The whisky highball is a simple two ingredient classic cocktail. Only whisky and soda are required.
Whisky highballs are often made with blended Scotch whisky. It’s a fairly benign drink. In Japan, the highball has become iconic. And like most things that the Japanese find interesting, they elevated it to another level.
Japanese whisky was originally modeled after Scotch, so it makes sense it would work well in this classic. No need to use the most expensive whiskies you have. The Suntory Toki highball is the most popular variant outside of Japan.
Hakushu 12 year single malt is a once popular option for highballs, as well. It’s scarcity and rising price have made it more of a luxury option these days.
Nikka From the Barrel makes an excellent highball for those that really enjoy the taste of whisky. It has a much higher proof than most Japanese whiskies. It is also quite rich. These traits counteract the diluting effect of the soda or sparkling water.
Any Japanese whisky highball recipe should start with a chilled highball glass.
A standard pour of 1.5-ounces of 80 proof whisky will produce a light cocktail. Using 2-ounces is better if you want more intensity. Chill the whisky over ice and strain into the chilled highball glass – now filled with fresh ice.
While tilting the glass, pour cold sparkling water or club soda gently inside. A very light stir is all that’s needed to combine the water and whisky.
A lemon garnish is optional. Finer whiskies may not need one. But standard whiskies like Suntory Toki or Mars Iwai benefit from an expression of citrus oil over the drink.