11 Drinks To Mix With Pepsi For Cocktails And Mocktails

Pepsi isn't just a fizzy cola you sip straight from the can — it's also a zingy, sugary, effervescent secret weapon in the world of cocktails and mocktails, bringing personality and balance to your glass. A standard 12-ounce Pepsi packs about 41 grams of sugar and 150 calories, giving it a bold sweetness and enough body to stand up to spirits like rum, bourbon, and tequila, while also softening herbaceous and bitter ingredients in non-alcoholic concoctions.

Flavor-wise, Pepsi's profile is fruitier and sweeter than many other colas, with citrus-vanilla notes and a caramel undertone that add complexity and mouthfeel – making it perfect for elevating everything from a classic rum and cola to a playful, fizzy mocktail. The carbonation also lifts mixed drinks by making them taste brighter and more refreshing, cutting through rich liqueurs and creamy ingredients.

While cola preferences are highly subjective and often hotly contested matters of opinion, the 1975 "Pepsi Challenge" — a nationwide blind taste test — played a significant role in cementing Pepsi's sweeter profile in the public imagination. The resulting brand rivalry also boosted Pepsi's prominence as a go-to mixer among bartenders. This I know first-hand from two decades of industry experience, working as a bartender in craft cocktail establishments ranging from basement enotecas to après-ski taverns. So step aside, Coca-Cola — this list is for the best drinks to pair with Pepsi. 

Pepsi is a surprisingly tasty partner for iced tea, bringing its buoyant carbonation and easygoing sweetness to tea-based drinks that might otherwise sit flat on ice. While there aren't any traditional cocktail or mocktail recipes that pair these two, adding Pepsi to a cold glass of iced tea yields a bolder version of the summertime staple. That's because Pepsi's syrupy texture adds structure without zapping the tea of its tannic undertones. 

Coincidentally, PepsiCo distributes a wide range of iced teas and tea-lemonade blends thanks to its partnership with Lipton. From classic Lipton black tea to peach, citrus, and mixed berry varieties, you need not look far to find the perfect inspiration for creative mixes. While any store-bought sweet tea will do, Pepsi's caramel-forward cola adds complexity, creating a layered mouthfeel without overwhelming the latter's delicate floral notes. Fruity iced teas, such as peach, lemon, or raspberry, add another dimension, amplifying Pepsi's hints of citrus and vanilla.

For a non-alcoholic mocktail, I recommend serving Pepsi and iced tea over ice with a twist of lemon or a handful of mint leaves, both of which brighten the flavors already swirling in the glass with a fresh kick. For something with a little more bite, add a splash of bourbon or rum for a simple cocktail that's both refreshing and balanced. 

Pairing Pepsi with brandy might sound unusual, but Hennessy is a versatile base spirit that can mingle well with sweeter mixers. The combination works beautifully when you want a cocktail that's easy, refreshing, and full of personality. 

Whether you're crafting a casual long drink or experimenting with more complex concoctions, Pepsi's familiar, fizzy sweetness complements Hennessy, turning the classic spirit into something that's both playful and delicious. Hennessy's beloved Very Special (V.S.) expression is known for its rich, fruity, and toasty flavor profile, with warm oak and spice notes developed through barrel-aging. Colas like Pepsi can soften the cognac's bold character while highlighting deeper tasting notes. The soda's caramel and vanilla undertones create a smooth contrast to Hennessy's oak and fruit notes, making every sip more balanced and approachable — especially when served over ice with a twist of lime or orange.

Pepsi and Fernet might sound like an unlikely duo, but their contrasting personalities can create a delightfully balanced combination for those with an adventurous palate. Originating from Italy, Fernet-Branca is a bold, herbaceous liqueur famed for its intensely bitter, mentholated, and medicinal flavor profile. With hints of mint, licorice, and botanical roots, this mixture yields a drink that's both distinctive and complex.

