Whisky in summer - the highball, or how to drink whisky in the heat
Whisky brings to mind a winter armchair and a fireplace, yet in Japan it has long been a summer drink - as a highball. It is simply whisky with well-chilled soda water and ice: a light, refreshing, fizzy drink in which the whisky does not burn but smells lovely. On a hot evening it beats neat whisky hands down, and you make it in 30 seconds.
What a highball is
A highball is the simplest long drink in the world: spirit + something fizzy + ice, in a tall glass. In the whisky version that is whisky + soda water. The bubbles carry the whisky aroma up to your nose, the water dilutes the alcohol to a pleasant, drinkable level, and the ice keeps it cold. In Japan the highball (haiboru) is a national drink - sipped with food the way we drink beer.
How to make a good highball
A few steps and a few details that make the difference:
- A tall glass full of ice. The more ice, the slower it melts and the less it waters down. The ice should be dry and cold, not scooped from a half-melted bowl.
- Whisky - about 40-50 ml. Pour over the ice and stir briefly to chill.
- Well-chilled soda water - a ratio of roughly 1:3 or 1:4 (one part whisky to 3-4 parts water). Pour slowly down the side or over a spoon so you do not knock out the bubbles.
- One gentle stir - once up and down, do not stir hard or you flatten the drink.
- Optionally a lemon peel or slice - it adds freshness.
The secret to a good highball is cold and bubbles, so everything - glass, whisky, water - should be cold, and open the soda fresh.
Which whisky to choose
Do not waste a rare, collectible bottle on a highball - here the rulers are light, clean, aromatic whiskies that open up nicely with water and bubbles:
- Blends (Japanese, Scotch) - made for this, smooth and versatile.
- Light single malts from Speyside or the Highlands - fruity, honeyed, floral.
- Bourbon - vanilla-sweet, plays beautifully with soda and lemon.
- Peated Islay whisky - for the bold: a smoky highball is a small revelation, the smoke stretches beautifully through the bubbles. Where that smoke comes from we explain in why whisky tastes like a bonfire.
A fun fact: water opens up whisky even when you drink it neat - which is why tasters add a drop of water. The highball is the same principle taken to a summer scale.
A highball is not heresy
More than one purist will wince at whisky with soda, but this is not ruining the spirit - it is a different, summer way of drinking it, with a long and respected tradition. Neat whisky stays for the cool evening, the highball for the heat. And if you are just starting your whisky journey, a light highball can be the gentlest way in - more in how to fall in love with whisky.
Save your ratios
The perfect highball comes down to the ratio of whisky to water and the bottle you choose - and that differs for every whisky. You hit your favourite fastest when you write down what you set and how. In GustoNote you note the type, the cask and how it performed in a highball for every whisky, while the aroma wheel and radar help you name its profile. After a few entries you know which whisky makes the best summer drink. More on how the cask shapes the flavour in how the cask shapes whisky.