Keep Your Eye on the Highball
The Anatomy of a Highball
As warmer months beckon, the highball is one of the easiest and most refreshing serves to reach for, day or night.
The highball is a simple cocktail consisting of a spirit and a mixer served in a tall, ice-filled glass. While not solely whisky-based, highballs are most commonly made with whisky, excelling at making the spirit even more approachable across a wider range of occasions and times of day.
So why do one? What makes a good one? How can you make our favourite one? We’re handing the reins over to our Whiskymaker (and award-winning bartender) Michael for all the answers…
WHY DO A HIGHBALL?
When we create a highball at Compass Box, it’s less about rules and more about flavour. Essentially we’re setting out to either lengthen the whisky, subtly soften its intensity, or complement its profile. A mixer can highlight what’s already happening in the whisky, or coax out nuances that might not be apparent when you drink it neat.
The choice of highball mixer opens up endless possibilities. Really great quality water adds texture; soda or sparkling water brings effervescence and sometimes salinity and mineral components; green tea delivers freshness and tannins; and coconut water gives you sweetness, particularly with a smoky peated whisky.
Like chef James Sharp talked about recently with food and drink pairings, both the whisky and the mixer need to bring something to the table. You might soften the whisky to create space for the flavours, or try to contrast and evolve its profile with shared compounds, aromatics or fruits. Ginger, for example, does this well as it’s a real enhancer, especially for warming, spicy notes.
THE KEY TO A GOOD HIGHBALL
A touch of sugar and a splash of citrus.
Consider it seasoning for your drink.
The sugar could be a sugar syrup, flavoured syrup (fruit or herbs), honey or maple, while the citrus might be yuzu, grapefruit, lemon or lime.
That gives you a decent range to play with when pairing with specific flavours: you don’t have to be tied to one thing, and can get as creative as you like depending on the intensity you favour.
The same spirit of experimentation applies to a more straightforward whisky and soda. Some want boozy. Some prefer diluted.
Details are important for a highball. We always say ‘drink whisky however you like’, but decent ice, glassware and garnishes massively help, with something as simple as a zest of lemon able to make the experience really stand out.
Test, try, and do what works to your tastes.
THE ORCHARD HOUSE HIGHBALL
For me, Orchard House’s inherent balance makes it ideal for a highball as it can lead you in many directions. It possesses a dominant fruit profile, with a defined structure and depth, but you still have a lovely honeyed shortbread, malty quality and hint of citrus.
A fruity mixer will naturally complement its character, while a delicate zest of lemon over soda will render it incredibly refreshing. Both approaches will brighten the whisky while still connecting you to the flavour profile.
The crucial element to keep in mind is really your ratio of whisky to mixer. For a standard-size highball glass, with ice, I’d suggest 40ml of Orchard House rather than a full double shot as some find it a bit too boozy at 50ml. Again, have a play.
RECIPE: CLASSIC PEAR HIGHBALL
Easy to make - very easy to enjoy - our Classic Pear Highball has a crisp, layered brightness with just a touch of sweetness.
INGREDIENTS
40 ml Compass Box Orchard House
10 ml Pear Eau de Vie
10 ml Sugar Syrup
20 ml Lemon Juice
20ml Apple Juice
Soda Water
METHOD
Pour the first five ingredients into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with soda water, stir, and add a garnish of pear slices.
