Instructions
- Pre-chill a highball glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
- Fill the frozen glass with ice cubes to the top.
- Pour Japanese whisky over the ice.
- Top with well-chilled soda water.
- Stir gently exactly 13½ times (the traditional Japanese method) to mix without losing carbonation.
- Optionally express a lemon twist over the drink.
📜 History
Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii introduced the highball to Japan in the 1950s as a way to make whisky more accessible. Japanese bartenders transformed this simple drink into an art form with exacting standards: frozen glasses, carefully measured ratios, minimal stirring to preserve carbonation, and hand-cut ice. The highball experienced a renaissance in the 2000s and is now ubiquitous in izakayas and bars across Japan.
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