How to Make a Perfect Whiskey Highball

At first glance, a whiskey soda and a Japanese-style whiskey highball may appear the same, but their preparation can be vastly different. A trip to Japan — or a Japanese cocktail bar — can reveal the wonders of the Japanese whiskey highball, a combination of whiskey and soda water that requires a level of detail and precision not often found in a typical American dive-bar whiskey soda.

In Japan, highballs are both science and art. Every Japanese bartender has their own specific style, but what unites them is a precision that turns this simple combination into a cocktail that's more than the sum of its parts.

"I've actually spent five to six minutes watching a Japanese bartender painstakingly build a cocktail from just three ingredients: ice, whisky, and soda water. In even the typical high-end American cocktail bar, that order will be finished in, what, 30-40 seconds?" says Stephen Lyman, founder of Kampai, a website devoted to Japanese izakaya culture, and the author of the book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks: Sake, Shochu, Japanese Whisky, Beer, Wine, Cocktails and Other Beverages.

Most highballs in Japan consist of roughly two parts soda to one part whiskey. However, Yusuke Sasaki, a representative of Japanese distilling giant Suntory — which makes both award-winning whiskies and canned highballs for convenience stores — says it depends on which kind of whiskey you're using. "For example, for Toki [a light, clean Japanese whisky], we recommend a 1:3 ratio. For Jim Beam [a more robust American whiskey], we recommend a 1:4 ratio," he says.

Chilling the ingredients is essential — the water, whiskey, and glass — all of which contribute to the finished product's overall quality and taste sensation. Ice usually comes in large, clear cubes to slow dilution, and is often added to a glass (we like this Riedel highball glass), stirred to chill the glass appropriately, and then drained. Whiskey is added and carefully stirred, topped with more ice, then soda water is added and carefully stirred again, often an exact and minimal number of times to maintain carbonation. Garnishes run the gamut from none to citrus to other fruits and herbs, depending on the type of whiskey and its flavor profile.

There are other, perhaps less tangible, differences between a highball and a whiskey soda — importantly, the context in which it's consumed. Highballs are everywhere in Japan, from high-end cocktail bars with tuxedoed staff to cans in vending machines. Although the exact origins of the drink are murky, Suntory's founder, Shinjiro Torii, is widely credited with popularizing the cocktail in the 1950s at his "Tory's Bars," which specialized in highballs."

Torii found that diluting whiskey with water and ice brought the spirit's proof down to a level that made it accessible to a wider audience. Highballs became an easy-sipping drink to accompany a meal, often in lieu of beer. "The highball is supposed to be a light, refreshing, cold beer alternative," says Lyman. "So the 'right' way is to make something that's not too boozy, retains its effervescence, and stays nice and cold."

At a recent visit to Suntory's Yamazaki Distillery in Japan, distillers outlined their steps to making a perfect highball.

The Perfect Japanese Whiskey Highball Ratio

1. Fill a straight-sided 8-12 ounce glass — commonly known as, yes, a highball glass — to the brim with large, clear ice cubes. (Though it's worth noting that some bars serve highballs in beer steins, emphasizing their beer-like drinkability.) Stir the ice a few times and drain any water that's melted off of it.

2. Add one part whiskey, and stir approximately ten times with a long-handled bar spoon to cool both the whiskey and the glass. Top off the glass with another ice cube or two to reach the brim again.

3. Pour two to four parts chilled soda water in to the top of the glass, depending on what kind of whiskey you’re using.

4. Using a long-handled bar spoon, gently lift the ice slightly from the bottom of the glass vertically, approximately twice, to keep the soda fizzy.

5. Garnish, if you wish, and enjoy.