The Japanese Highball recipe
for your table
Chill the glass beforehand and fill it with large, clear ice.
Pour the whisky over it and stir for 10 to 15 seconds to chill.
Add fresh ice until the glass is full and pour the soda slowly along a bar spoon.
Stir exactly once from bottom to top and serve immediately.
The story
Whisky soda was already popular in Japan in the 1950s, when Suntory opened its Torys bars to promote its own whisky. After decades of declining whisky sales, Suntory launched a campaign in 2008 to bring back the highball as a beer substitute with meals - complete with special draft systems. It worked spectacularly: the 'haibōru' became a national craze and then conquered cocktail bars around the world, along with the reputation of Japanese whisky itself. The lesson: attention makes even the simplest drink special.
The right glass
For a Japanese highball, you want a thin, tall and perfectly straight glass of 33 to 47 cl. The thin wall feels refined on the lips, while the straight shape keeps the carbonation in tight streams. Japanese bartenders swear by minimalist glasses without decoration: the clarity of the drink and ice is the whole point. Always put the glass in the freezer or refrigerator beforehand. If you drink the same whisky neat or on the rocks, take a look at our whisky glasses.
Arcoroc Islande Highball Glass 33 cl (6 pieces)
Onis Icon Highball Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets — together € 51,90.
The right tools
For a Japanese Highball, besides the glass, you use a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring, and glass straws. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools - together € 55,80.
Variations & twists
Every whisky makes a different highball: a blend stays light, a single malt adds depth, and a bourbon adds sweetness. In Japan, there is also the Kaku highball with a slice of lemon. More important than the brand is the ritual: an ice-cold glass, clear ice, a gentle pour, and one stir. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Servingtip
The ratio is sacred: 1 part whisky to about 2.5 parts soda. Use the largest, clearest ice you can make or buy - cloudy ice dilutes faster and looks less polished.
The 1-to-2.5 ratio explained
For 4.5 cl of whisky, add 10 to 12 cl of ice-cold soda water, or about one part to two and a half. This is deliberately less soda than in a regular whisky soda, where one part to three or four is customary. With this ratio, the whisky remains clearly present without making the drink heavy. If you want it lighter with a meal, use 1 to 3, and for a stronger version, use 1 to 2. Measure with a jigger rather than by eye, because a half-centiliter difference is immediately noticeable with so few ingredients.
How strong is a Japanese Highball
Count on about 11 percent in the glass. The 4.5 cl of 40 percent whisky provides 1.8 cl of pure alcohol, and with 11 cl of soda, you get a glass of just over 15 cl. That is about one and a half standard drinks, comparable to a large glass of wine. Because the highball is so light and easy to drink, it goes down more easily than you might think, which is precisely why it is served in Japan as a beer substitute with meals. Large, clear ice helps with this, as it melts more slowly and dilutes the drink gradually.
Highball or regular whisky soda
On paper, it is the same drink; in practice, it is not. You pour a whisky soda casually over random ice, whereas the Japanese highball is a procedure. The glass goes into the freezer beforehand, the ice is large and clear, the whisky is stirred for 10 to 15 seconds first to chill it, the soda is poured slowly down a bar spoon, and then stirred exactly once from the bottom upward. The result is colder, less diluted and much more effervescent. The same two ingredients, a completely different glass.
Which Japanese whisky do you choose
Suntory Toki is the standard for this cocktail and also the most affordable: light, with green apple and a hint of honey. Nikka Days and Hibiki Harmony work just as well, although Hibiki is considerably more expensive than the highball warrants. Leave rye out here, because its peppery spiciness clashes with the carbonation, while a heavy Islay malt overpowers everything. If you do not have a Japanese bottle at home, a smooth Scotch blend or an Irish whiskey comes closest. Stick to 4.5 cl, whichever bottle you choose.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Japanese highball?
A Japanese highball is whisky with ice-cold soda water, made with almost ritual precision: a pre-chilled glass, large clear ice, 4.5 cl whisky, 10 to 12 cl soda poured down a bar spoon, and exactly one stir. The result is fresher and cleaner than an ordinary whisky soda.
What is the whisky-to-soda ratio in a highball?
One part whisky to approximately 2.5 parts soda, or 4.5 cl whisky to 10 to 12 cl soda water. If you want it lighter with food, go closer to 1 to 3. More important than the exact ratio is that both ingredients and the glass are ice-cold before you start.
Which whisky do you use for a Japanese highball?
A smooth Japanese blend is the classic choice because it is light and floral enough not to overpower the soda. A simple Scotch blend works almost as well and costs a fraction of the price. Save heavy, peated single malts for drinking neat.
Why is clear ice so important in a highball?
Large, clear ice melts more slowly and therefore dilutes the highball less, keeping the carbonation lively for longer and the drink tasting crisp until the last sip. Cloudy ice is full of air bubbles and breaks apart faster. A tall, slender glass also keeps the bubbles under control; see our long drink glasses.
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