Whiskey Highball: Timeless Yet Modern (2024)

We first encountered the Whiskey Highball back in 2016 when we visited Osaka. During our week long visit, it wasn’t uncommon for us to see suited Japanese businessmen enthusiastically exclaiming ‘Kampai!’ before quickly downing the sophisticated sipper. The classic golden co*cktail seemed to be on the menu at every izakaya and ramen shop we entered.

It took us several years but we now get why Japan has embraced this legendary co*cktail with such gusto. Not only does the Whiskey Highball look and taste great, but the two ingredient co*cktail is also super easy to craft without any exotic ingredients or special bar tools.

Discover more two-ingredient co*cktails.

The Whiskey Highball is a classic co*cktail that’s traditionally crafted with two parts soda water and one part whiskey. Some people replace the soda water with ginger ale but be aware that the sweeter version approaches Whiskey Ginger territory.

Also, not surprisingly, Whiskey Highballs are always served in tall highball glasses.

While crafting a Whisky Highball is easy to do, pinpointing its exact origin isn’t so simple. Still, it has an intersesting history that spans multiple centuries and continents.

Most co*cktail historians link highball co*cktails to the UK, the country where Joseph Priestley invented soda water during the latter half of the 18th century. While it’s likely that people started mixing liquor with soda water soon after that, the highball name arrived more than a century later and is attributed to American mixologist Patric Gavin Duffy, author of The Official Mixer’s Manual.

The highball became popular in the US during Prohibition when drinkers would mix moonshine with soda. The style never went totally out of fashion, achieving peak popularity in Japan, half way around the world, in 2008.

Today, the Whiskey Highball is so popular in Japan that it’s available on draught at izikayas from Tokyo to Kyoto and everywhere in-between. Despite its seeming simplicty, the Whiskey Highball is one of the country’s most popular co*cktails.

This easy Whiskey Highball recipe requires the following ingredients:

Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.

While you only need two ingredients to craft a proper Whiskey Highball, you have a few decisions to make.

First, you need to decide if you want to craft the co*cktail with bourbon, rye, scotch or whiskey. We use bourbon since we’re fans of the American whiskey’s rich, caramel-like flavors. However, Japanese whiskey, Irish and Scotch whiskey are all great options if you prefer more floral or smokey flavors.

Next, you need to decide between using soda water or ginger ale for the mixer. Do you want a potent tasting potable or are you in the mood for a sweeter drink? The alcohol content will be the same either way.

Finally, you need to decide if you want to add a citrus garnish. We like to add a lemon wedge but adding a garnish is totally optional.

Once you decide on the ingredients you want to use, the first step is to fill a highball glass with ice cubes.

Next, measure your whiskey of choice and pour it directly into the ice-filled glass. We use a Japanese jigger to mimimize spillage.

Buy a Japanese jigger from Amazon if you need a jigger or want an inexpensive upgrade.

Top the glass with soda water or ginger ale.

Pro Tip
You can use club soda or seltzer if you can’t find soda water.

Gently stir the co*cktail using a bar spoon.

Optionally garnish the co*cktail with a lemon wedge.

Could the Whiskey Highball be the easiest co*cktail to craft at home? If not, it’s certainly a contender.

Frequently Asked Questions

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