10 Best Drinks To Mix With Everclear, Ranked
Although the term Everclear is often associated with fraternity parties and the '90s band of the same name, this versatile grain alcohol is getting a bit of a makeover. According to the New York Times, Everclear sales jumped during the pandemic as the potent spirit gained new life as a hand sanitizer base and cleaning agent. Even with this utilitarian purpose, Everclear is still best known as an evergreen, flexible mixer for both basic and intricate cocktails.
In the past, Everclear attempted popularity with the Make It Your Own initiative, where bartenders and amateur mixologists were invited to create innovative concoctions with the spirit. According to Punch, ideas like this have been beneficial to presenting Everclear as a sophisticated and malleable alternative to vodka. Given its composition, silky texture, and drinkability, it's now easy to see the comparison. After tasting some of the sweet, smooth, and robust drinks on our list, you might be inclined to agree that Everclear transcends college beer blasts and deserves a prominent spot at your home bar.
10. Coffee
According to Coffee Affection, Everclear is an excellent boozy base for Norwegian coffee, a robust brew that will certainly wake you up in the morning. Also known as "Karsk," coffee and Everclear are a special combination that competes with Irish Coffee any day of the week. A certain amount of wizardry goes into the drink, making it all the more fun to create for your loved one on Sunday Funday.
Take a clean penny, pop it into the bottom of a light-colored mug, then pour in several shots of hot coffee until it's totally obscured. Next, grab your bottle of Everclear and finish the drink by pouring several shots into the mug. Once you can see the penny again, it's ready to go. Since Karsk is essentially half coffee and half Everclear, it certainly ranks as one of the more potent swills on our list, and it goes without saying that you should proceed with caution. Additionally, though energy drinks and alcohol may be common collaborators, coffee isn't as universal a mixer and so ranks lower on our list.
9. Kool-Aid
If you want to make a big batch of summertime punch for a party, reach for the Everclear and Kool-Aid. This drink, also known as "Beta Punch," is a scrumptious and straightforward blend that you can dress up with fresh fruit or serve over ice (via Barnone Drinks). It's also dead simple to make, and you can use virtually any Kool-Aid flavor you want. Berries, chunks of watermelon, and pineapple taste gorgeous in Beta Punch, but they also absorb that booze. As Spoon University writes, different fruits will soak up the alcohol in different amounts. So, keep in mind that eating the fruit can quickly send you sideways.
For a twist on Beta Punch, consider making Trash Can Punch (via Tipsy Bartender). While the name sounds like garbage, the drink is delightful. Instead of Kool-Aid, Trash Can Punch calls for a blend of Hawaiian Punch and Everclear. As with Beta Punch, you can toss in some chopped-up fruit or berries of your choice — just remember that the same drink-safety rules still apply. Depending on how big of a sweet tooth you have, this Everclear mixer may not have enough bite for you. Truthfully, this is the type of drink that gives Everclear its well-known party reputation.
8. Lemonade
Lemonade and Everclear are a match made in hedonistic heaven, with the smooth taste of Everclear complimenting bright lemonade perfectly. You can use the store-bought variety, make your own lemonade recipe, or even pair a shot of Everclear with Jones Berry Lemonade for "Blue Fire," a berry-forward, sweet, and tart summer treat. Of course, one of the best ways to combine the delicious flavors of Everclear and lemonade is in homemade moonshine (via Crockpot Ladies).
All you need is some Everclear, sugar, lemons, and a crockpot large enough to make plenty of the tasty stuff. You can also brighten up your lemonade and Everclear with some springs of herbs. Basil or mint are both great additions, served either muddled or fresh. Blend your moonshine with fresh fruits of your choice for a delicious frozen riff on a daiquiri, or toss some frozen berries into the bottom of your glass, add a shot of Everclear, and top with a generous glug or two of lemonade. The berries will thaw into something beautifully boozy.
7. Coca-Cola
Since Everclear has a similar flavor profile to vodka, it's no surprise that it pairs beautifully with Coca-Cola. If you want to take your drink up several notches, try making a Cherry Coke from Hell, which per Easy Cocktail Recipes, is made with a splash of cherry liquor, Everclear, and a generous topping of Coca-Cola. Although Cherry Coke from Hell is a high-octane drink, it's still smooth and classic, the ideal sip for a hot day. If you're worried about diluting your drink too much, you can always swap out ice for whiskey rocks, so it stays cold without watering down.
Other Coca-Cola flavors work in this cocktail as well. Try Cherry Vanilla Coke for a subtle sweetness that blends earthy notes with cherry liqueur, or omit the liqueur for a more understated riff on the classic drink. A bit of citrus, like lime or lemon wedges, cuts the sweetness and adds another layer of flavor. In our perspective, the great thing about Everclear and Coca-Cola is that it's a blank canvas that you can add your spin on without diluting the integrity of the drink. Unfortunately, this pairing isn't super versatile so if you're not a heavy soda drinker it may get too sweet after a while.
