
Choosing the right chaser to take the bite out of whiskey can vary based on the brand and taste. During my time as a bartender, I learned exactly what people liked to use in tandem with all types of whiskey, Knob Creek included.
1. Ginger Ale
Ginger has a peppery taste that can be either sweet or spicy. As Ginger Ale, it has a ton of carbonation which provides texture to the whiskey and helps to mask the heat of straight alcohol. Ginger ale is also an excellent way to add sweetness to Knob Creek.
Some of the flavors of Ginger Ale you can use as a chaser are as follows:
- Cranberry Ginger Ale – If you want a dry taste to follow up your shot, you should consider using Cranberry Ginger Ale. The cranberry increases the sweetness of the Ginger Ale and gives it a tart taste that impacts Knob Creek in unique ways.
- Spiced Orange – Another great Ginger Ale chaser you should try is Spiced Orange. It has a tart Orange flavor that plays well off the oaky taste of the whiskey. In addition, Spiced Orange Ginger Ale makes a great cocktail if you don’t want to be going slug for slug all night with your Jack.
Ginger is a weird choice for a mixer because it has a sweet and spicy taste that makes Knob Creek’s smoky flavoring intensify.
However, whiskey has ingrained oak flavors from the aging process, and pairing them with something sweet is a great way to test your drink palette.
2. Cider
In the year’s cold months, you must look for something that provides warmth and comfort. Mixing your Knob Creek with Apple Cider is a great way to keep yourself warm and keep that cozy feeling with you at all times.
A few types of cider to use as a chaser for Knob Creek are as follows:
- Apple Cider – The best type of cider to mix with your Knob Creek whiskey is Apple. It is an old holiday favorite that can come as a fermented shot and taken in addition to your whiskey or served sparkling as an average chaser.
- Pear Cider – It might sound like a long shot, but using pear cider as your chaser is delicious. The pear taste goes well as a hardened or sparkling cider that refreshes after your shot.
Cider isn’t the first thing that springs to people’s minds when you say chaser. The apple and pear tastes could drive some away, but when you try them, it increases the oaky flavor of the whiskey while having a solid fruity and floral aftertaste.
Related The 20 Best Ways To Drink Jim Beam Bourbon.
3. Cola
One of the undisputed kings of chasing alcoholic drinks is Coca-Cola, but any type of cola will do. Its mixture of sugar and flavoring works well with the oaky taste of whiskey and comes with different flavors that can help to augment the taste of your Knob Creek.
Related The 3 Best Chasers for Bourbon.
Some great flavors of coke to try with your Knob Creek are as follows:
- Vanilla Coke – A fantastic taste is created when the Vanilla mixes with the caramel flavors of Knob Creek. Its smoky taste and oaky texture, combined with the fruity-sweet taste of Vanilla Coke, make Knob Creek a great shot/chaser combo.
- Peach Coke – It is infused with Georgia’s state fruit and gives a sweet taste to your whiskey. It also helps reduce the burn some folks associate with shooting alcohol.
Coke is a can’t-miss chaser for Knob Creek whiskey. It works 100% of the time, and if you want to spice it up, you can try one of the many flavors of Coke products.
In addition, using coke allows carbonation from the drink to mix with the shot in your mouth and boosts the internal flavors of the whiskey.
Final Sip
Chasers are used to cut the biting taste of alcohol or increase the natural flavors of your whiskey. They are stand-alone drinks that are taken after you shoot straight alcohol. They can be simple things like Coke or off-the-beaten-path choices like Ginger Ale.
Choosing a chaser depends on the flavors you want to enhance. It is a good idea to pick something with a sweet or spicy taste that counteracts the adverse effects of straight Knob Creek without taking anything away from the divine taste.
For more, don’t miss the Top 6 Chasers For Alcoholic Beverages.
Anne James has a wealth of experience in a wide array of interests and is an expert in quilting, cooking, gardening, camping, mixing drinks (worked as a professional bartender), and making jelly.
Anne has a professional canning business, has been featured in the local newspaper as well as on the Hershey website, and has been her family canner for decades. Anyone growing up in the South knows that there is always a person in the family who has knowledge of the “old ways,” and this is exactly what Anne is.
With over 55 years of experience in these endeavors, she brings a level of hands-on knowledge that is hard to surpass. Amazingly, she doesn’t need to reference many resources due to her vast wealth of experience. She IS the source.
Anne wants nothing more than to pass on her extensive knowledge to the next generations, whether that be family or anyone visiting her website, her YouTube channel, or preservingsweetness.com.