The more you feel that "whisky is hard," the better it is to start with a highball. It's cold, refreshing, and easy on the alcohol, so you can gently enjoy just the aroma of whisky. Today we're making one at home with the Japanese whisky Nikka.
So what exactly is a highball?
A highball is wonderfully simple. Whisky + soda water + ice — that's all there is to it. Think of it as a cocktail where whisky is chilled and diluted with carbonated water. In Japan it has settled in as a kind of "national drink" enjoyed casually alongside meals, which is exactly why it pairs so well with Japanese whisky.
The alcohol content is usually around 7–9%, just slightly higher than beer. If the fiery kick of drinking whisky straight felt like too much, a highball lowers that wall dramatically.
What's so good about enjoying whisky as a highball?
If drinking it straight is about tasting the rich, concentrated spirit of whisky, then a highball is the most relaxed way to enjoy whisky's aroma.
As the carbonation bursts inside the glass, it lifts the whisky's fruity and vanilla notes right up to your nose. It's cold and refreshing, so it goes well with food, and above all you can enjoy a glass from start to finish without ever tiring of it. For a beginner, there's no better place to start.
Making a highball with Nikka — 5 steps
The ratio Nikka officially recommends is 1 part whisky to 3 parts soda water. If you want it strong, go 1:3; for something lighter, adjust to 1:4–5.
Chill the glass, fill it with big ice cubes
Put the glass in the freezer ahead of time to chill it, then fill it with large, solid ice cubes. The bigger the ice, the more slowly it melts, so your drink won't get watered down before you finish.
Pour in 45ml of Nikka whisky
Pour 45ml (about 1.5oz) of whisky over the ice. If you don't have an accurate measuring cup, it's close to a single shot glass of soju.
Stir well with a bar spoon
Before adding the soda water, stir just the whisky and ice 10–15 times. The whisky needs to get properly cold during this step so that the carbonation doesn't escape as quickly later on.
Add the soda water slowly, avoiding the ice
Pour in about three times as much strong soda water as whisky. The key is to keep the carbonation alive — pour it gently down the side of the glass, avoiding the ice, so the bubbles stay alive to the very end. Strong sodas like Wilkinson or Singha work well.
Stir just once, finish with lemon
Slide the bar spoon to the bottom and gently lift it up and down just once. Be careful — stir too much and the carbonation escapes! Finally, twist a lemon peel over it to add aroma and you're done.
Which Nikka should you choose? — Save the recipes right away
Each Nikka in the lineup has a slightly different highball character. The three below are written up as step-by-step recipes on "Ggomggomhan," so tap the one you like to save it and follow it exactly.
One last tip. Eighty percent of a highball's flavor comes down to ice and carbonation. Keep both the glass and the ice cold, and use a strong soda you've just cracked open. Stick to just these two things and you'll get a glass at home that rivals a bar. 🥃
댓글 0
첫 댓글을 남겨보세요.