6. Dr. Pepper
Whether you call it "Everpepper" or "Pepperclear," the recipe for Dr. Pepper and Everclear is virtually the same. Grab yourself a highball glass, fill it with crushed or cubed ice, and add one to two shots of Everclear, depending on how heady you like your beverages. Then, fill the rest of the glass with Dr. Pepper and serve immediately.
Some savvy home bartenders like to give their highball glasses a coating of vermouth before putting in the ice, Everclear, and Dr. Pepper. Although that step is far from mandatory, you could get a richer, more herbaceous flavor this way. Dr. Pepper pairs perfectly with Everclear because it has some of the same fruity notes as Cherry Coca-Cola, plus a touch of bitterness and a rich, spiced root beer flavoring. Dr. Pepper's unique and intricate taste profile makes it a more sophisticated, higher-end feeling drink than standard soda with Everclear, elevating the spirit from college dorm classic to swanky backyard beverage in an instant.
5. Gatorade
Not only does Gatorade taste great with Everclear, but it also might be able to ward off those terrible hangovers since it's full of electrolytes (via Cosmopolitan). There are a few different ways that you can pair Everclear and Gatorade. Make "Everglade" by simply pairing two shots of Everclear with the Gatorade flavor of your choice in a tall glass, or get a little more creative and sophisticated with Samurai Punch.
According to Home Drink Menu, the recipe for Samurai Punch includes Everclear, rum, tequila, and vodka, making it the Long Island Iced Tea version of sweet punches. The heavy liquor content is balanced by three gallons of orange Gatorade, soda, and orange juice. The resulting punch is citrusy, sugary, and has tons of different alcohol notes from the bold and noticeable tastes of tequila and rum. Like many of the other punches on our list, the Samurai stays velvety and potent thanks to an entire bottle of Everclear.
4. Rootbeer
Everclear and root beer work well as a one-on-one drink known as "Everbeer." You can adjust the portions to your taste and tolerance, but the general rule is to fill a rocks glass with cubed ice, put in one shot of Everclear, and then fill the rest of the glass up with root beer. You can use any standard root beer for this quick and tasty drink or get way more cultivated and make Root Beer Moonshine.
According to Unique Gifts Tips, Root Beer Moonshine takes a long time to make, but very little of it is hands-on. Essentially, you'll have to create your own root beer from brown and granulated sugars, extract, and water. The final touch that gives Root Beer Moonshine a fiery kick is one full liter of Everclear. Make the moonshine in a slow-cooker, letting all ingredients meld together over several hours. After it's prepared, you'll want to let it mature for at least a few days before drinking. This may become a new favorite use for your Instant Pot.
3. Lemon-Lime Soda
In our opinion, the vibrant, citrus tang of lemon-lime soda play very nicely with biting Everclear. You can certainly use any lemon-lime soda you'd like as the base, although it's advisable to avoid citrus-adjacent sodas like Mountain Dew as the saccharine taste and syrupy consistency muddle the other flavors in your drink. If you're going for soda and Everclear (a classic choice), use something a bit more effervescently citrus to highly the best notes.
For this combo from Black Tail NYC, grab a highball glass and fill about a third of it with ice. Add your Everclear, lemon-lime soda, a splash of orange juice, and some citrus wedges. The more orange juice you use, the heavier the drink will be. To keep it light and animated, use the O.J. as more of a garnish rather than the main drink component. If you don't have lemon-lime soda on hand, don't worry. You can always combine orange soda with Everclear for a drink known as the "Antifreeze."
2. Apple Juice
According to Fun in Key West, humble apple juice can get a very grown-up and chic makeover when paired with a few other vital items. The resulting form is a drink called Apple Pie Moonshine. Essentially, you need a bottle of Everclear, several cups of spiced rum, apple cider and juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Although the standard recipe calls for a full four cups of sugar, you can always adjust your moonshine to taste, adding more or less sugar or rum as you'd like.
In this recipe, the Everclear really ties the drink together. The satin consistency of Everclear helps all of the other flavors mingle, leaving you with a uniform drink that tastes like sweater weather in every sip. Apple Pie Moonshine might sound best during leaf peepin' season, but you can stir it up any time of the year and enjoy the flavors of juicy fruit, spiced cinnamon, and smooth Everclear.
1. Grenadine
Although you can use store-bought flavoring as the base for your Everclear punch, it's easy enough to make homemade grenadine all on your own. Tailor the complexity of this drink to your specific kitchen skills and time constraints, but do try the inspired blend of Everclear and grenadine in all of its glorious forms. According to Tipsy Bartender, Pink Starburst Moonshine is a great way to brew your springtime celebration into a liquidized form. All you need is Everclear, a dash of grenadine, and a single pink Starburst. Then, let the mixture chill for about 48 hours until all of the flavors are combined, and the concoction melds into a gorgeous pink hue which is the color of an Easter egg.
You can also serve Tequila Sunrise Punch, a recipe that comes from Black Tail NYC. This blend is guaranteed to get the party started. Although it has the same familiar profile as a Tequila Sunrise, the addition of Everclear lends a silky texture to the punch and gives it a little bit more of a toothsome kick.