Jim Beam Kentucky Coolers Review
By Richard Thomas
Rating: C-
(Credit: Beam Suntory)
In introducing the new drinks line in early 2023, Jim Beam declared that, come summertime, Kentuckians like to drink lemonade or fruit punch with bourbon on their front porches. Well, I’m a born and bred Kentucky horse farmer’s son, and I prefer to make mules with our native Ale-8-One or mint juleps, but I won’t quibble beyond that. I’m sure there are folks around who are sipping on lemonade and bourbon.
Those drinks are the basis for the RTD line of Jim Beam Kentucky Coolers. The line is a sprawling collection of smashes, punches and lemonades (the lemonade mixers alone include Black Cherry, Strawberry, Blueberry and Sweet Tea variants). Each Kentucky Cooler is formulated to be just 120 calories, fairly light compared to a typical mixer of similar size.
That lightness is where the problems with these RTDs start, and that is underscored by the alcohol content. Jim Beam did these in conjunction with the Boston Beer Company, makers of Sam Adams. So, the alcohol in the drinks is derived not from bourbon or any actual whiskey, but malt. The strength is a mere 5%, approximately the same as a typical lager, but not what one would normally get from the bourbon mixers these drinks were supposedly inspired by.
These drinks weren’t for me, but in fairness I also don’t think someone of my tastes was the target audience. With their light body, light flavor profiles and relatively low level of alcohol my guess is that these are meant to compete for the trendy seltzer market. I don’t care for those seltzers, so ’nuff said. The thing there, though, is that if a bourbon fan who enjoys a bold mixer or a strong cocktail picks up one of these, they’ll also come away as disappointed as I was by the general lack of heft, to say nothing of the absence of actual Jim Beam Bourbon.
The Price
Jim Beam Kentucky Coolers come in a 12-can variety pack for $16.99, $9.99 for a single flavor six-pack, and $3.49 for a single 24oz. can.
