In the realm of Hollywood, the impeccable Tom Hanks stands unassailable. From his double Oscar victories to his philanthropic coffee company bolstering our troops, this national idol never ceases to amaze us. But when he revealed his unique new cocktail on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, even the most ardent fans had their jaws drop in disbelief.
Amidst the joyous holiday season, Hanks concocted an extraordinary fusion of two wildly different beverages.
“I’m not a big drinker. So I usually have a Diet Coke,” he confided in Colbert. “But they brought the Champagne around, they brought the nice flutes, it was like the last episode of The Bachelor. I just had this Diet Coke and I said ‘oh, give me a shot of Champagne in there for crying out loud.’ Everybody said ‘you are insane.’ I had a sip of this, Stephen, it was delicious.”
Did your eyes just widen? You read it right: Hanks fused Diet Coke with Champagne. He even demonstrated his inventive mixology skills, filling the glass with ⅔ Diet Coke and topping it off with Champagne.
“It doesn’t have to be Coca-Cola, it could be any cola product,” Hanks casually mentions as he pours.
“But diet,” Colbert inquires.
“Yeah, because I’m Type 2 Diabetes—gotta maintain the temple—and what’s better [for] Type 2 Diabetes than a little shot of Champagne in your Diet Coke,” Hanks quips.
The duo then delve into a discussion about the cocktail’s unique hue—Colbert dubs it an “American Aperol Spritz”—before taking the inaugural sip. Colbert’s silent “wow” mirrors our collective disbelief, while Hanks beams with pride.
“How about that! Everybody at the table tried it [and] they said ‘you know what, dad, that’s pretty good,” Hanks gushes.
But, what’s a sensational cocktail without a memorable name? Fear not, Hanks has that covered too.
“We were debating what the name should be, and I came up with it. Because it is Coke and it’s Champagne, so it’s obviously Diet Cokagne,” Hanks announces. “What’s the other name you said?”
“The Tom Hanks,” Colbert tosses in.
“Well, let’s go with that,” Hanks retorts, laughing heartily.
The segment concludes with Colbert confessing that the cocktail is “strangely, strikingly, shamefully” good. Buckle up, folks – it seems Tom Hanks’ latest invention is poised to shake up the beverage world!
