Highballs and long drinks

What defines a highball

A highball combines a base spirit with a larger amount of a non-alcoholic carbonated mixer, served over ice in a tall glass. There is usually no shaking involved: you build the drink directly in the glass. Because there are so few ingredients, each one matters, and the quality of the soda, tonic or ginger beer is as important as the spirit.

The basic ratio

Most highballs work with 1 part spirit to 2 or 3 parts mixer, for example 50 ml gin and 100 to 150 ml tonic water. A lighter, longer drink uses more mixer, a stronger one less. Citrus is often added as a squeeze or wedge rather than measured juice.

Keeping the fizz

• Fill the glass to the top with large, cold ice cubes. More ice means less melting, not more.
• Keep mixers in the fridge and open fresh bottles. Small bottles stay fizzy better than large ones.
• Pour the mixer gently down the side of the glass or along a bar spoon.
• Stir once, briefly, just to combine. Hard stirring knocks out the bubbles.

Choosing the pairing

Juniper-forward London dry gin suits a classic Indian tonic. Blended Scotch or Japanese whisky works with plain soda water. Dark rum meets cola or ginger beer, tequila goes well with grapefruit soda. Taste the mixer on its own first: some tonics are very sweet, others quite bitter, and that choice shapes the finished drink more than you might expect.