Diet Cokagne Is the Low-Alcohol Cocktail People Can’t Stop Talking About

If anyone still has the power to shock the world and start a new trend all at the same time, it’s Tom Hanks. The legendary actor revealed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this year that he’s not much of a drinker, but even he can’t resist celebrating with a bit of champagne when the moment calls for it.

Instead of beer or a mixed drink, Hanks is typically found clutching a glass of Diet Coke at parties, and over the holidays, as champagne was being passed around, he told Colbert that he couldn’t resist adding a splash of the bubbly to his already bubbly Coke. Colbert and the entire internet promptly freaked out.

The drink Hanks spoke of, a Diet Cokagne, is made up of two parts Diet Coke, with one part champagne added at the end. The result is a kind of golden-brown liquid that definitely has very light alcoholic effects, especially when you consider that champagne typically has a 12 percent alcohol content, and the drink only has about a splash of it.

TikTok promptly erupted in thousands of videos of content creators trying the Diet Cokagne for themselves to see what the hype is about. Here’s everything you need to know about this trend, and how to try it for yourself.

What Does Diet Cokagne Taste Like?

Even the biggest Diet Coke skeptics, like @BadDrinksTV on TikTok, are obsessed with this flavor combination. @BadDrinksTV is a bartender who typically shares unique recipes and reviews new ones, and even though he said he “wasn’t a fan” of diet beverages and hadn’t had a Diet Coke in years, after trying the drink his verdict was: “I’m not going to say no to that!”

The @SingleSomm, who is a sommelier and gives useful tips and tricks on drinking and enjoying wine, had a similar reaction. “That works! I’m not mad about it,” she says in her video.

Since Hanks’s recipe calls for just a splash of champagne, you’re not going to get an overwhelming champagne flavor, and you’re not even going to feel a buzz after a few glasses. Hanks serves his in a highball glass, he said on The Late Show, but people on TikTok have tried it in everything from a rocks glass to champagne flutes. However you enjoy a Diet Cokagne is up to you, but putting it in a highball glass like Hanks will let you add in more Diet Coke, which is closer to his original recipe.

This beverage is a fun way to partake in celebratory champagne on any occasion without actually drinking a full glass. Plus, if you’re a fan of bubbly drinks, this bubble-on-bubble combination is sure to hit the spot.

What to Keep in Mind When Drinking Diet Cokagne

It’s important to remember that Diet Coke does contain caffeine, and caffeine mixed with alcohol can act as a double dose of dehydration. According to the Centers for Disease Control, caffeine doesn’t help “sober you up,” contrary to popular belief. Mixing caffeine (which is a stimulant) with alcohol (a depressant) can leave you feeling sluggish and dehydrated, and it might cloud how intoxicated you actually are at the time, which could be dangerous.

Of course, there’s nothing to be too worried about with the Diet Cokagne, since each drink only has a splash of champagne, but it’s still important to be aware of what you’re putting into your body.

The Diet Cokagne drink is a great way to indulge in a bit of alcohol without having to drink a full glass, and if Mr. Tom Hanks approves of it, you better believe we’re at least going to give it a try.