These simple recipes will keep everyone happy – purists and rule-breakers alike.
When it comes to the easiest drinks to make, the Whisky Highball surely takes the title. As a simple mix of whisky and soda in a tall glass with ice, it’s almost impossible to stuff up. If you need more convincing, this humble cocktail delivers serious value – one bottle of whisky makes 15 serves. Plus, it’s a top pick for whisky fans while also offering an approachable intro to the spirit for everyone else. Yep, it ticks a lot of boxes.
There are countless ways to enjoy whisky (oh hey wee drams and Whiskey Sours), but we think the Whisky Highball is one of the best. It’s crisp and refreshing, while still showcasing all those deliciously rich and complex flavours that we love about this dark spirit. Of course, the biggest decision to make with this drink is the type of whisky to use. There’s a whole world of choice out there – literally – and all styles (and we mean all) really work.
You might like to go for American whiskey if you prefer bold flavours, Japanese whisky for a more restrained cocktail, Scotch whisky, which comes in its own wildly different styles, Irish whiskey, known for its slightly sweeter palate, Aussie expressions, which are only getting better, or something else entirely. Just don’t go too high-end – save those for sipping neat or on the rocks so you can really savour it properly.
Despite its simplicity, there are still a few ways to make the best possible Whisky Highball. First, choose a highball or tall glass, fill it with ice – quality, clear ice, please and thank you – and then add your whisky and top it with soda. You shouldn’t have to stir it as all those bubbles are doing some of that work. But you may still like to give it a brief, gentle mix with a bar spoon (no judgement if a chopstick is your best tool for this job).
As for the ideal whisky-soda ratio, this will come down to your preference, but our recipe uses 50mL whisky and 100mL to 150mL of soda, so play around with the balance to see what you like best. Just be sure to use good soda water – yes, you can taste (and feel) the difference – and still let the whisky’s character shine through. Faint flavours from too much dilution is no one’s idea of a good time.
Feeling inspired? We’ve rounded up some of our best highball recipes, including the OG classic, some twists with other flavours, and a few that even swap out the whisky because we can’t resist giving even the simplest drinks a little spin.
