Ok. I have never tried bourbon before. I was gifted a bottle of Makers Mark. I turn to you guys to suggest some drinks to make with it. I am new, so I don't think drinking it neat would be a great idea yet. Should I just mix it with Coke?

Thanks!
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Try some seltzer to start. That way you get the true taste of the bourbon, just diluted a little. The carbonation also helps bring out some underlying flavors in my opinion.

Maker's is a great starting point into the wonderful world of bourbon.
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Maker's is good. A little overpriced, but the bottle looks cool. Pick up a bottle of Bulliet Bourbon. Less expensive, and I believe easier to drink. Just because you are new to bourbon, doesn't mean you can't start out drinking it the correct way: neat (or maybe with a cube or small spash).
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Makers is my favorite. love the sour mash stuff.
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I sure dont do it very often but, I must agree with shooter on this one!!:-)
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Ok, bourbon is like cigars... what works for one, will not work for another. But, my .02:

Makers is an excellant bourbon, a bit of bite on teh back end but smooth up fron and great flavors.

A better beginner bourbon might be Evan Williams Single Barrell - It's 10 years old, nice smokey up front taste and a slight peppery finish. Much less bite than the Makers.

As what to mix.... I don't mix good liquor. If a bourbon needs mixing, well, you might need to re-evaluate drinking it. Makers/Eavn on the rocks with a lime wedge and a robust cigar (Tat Havana VI, or other spicey cigar), no milds or they will be overwhelmed.
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Mix it with some Pepsi. Better cola :-)
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What does "new" mean? Drink it straight, if it's too much for you, add an ice cube... If that is too much, then add some ice water. Still don't like it, use Coke the next time. Shame to use MM with Coke, but then again MM is not the most expensive stuff on the block, yet it still quite nice.

Try making a Manhattan with it also.
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New means this: The only time I have had bourbon before was when I drank some Southern Comfort warm from one of those tester bottles. Holy heck it burned. Oh, and 1 time I had a Jack and Coke that was ok.

Thanks for your tips. :-) Now I have to go google what a Manhattan is.
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Southern Comfort and JD are not bourbons.
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:-) very common mistake when talking abut whiskeys. If you like JD and want to try moving up a scale, try the Gentleman Jack. It is wonderful, nothing like JD black. BTW JD Single Barell is just JD black label that you know what barrel it came from.. The twice filtered Gentleman Jack is very smoooooooooooth. Definitly only neat or over the rocks.

As your new to bourbon and maybe whiskey in general, the G JD and Even are good starter choices for easy "bite". SoCo (Southern Comfort), Rebel Yell, etc only good for mixing IMO.... A SoCo and lime is an interesting drink if you like citrus.

If you like sweet, the Canadians Mist and Crown Royal (whiskeys) are two choices. Mix the Mist and with the the Crown again, I would go neat or on the rocks for the price your gonna pay. no sense in paying money for a better bourbon/whskey to mix it in cola.... But YMMV.
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Maker's Mark makes an excellent Manhattan, about a half ounce of sweet vermouth, some maracchino cherry juice and a couple ounces of Maker's Mark.
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I drink my Makers Mark neat, though I have been known to enjoy a MM Manhattan with my father-in-law on occasion.
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or as we call it on the fishing trip an m3 (mcubed)
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WTF, please tell me I was hallucinating, and I really did not read that Coke and Pepsi were suggested as mixers for MM!!!!
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:-) :-) Ya, I couldn't picture drinking MM and Coke or Pepsi. I have only paired one thing with MM besides ice and that is Rockstar energy drink. Sounds weird but oh man does it taste good. I usually just drink it on the rocks but if I have a sweet tooth i'll grab the Rockstar. :-)
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MM w/Coke or Pepsi is bad but MM with RockStar is good?!?!?!?!

Anyone besides me see the irony here?
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+1 for the Manhattan. I recently came across another drink which sounded interesting so I'll try and find it.
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I was gonna leave it alone, but as you brought it up :-) what are they thinking - mixers?
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I had a bourbon fizz at a New Orleans style restaurant in DC. It was WAY too good.
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