How do Japanese people drink their whisky and what is a highball anyway?
A Japanese whisky highball is cool, sparkling, and surprisingly versatile. All you need is whisky and soda water, and usually ice. How much soda you add, which whisky you choose, and how you pour it all make a big difference to the drink. Here you’ll find a basic recipe, tips on choosing your ingredients, and a look at Japanese highball culture.
What is a whisky highball?
A whisky highball combines whisky with carbonated water. It is usually served in a tall glass with ice. The soda makes it taste lighter than whisky on its own; the aromas are different, not simply weaker. A twist of lemon peel can be added, but it’s not essential.
In Japan, you’ll find the drink in bars and served with small dishes. The ratio of whisky to soda is a matter of taste. For starters, we recommend one part whisky to three or four parts soda. This leaves enough room for the whisky to come through while still giving you a sparkling long drink.
How the highball became popular in Japan
Bars and manufacturers both helped make it popular. After whisky sales in Japan had declined from the 1980s, Suntory revived the highball: in 2008, the company promoted the Kaku Highball, made with its Kakubin blend and actress Koyuki. Highballs also became popular in izakayas, Japanese bars serving drinks and small dishes. One contemporary recipe called for one part whisky to three parts soda. The campaign helped bring the drink back into the spotlight, but it didn’t invent it.
Bars also have their own distinctive styles. Bar Samboa serves a well-known version without ice: the glass, whisky, and soda are chilled, and lemon zest is added. This shows that while ice is typical, it’s not essential for every highball. You can read more about the era of Japanese whisky bars in our history of the Japanese whisky boom.
The basic recipe for your highball
For one glass, you’ll need 40 ml of whisky, 120 to 160 ml of well-chilled soda water, and plenty of ice. A tall glass, a long spoon, and, if you like, a piece of lemon peel are also useful. This is a starting point, not a set of rigid rules. You can adjust the quantities according to the size of your glass.
- Fill the glass with ice and stir briefly to chill it. Pour off any meltwater. Alternatively, you can chill the glass beforehand.
- Top up with more ice if needed, then add the whisky. Stir briefly so that the whisky is also chilled.
- Slowly pour the chilled soda water down the side of the glass. This helps to add it gently.
- Carefully lift the drink once from the bottom with the spoon. Taste it and adjust the ratio for the next glass.
- If you like lemon, squeeze a piece of peel over the glass and add it if you wish.
A well-filled glass and large ice cubes are a practical starting point. Chilled soda and careful mixing will help you serve the drink cool and sparkling. Feel free to experiment with the quantities: 40 ml of whisky and 120 ml of soda make a 1:3 ratio; 160 ml of soda makes the drink lighter.
Three historical recipe examples
How different mixtures can be is shown in Whisky Rising using three examples: For a Kaku Highball, the book recommends a ratio of one part whisky to four parts soda and lemon. For a Chita Highball, it recommends one part whisky and 3.5 parts soda, without lemon. The Hakushu Morikaoru Highball is described as one part whisky, three parts soda, and mint.
These are the recipes documented in the book, not definitive guidelines for every bottle or current manufacturer recommendations. Start with the ratio that appeals to you and adjust it to suit your taste.
Which whisky is right for a highball?
A mild, fruity blend is a good choice for your first attempt. Pay attention to what you can still taste after topping up: vanilla, grain, or fruit may come through differently depending on the blend. A blend is not a measure of quality, but a way of combining whiskies. We explain the differences in our guide to single malt, grain, and blended whisky.
In addition to Suntory Old Whisky, these five blends are suitable for trying. Start with a 1:3 ratio, for example, and adjust the amount of soda to suit your taste. You can find the current availability of each on its product page.
Stronger, barrel-aged, or smoky whiskies can also be interesting. With a highly aromatic whisky, you can start with a little more soda or first try a small glass at a 1:3 ratio. Some subtle woody notes may recede when diluted; other flavours may become more noticeable. Trust your own taste rather than a general rule.
You can find an overview of our Japanese whiskies. Check the relevant product page to see whether the bottle you want is currently available.
Common mixing mistakes
- Unchilled soda: Chill the bottle beforehand. Warm soda will also cause the drink to lose its chill more quickly.
- Not enough ice in the glass: A generously filled glass is a good starting point. Pour off any meltwater after pre-chilling.
- Stirring too vigorously: Handle the soda gently if you want to preserve its carbonation. Lifting it carefully once is enough as a starting point.
- Estimating the whisky by eye: Measure it out the first time. This will help you figure out which ratio you like.
- Still water instead of soda: This makes a different drink. Choose carbonated water for a sparkling highball.
When preparing drinks for guests, it is best to prepare the ice and soda beforehand and mix each glass separately. This allows you to adjust the ratio and serve the drink fresh. Small bottles of soda are handy if you are only preparing one or two glasses: you don’t have to open a large bottle. Also chill the whisky if you want to try the version without ice. At Samboa, lemon zest is part of the drink; at home, you can start without it and then compare how the aroma changes with lemon.
If your drink tastes too strong, add a little more soda next time. If it tastes too weak, try a smaller ratio of soda. Keep track of the whisky and quantities as you test different versions: this will make it easy to recreate your favourite.
Other ways to drink whisky
The highball is just one option. If you try the same whisky in different ways, you will clearly notice how temperature and dilution change the experience:
- Neat: Without any additions, you can taste the whisky’s concentrated flavours.
- On the rocks: The whisky is chilled and changes as the ice melts.
- Mizuwari: Whisky with still water, often served with ice. There are also versions without ice.
- Half up: Equal parts whisky and soda on the rocks make a stronger mixture than our basic recipe.
- Twice up: Equal parts whisky and still water without ice, a way to taste the whisky more carefully.
- Oyuwari: Whisky with hot water. This is a warm way of serving it, not a highball.
Dave Broom describes a special version of mizuwari in a Chita bar: whisky was mixed with still water at a 1:3 ratio, left to stand for 24 hours, and served chilled. Broom found the prepared mixture fuller-bodied than one mixed just before serving. This is his tasting observation, not a guarantee for every recipe.
If you want to try more mixtures, our Japanese whisky cocktail recipes offer ideas ranging from a whisky sour to a sakura highball.
Highballs with food
A highball can work as an aperitif or with several small dishes. It is worth trying with tempura, karaage, or takoyaki. The cool, sparkling nature of the drink provides a pleasant contrast to fried and savoury dishes. This is a matter of taste, not a set combination.
It is also worth trying with salty snacks or grilled food. Start with a lighter whisky and hold back the lemon peel if you do not want to overpower the food. For more combinations and different whisky profiles, see our guide to Japanese whisky and food pairing.
It is best to compare two glasses with the same whisky: one with three parts soda and one with four. You will quickly see which mixture you prefer with food or on its own.
Sources & further reading
- Brian Ashcraft: Japanese Whisky, pp. 90–101; sections on highballs, Samboa, and food pairing.
- Dave Broom: The Way of Whisky, p. 7; also sections on Samboa, highball culture, and 24-hour mizuwari.
- Stefan Van Eycken: Whisky Rising, pp. 274–275, on highballs and mizuwari; p. 274 with the three recipe examples.
- Stephen Lyman and Chris Bunting: The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks: Sake, Shochu, Whisky, Beer, and More, pp. 192, 194, 308–309.
- Jwhisky: Japanese whisky and food pairing and whisky cocktail recipes.
