Highballs have the reputation of being a party drink due to its familiar carbonated-sweetness that makes it easy to drink like a soda, while masking the high alcohol content which sometimes can go well above 20% ABV. Imagine drinking this twice as fast as you would drink beer, ’cause that is what most people would do.
Instead of buying premixed highballs, it’s best to make your own so you can choose how much alcohol you want in your drink.
Since it’s easy to make – literally just soda and the alcohol of your choice served in a large glass of ice – you can’t really go wrong. Throw in some garnishing like mint leaves, lemon slices or even blueberries if you want to be fancy.
The key ingredient is your alcohol of choice. The taste will mostly come from everything else, but the buzz is from the spirit itself. Cheap spirits will give you a bad buzz no matter how much soda you use to cover it up.
The original choice of spirit is whisky – well, according to the Japanese who marketed Highballs to international fame, at least.
Hence, we’ve put together a list of the best whiskies for your highball so you can reach a higher level without a bad buzz.
Johnnie Walker Gold Label
There’s no doubt this is a top choice for your highball.
Johnnie Walker is probably the most well-known blended whisky from Speyside, typically associated with the consistent flavours of the region.
Gold Label stands out as our favourite Johnnie Walker for highballs due to its sweet, enticing scent of honey and vibrant layers of tropical fruit, with a distinct creamy vanilla flavour.
The 18-year old whisky’s flavour palate includes honey, vanilla, and dark chocolate, which you can imagine would pair well with the effervescence of soda water, creating a refreshing and easy-to-drink cocktail.
Suntory Kakubin
It doesn’t get anymore Japanese than with a Suntory thrown into the mix!
With big scoops of fresh cereals and honeycomb ice cream to the nose, and more honey, citrus peels, peppercorn, green apples and cinnamon to the palate, the Suntory Kakubin feels like a whisky that was invented for highballs.
Kakubin is made using a combination of malt and grain whiskies from the Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita distilleries. A light and clean blended whisky, Kakubin mixes well with a variety of sodas, allowing your carbonated beverage of choice to really shine through while maintaining the subtle nuances that are associated with Suntory blended whiskies.
Glenmorangie Lasanta
The first single malt Scotch on our list is Glenmorangie Lasanta!
Aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, Glenmorangie Lasanta benefits from an ageing process that gives it a rich and fruity flavour profile with notes of raisins, honey, and caramel.
When used in a highball, the brand’s overall trademark spiciness comes interestingly into play, as does the sweetness of the Lasanta that complements your choice of soda water or ginger ale, resulting in a perfectly balanced highball.
A long and satisfying finish with spiced orange and chocolate covered hazelnuts will bring this highball back home after the warm spices takes your palate out to play.
Ardbeg 10-Year-Old
If you worship the God of Peat, then Ardbeg 10-Year-Old is your nectar from the heavens. Think of it as a bonfire on the beach, with smoky and spicy flavours that’ll warm you up and give you that cosy feeling.
Made using malted barley that is dried over peat fires, Ardbeg 10 is an excellent choice for a highball because the smokiness adds depth and complexity. When paired with ginger ale, the spiciness of the mixer balances out the smokiness of the whisky, creating a harmonious and sinfully delicious cocktail.
Produced on the Kildalton Coast of Islay without any chill-filtration, you can add a breath of coastal air, smoke and more to your highball simply by using Ardbeg 10 as your spirit of choice.
Singleton Sherry Cask
Last but not least, we’ve got the sophisticated Singleton Sherry Cask with a dark and mysterious flavour profile that’ll keep you guessing, and more importantly, drinking.
Like a puzzle waiting to be solved, with hints of dark chocolate, dried fruit, and spice, the complex blended Scotch is aged in European oak sherry casks
Singleton Sherry Cask makes for an interesting choice for a highball because the rich and complex flavours of the whisky will interact with your mixers in unpredictable ways.
A ginger ale highball with Singleton Sherry Cask will not taste like typical ginger ale, rather something more sweet and tangy. Some say it even tastes more like plum wine, but why not try it yourself and let us know what you discover?
For all of the whisky choices here and more, head to our online shop now. We delivery on the same day for customers in the Klang Valley!
