Tom Hanks Invented His Own Cocktail — And It’s a Bizarre Combination

Tom Hanks: actor, filmmaker, America’s dad, and now bartender? Like James Bond, Hanks has come to have a cocktail associated with him. But unlike 007, who put his own spin on a classic drink, Hanks has made one of his own creation. But the cocktail in question is a bit of an unorthodox one. So what does the boozy drink consist of, and how did the Forest Gump alum come up with it?

How did Tom Hanks come up with his own cocktail?

While on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Hanks revealed that his new cocktail that came into existence while he was celebrating the Winter Holidays with his family. The Oscar winner admits that he isn’t a big drinker and usually sticks to Diet Coke even when he’s celebrating. Since Hanks has Type 2 diabetes, he has to watch his sugar intake, and thus, he sticks to diet pop in lieu of regular pop. However, since his family was celebrating with champagne, he had the idea to pour a bit of champagne over his diet Coke. While his family initially called him “insane”, after trying it, they had to admit that the cocktail was pretty good.

The actor shares his recipe for Diet Cokagne

If you’re curious about trying the cocktail for yourself, Hanks also shared the recipe. The drink, like most cocktails, starts off with a few ice cubes. Next, you’ll need to add your pop. For a rough measurement, the A Man Called Otto star explained that he was down to his last 1/3 can of Diet Coke before he added alcohol. While Hanks’ pop of choice is Diet Coke, he shared that you can use any cola product, rather than just sticking to strictly Coca-Cola options. Next, you add a shot of champagne and Voila! you have Hanks’ signature cocktail.

While Colbert suggested that the beverage be called The Tom Hanks, the actor had already coined the drink something else. “We were debating what the name of it should be, and I came up with it,” Hanks shared. “Because it is Coke and champagne, it’s obviously Diet Cokange.” The actor then spelled out his unique cocktail, which is pronounced like Diet Cocaine. But despite already having a moniker for the beverage, the filmmaker was open to it being named after him. When Colbert shared that they were drinking “The Tom Hanks,” Hanks joked, “Well, let’s go with that!”

Is Hanks’ cocktail actually yummy?

Hanks was adamant that he and his family found the beverage delicious. But after making the Diet Cokagne on TV, Colbert also endorsed it. “Wow,” the TV host shared after tasting his first sip. Later, he added more detail about what exactly made the cocktail enjoyable to drink. “It’s strangely, strikingly, shamefully good,” he admitted. “‘Cause, it’s so refreshing. You get that little caffeine too, man. Keeps you going through the champagne.”