Pepsi's role in this partnership is all about sweetness, carbonation, and contrast. The cola's caramel-rich, citrus, and vanilla notes help tame Fernet's assertive bitterness, softening the herbal edge and creating a drink that's refreshing rather than overwhelming. This is precisely why, in Argentina, the classic Fernet con Coca — Fernet mixed with cola over ice — is a national favorite.

While Coca-Cola is the most common Fernet partner, swapping in Pepsi introduces a slightly different flavor profile, allowing the herbaceous digestif to shine in a new way while keeping the drink lively. Served over ice with a citrus twist, Pepsi and Fernet become a modern riff on the traditional Fernandito cocktail — a herbal-sweet concoction that's both refreshing and intriguing.

While it may sound a bit unusual at first, pairing Pepsi with red wine creates a drink that's in the same family as the Kalimotxo — a beloved Spanish cocktail that blends red wine with cola, served over ice. Traditionally, this combo uses a 50:50 ratio of dry red wine to cola, and it's long been celebrated in the Basque region of Spain for how the fizzy, candy-sweet soda softens the wine's tannins and adds lifting carbonation.

Pepsi brings its own cola character to the concoction, resulting in a drink that's lighter and more sessionable than wine alone. Its caramel sweetness, hints of citrus and vanilla, and lively bubbles punch up the rich berry notes of a medium-bodied red wine, adding brightness and balancing the wine's acidity. Serve Pepsi with a juicy, dry, young red wine — like a Garnacha or Tempranillo — over ice with a twist of lemon or orange for an easy crowd-pleaser that bridges the gap between wine and soda in a refreshingly fizzy way.

When you mix vanilla vodka with Pepsi, you're essentially building a grown-up cream soda in a glass, and it's one of the easiest, most satisfying highball combos you can make at home. Infused with vanilla's sweet, warm, and aromatic notes, the vodka adds both creaminess and depth to the drink without overpowering the cola.

The Pepsi also brings its bright lemon and subtle caramel notes to the mix, creating a familiar yet elevated flavor experience that recalls the nostalgia of soda fountain drinks. Mixing cola with vanilla vodka is a classic for a reason: Pepsi's effervescence lifts the vanilla, making the drink light and refreshing, rather than cloying and syrupy.

The pairing works as a simple two-ingredient cocktail — served over ice with a lemon or lime wedge to cut through the sweetness — or as a base that you can build on with additional ingredients, like aromatic bitters. It's an ideal drink for casual gatherings because it's a well-balanced, simple-to-make crowd-pleaser that's familiar enough to please most palates.

If you've ever ordered a rum and Coke, you already know how well the spirit plays with cola. However, Pepsi brings its own bright, citrus-forward twist to the classic beverage. In fact, a recent consumer preference study found that a majority of participants preferred mixing spiced rum with Pepsi over other colas (according to PepsiCo). 

Darker rums typically carry warm notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak from barrel-aging, while lighter rums are known for their crisp, clean profile. Both styles of rum create a rich base for the cola's bright, sugar-forward flavors and work wonders when mixed with bubbly Pepsi.

The duo shines when built in a highball over ice with a squeeze of lime, creating a Pepsi-fied twist on the traditional Cuba Libre cocktail. The combination is refreshing and accessible while still offering a complex flavor profile. Whether you choose a light rum for subtlety or a spiced rum for warmth, the spirit's rich character is tempered by Pepsi's sugary effervescence. Bridging classic cocktail vibes with laid-back refreshment, this pairing is an all-around winner.

Pepsi and milk go surprisingly well together because they tap into the same playful logic that makes ice cream floats so addictive: sugary cola, creamy dairy, and gentle bubbles team up to create something reminiscent of a fizzy milkshake. This combo has roots in international drink cultures, too; from South Asian doodh soda to American egg creams and modern "dirty sodas," where adding milk turns the sharp, sugary beverage into a smoother, richer treat.

