One Part Whisky, Three Parts Soda
The whisky highball's genius is that it takes about fifteen seconds, and you're ready to sip.
Tall glass. Fill with ice. One part whisky of choice. Three parts Spey Soda of choice. Add a garnish if you're feeling fancy. Stir. Sip. Enjoy with company.
That's the method. Everything below is optional, but it's the difference between a good one and a very good one.
The glass
Tall and narrow. It keeps the drink cold for longer and gives the bubbles less room to escape, which is the whole point of a long serve.
The ice
More than feels sensible. A glass packed with ice melts far more slowly than three lonely cubes, so you get a drink that stays cold and stays lively rather than turning warm and flat halfway down. Under-icing is the single most common way to spoil one.
The pour
Whisky first, then the soda gently down the side of the glass over the ice. Poured from a height it loses its fizz before it reaches you.
The stir
One turn is plenty. This isn't a cocktail and it doesn't want shaking, muddling or working. Stir it hard and you knock the life straight out of it.
The garnish
Optional, always. A twist of citrus, or something even more exciting, over the top of the glass. That's a nice lift. But even the pros skip it entirely if they have nothing to hand.
The ratio
One to three is where we would start you. Long enough to be genuinely refreshing, short enough that the whisky is unmistakably the main event.
Discover and share your perfect whisky and Spey Soda pairings @speysoda.
Explore whisky your way. Life's short. Mix well.
