The Highball proves you don’t need a lot of fancy ingredients to get a deliciously refreshing cocktail. Still, it’s these easy cocktail recipes you have to look out for.
Check out how to make and serve the perfect highball drink below, and be sure to add it to your at-home drinks menu!
Classic Whiskey Highball Overview
The Highball is essentially a whiskey soda. It’s made with just three ingredients:
- 2 ounces of whiskey
- 4 ounces of club soda
- Ice
Add your ingredients to a highball glass, stir gently, and start sipping. It’s a drink for whiskey lovers, for sure, since you don’t have any other potent ingredients to mask its flavors, at least not with the classic recipe.
Isn’t the Whiskey Highball Made with Ginger Ale?
If you’ve ordered a whiskey highball recently, it most likely has ginger ale. While the original recipe used club soda, bartenders switched to ginger ale to create a sweeter drink that appealed to more people.
We think both are delicious, but we would recommend trying the classic version first, especially if you’re a staunch whiskey lover.
Nutrition and Calories
The Whiskey Highball is a low-calorie drink that’s perfect to indulge in if you’re trying to keep track of your daily consumption. It only has roughly 140 calories and 12.5 grams of carbs, but no fats or proteins.
It’s also a light drink, with around 9% ABV if you choose an 80-proof bottle. But you can make it as strong or light as you want by adjusting the amount of whiskey mixed in.
Top Tips for Serving a Highball Cocktail
With these types of simple mixed drinks, you need to carefully choose the base spirit and bring your serving skills to the next level.
Here are some tips to help you serve a great whiskey highball:
- Use your favorite whiskey. Since the highball allows you to taste the signature profile of the base spirit, it’s best to choose one you enjoy sipping straight. Rye whiskeys are a popular choice thanks to their spicy edge with black pepper and clove notes, but bourbon and scotch work well too.
- Mix on the go: The bubbly soda water gives the cocktail a refreshing and light appeal that’s perfect if you don’t usually like complex drinks. But it’s best to avoid mixing multiple cocktails in advance, as the soda water can fizz out quickly and make the drink less appealing.
- Consider the carbonated beverage carefully. Soda water usually has a sharp fizz because it contains sodium bicarbonate. Sparkling water is more mellow and may let more of the whiskey seep through. Both are great for whiskey soda cocktails, but it can come down to personal preference.
- Serve with light food: This light cocktail pairs well with chicken, seafood, and foods we don’t usually consider “heavy.” But it shines best as a pre-dinner drink.
Highball Recipe Variations
The Whiskey Highball is a great cocktail template for other delicious drinks:
- Vodka Soda: This is another classic drink with simple ingredients and minimal prep time.
- Tequila Highball: Get a fruitier taste by using tequila and soda, and add some lime juice for an extra flavor kick.
- Kentucky Mule: Use bourbon and ginger beer to get a completely new type of drink. This one is best served in a copper mug.
- Add lemon juice: Make this classic cocktail friendlier by adding a dash of lemon or orange juice. Drop a lemon wedge in to make a more complex mixed drink.
Wrapping Up
No matter how you make it, the whisky highball is a refreshing drink that would be a hit in any gathering. Experiment with different flavors, but don’t forget to try the classic recipe first to get the full highball experience!
