so here’s the thing about the three wise men shot – it’s basically what happens when you take three whiskey legends, throw them in a glass together, and see if they can get along.
spoiler: they kind of don’t, but that’s exactly the point.
i’ll be honest, this isn’t one of those “sophisticated cocktail for a quiet evening” situations. this is the drink equivalent of watching three very different personalities try to share a microphone.
you’ve got jim beam bringing the sweet corn vibes, jack daniel’s smoothing everything out with that charcoal filter thing, and then johnnie walker shows up with smoke and attitude like “did someone call for chaos?”
the first time someone handed me one of these at a holiday party, i thought they were joking. three different whiskeys? just… mixed together? but then i tried it.
what makes this interesting (nutritionally speaking)
here’s where it gets weirdly relevant if you’re watching what you eat – there’s literally zero sugar in this thing. no mixers, no juice, no sneaky calories hiding in syrups.
it’s just straight spirits, which means the only thing you’re dealing with is the alcohol itself.
for anyone counting syns or tracking macros, that’s actually kind of refreshing? like, you know exactly what you’re getting. a standard shot of this is about 5 syns if you’re doing the slimming world thing, maybe 3 if you keep it small.
compare that to a pina colada (which is basically drinking a dessert) or even a pint of beer, and suddenly this feels almost… responsible? well, responsible-ish.
the catch – and there’s always a catch – is that alcohol calories are still calories, and your body treats them like a fire alarm.
everything else stops while your liver deals with it. so fat burning? on pause. decision making? also on pause, which is how you end up ordering pizza at midnight.
the bourbon: jim beam’s contribution
jim beam is basically the foundation here. it’s doing all the heavy lifting in terms of sweetness because bourbon has to be at least 51% corn by law, and corn means sugar, which means those vanilla-caramel notes you get when you taste it.
they age it in brand new charred oak barrels, which is where all that toasted wood flavor comes from.
in this shot, jim beam is the friend who shows up early and tries to make everyone comfortable. it’s approachable, slightly sweet, and honestly if you just drank jim beam on its own you’d probably be fine.
the tennessee whiskey: jack daniel’s smoothness
jack daniel’s is technically not bourbon even though everyone thinks it is, and the difference matters here.
before it goes into the barrel, they filter it through ten feet of sugar maple charcoal. this is called the lincoln county process and it’s why jack tastes smoother and almost oily in texture.
in the three wise men, jack is the mediator. it sits between the sweetness of the bourbon and the absolute smoke show that’s about to happen with the scotch.
it’s got some banana-ish notes from the yeast they use, which sounds weird but actually works.
the scotch: johnnie walker’s disruption
and then there’s johnnie walker, who walks in and flips the whole thing sideways. scotch – especially blended scotch like johnnie – has peat in it.
peat is basically semi-rotted plants that they burn to dry the barley, and it gives scotch that smoky, medicinal, sometimes band-aid-like flavor that people either love or absolutely cannot stand.
this is the ingredient that makes the three wise men what it is. without the scotch, you’d just have a sweeter, boring double bourbon situation.
the scotch brings the bite, the smoke, the “oh wow that’s happening” moment when you swallow.
how they actually work together (or don’t)
when you mix these three, you’re creating something that basically covers the entire spectrum of whiskey flavors in one aggressive gulp.
the corn sweetness crashes into the peat smoke, the vanilla tries to calm things down, the charcoal mellowing does its best, and your taste buds are just along for the ride.
if you shake it with ice – which honestly you should – the cold temperature suppresses some of that alcohol burn and the melted ice water actually helps the flavors blend better instead of just screaming at each other. served neat at room temperature? that’s for people who have something to prove.
the slimming world angle
look, i’m not gonna pretend this is health food. but if you’re on a plan like slimming world and you still want to participate in normal human social activities that involve alcohol, the three wise men is actually not the worst choice.
zero carbs means you’re not dealing with the sugar crash or the bloating you get from beer or sweet cocktails.
the syn value is transparent – you know what you’re spending. and because it’s strong and meant to be sipped (or shot quickly and then you’re done), you’re not nursing five glasses of wine throughout the night without realizing it.
the real danger is what happens after. alcohol makes you hungry and lowers your ability to say no to late night food, so if you’re having this, maybe plan ahead.
eat some protein beforehand, drink water between rounds, and maybe don’t keep leftover pizza in your fridge.
variations nobody asked for
of course people couldn’t leave it alone, so now there’s the four horsemen (add jameson), three wise men go hunting (add wild turkey), and three wise men visit mexico (add tequila, which honestly sounds terrible).
each variation adds more volume, more alcohol, and more syns. the four horsemen is probably the most drinkable because irish whiskey is lighter and fruitier. the mexico one is basically a dare.
the actual experience
when you drink this, here’s what happens: first you smell it and the scotch dominates everything. then you taste it and get hit with bourbon sweetness up front.
mid-palate the jack daniel’s coats your mouth with that oily texture. and then you swallow and the scotch comes back with a vengeance, leaving smoke and oak and a sort of medicinal aftertaste that lingers.
it’s not subtle. it’s not elegant. but it’s memorable, and sometimes that’s the point.
this is a party drink, a celebration drink, a “we’re doing something slightly ridiculous and we’re all in it together” drink. it’s definitely not an everyday thing, and honestly if you’re having more than one you might want to reconsider some choices.
but if you’re gonna have a strong drink at a holiday gathering or a night out, at least this one is honest about what it is.
no hidden sugars, no pretending to be something fancy, just three whiskey legends in a glass doing their absolute most.
Three Wise Men Shots (Slimming Friendly)
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- Jigger or Measuring Spoon
- Shot Glass (2 oz capacity)
Ingredients
- 15 ml 0.5 oz Jim Beam White Label Bourbon
- 15 ml 0.5 oz Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey
- 15 ml 0.5 oz Johnnie Walker Red Label Scotch Whisky
- 1 cup Ice Cubes for chilling
Instructions
- Chill the Shaker: Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with fresh ice cubes. Tip: Using plenty of ice ensures the shot gets ice-cold quickly without diluting too much.
- Add the Wise Men: Measure and pour the Jim Beam, Jack Daniel’s, and Johnnie Walker into the shaker.
- Shake Vigorously: Secure the lid and shake hard for 10–15 seconds. You want the shaker tin to frost over on the outside. Why shake? This aerates the whiskey and mellows the alcohol “burn,” making it much smoother to drink than a warm shot.
- Strain and Serve: Strain the liquid into a shot glass. Drink immediately while ice cold.
Notes
- Slimming World Syns: This entire shot (45ml total alcohol) is approximately 5 Syns. If you are sharing the mix between two smaller glasses, count it as 2.5 Syns per serving.
- The “Sipping” Option: To make this drink last longer and feel more satisfying, serve it “on the rocks” in a tumbler glass. The melting ice will open up the flavors (vanilla from the bourbon, smoke from the scotch) and help you avoid the “tipping point” of drinking too fast.
Variations:
Three Wise Men Go Hunting: Add 15ml of Wild Turkey (Adds approx. 1.5 Syns). Three Wise Men Visit Mexico: Add 15ml of Tequila (Adds approx. 1.5 Syns). Flavor Profile: Expect a sweet caramel start from the Jim and Jack, followed by a smoky, fiery finish from the Johnnie Walker.Nutrition
Davin is a jack-of-all-trades but has professional training and experience in various home and garden subjects. He leans on other experts when needed and edits and fact-checks all articles. Also an aspiring cook we he researches and tries all kinds of different food recipes and shares what works best.