Whitehead also recommends Topo Chico because of its unique minerality and vibrant carbonation. As for sparkling mineral water Gerolsteiner Sparkling Mineral Water is lovely-there’s a great mouthwatering bitterness to it along with a bold effervescence, which plays nicely with some sweeter whiskies.”Īs Momose mentions, Q is popular with many bartenders-both Abrahamson and Whitehead recommend Q club soda for its brightness, and while Kevin Diedrich at Pacific Cocktail Haven uses a Toki machine at the bar, when mixing on-the-fly or at home, he reaches for Q because it “has the best bubble out there,” he says. “Club soda is great for that subtle hint of salt some that I like and will pair with different whiskies: Fever-Tree Club Soda and Q Club Soda. “I enjoy a variety of different styles of highball: chilled mineral water, sparkling water and club soda,” says Momose. With subtle variations in minerality and levels of carbonation, different sodas or sparkling mineral waters will lend different personality to the final drink, so experiment to find your favorite. It has a nice rich character of caramel and honey and plays very well when mixed in a highball.” The Bubbly It’s full-bodied, with everything I love about whisky that has spent time in sherry casks. “A blend of malt and grain, this whisky is aged in bourbon, sherry, and wine barrels. A few of her favorites are Nikka Coffey Malt, for its “tropical fruit notes carrying along with dark red fruits and vanilla drizzled in caramel,” and Mars Shinshu Iwai Tradition. Julia Momose, owner of the forthcoming Chicago bar Kumiko, likes trying a new Japanese whiskey with every highball session to explore the nuances of each. “Depth and complexity are not sacrificed-it maintains as a whisky-centric experience to the last drop.” You can still find Hakushu in liquors stores, but if you’re interested in trying the combo at home, the time to buy bottles is now, he adds, as Suntory has plans to discontinue production. “It’s light on the wood influences, creating a lighter malt that lends itself to a more refreshing highball,” says the director of single spirit bars for 213 Hospitality, the parent company for Bar Jackalope and Seven Grand.
Toki is also used in the highballs at Bar Jackalope in Los Angeles, but before allocation issues came into play, Andrew Abrahamson opted for Hakushu 12 single malt. Most bartenders will tell you that a perfect whisky highball balances minerality and sweetness with a crisp, clean structure. Thanks in part to the popularity of Suntory’s highball machines, Toki is the go-to whisky for most bars in America, including places like Momofuku Noodle Bar and Sushi Ginza Onodera in New York City and Tamari Bar in Seattle. Jermaine Whitehead of Deep Dive (also in Seattle) is also a fan of Toki because the unaged, lightly malted blend was designed for mixing in cocktails and pairing with soda. “Flavors of vanilla, coconut, citrus, honey and grain in the whiskey wake up with the addition of soda water,” he says.
So we checked in with some of the bar world’s most avid whisky highballers to get tips on everything from choosing the right whisky to mixing the drink just right. But this technology doesn’t help home bartenders who want to achieve the same results outside of the bar. To get it right every time, many bars employ a Toki highball machine, which dispenses a perfectly calibrated ratio of chilled soda to chilled whisky at a high carbonation level. Yet, despite its simplicity, it’s surprisingly easy to miss the mark. With just two ingredients-whisky and sparkling water-the Japanese highball seems like an almost effortless drink to make.