When Pepsi meets milk, the latter softens the cola's tang and fizziness, rounding off that sharp bite while letting the vanilla, citrus, and spice notes peek through. The result is a dessert-like drink that tastes a bit like a melted cola ice cream float – lighter than a milkshake but more indulgent than plain soda. The same sweet-plus-fat balance is why bartenders and soda shops have always loved mixing carbonation with cream: it stretches the flavor, thickens the texture, and combines two everyday drinks into one fun, fizzy, and, of course, very creamy refresher.

The party-ready duo of Pepsi and pineapple juice plays on the allure of tiki cocktails and tropical sodas without requiring all the hard-to-find ingredients. It works so well because the bright and tangy fruit profile of pineapple juice pairs beautifully with Pepsi's deep cola flavors and fizzy bubbles. This mocktail is equal parts bold and light, and incredibly easy to mix.

Pineapple has long been a classic mixer precisely because its pronounced, juicy character can stand up to — and smooth out — the darker, caramelized flavors commonly found in rum and cola. Blended together, the pineapple juice trims Pepsi's syrupy edge, while the cola lends the tropical fruit additional structure, spice, and depth. The result is a delicious, alcohol-free highball drink, layered with both tart and sweet tropical elements.

The combination of Pepsi and coffee is so successful because it taps into the same flavor logic behind iced lattes, espresso tonics, and coffee sodas. The bold, roasted flavor of the coffee, the sweetness of the cola, and the fizzy bubbles play off each other so well, it's no surprise that the trend of blending coffee and soda has become highly popular in recent years.

When coffee meets Pepsi, the cola does two things: it softens coffee's tannic personality, and it adds caramel, vanilla, and a soft kick of spiced citrus that make the drink taste more like a fizzy mocha than a plain cold brew. The carbonation keeps everything lively, so it drinks like an ebullient, refreshing pick-me-up rather than a heavy dessert in a glass. Plus, the sweet and bitter balance makes each sip more interesting and stretches out the overall flavor. Surprisingly delicious for a low-effort drink, the Pepsi and coffee combination tastes like a specialty drink, despite being something you can quickly assemble at home.

While the name 'highball' pays homage to an archaic railroad term, it's proven harder to track down the first creator of the classic cocktail formula. Still, the highball's simple specification of two parts soda water to one part spirit has been around for more than a century because it works so well. Take, for instance, the whiskey-and-soda highball cocktail, which serves as our inspiration for this pairing. 

When it comes to mixing bourbon and cola, the two are a natural fit. While soda water dilutes and carbonates the boozy spirit without adding more flavor, the pairing of Pepsi and bourbon yields a classic concoction with a singular taste. That's because the inclusion of sugary cola imparts several extra tasting notes — from bright, lemony tones to deep, caramel aromas — while the bourbon lends structure to the sprightly, sweet Pepsi. Each ingredient showcases its own spicy blend of caramel and vanilla, and the combination results in a lively, warm after-dinner drink with a gentle acidity. 

Since bourbon's high alcohol content and smoky character can be somewhat rough on the palate, Pepsi's candied effervescence and bright acidity are the perfect antidote. As a mixer, Pepsi emphasizes bourbon's sweeter side while softening the warm oak notes derived from barrel-aging.

Tequila and Pepsi make more sense together than they get credit for. That's because the bright, agave-forward spirit plus the fizzy, sugar-forward mixer equals something relaxed, refreshing, and highly drinkable. In the glass, tequila brings vibrant peppery notes, while Pepsi offers caramel and citrus-tinged sweetness, gentle acidity, and subtle spice. The result is a laid-back, cola-based riff on drinks such as tequila and soda, or the tequila-and-cola "Batanga" cocktail.

The simple pairing works because of how well the two components balance. The cola tames the tequila's alcohol heat, while the tequila cuts through Pepsi's sugariness. It also imparts more depth and character, stretching the cocktail into something more sessionable. With ice and a squeeze of lime, maybe even a salted rim, the Pepsi and tequila combination is a simple crowd-pleaser that utilizes the same flavor logic behind rum and colas and whiskey and cola.