible taste. Sprecher cream soda makes an excellent choice for this combo, as it blends honey and vanilla to create and irresistibly smooth flavor that will amplify rather than mask your gorgeous pour of Scotch.