These Bartenders Are Redefining the Classic Japanese Highball

A simple, two-ingredient drink has captivated bartenders stateside. Traditionally made with Suntory Toki Whisky and soda water, the classic Japanese highball first took off in Japan in the 1950s and can now be found just about everywhere in the country, from renowned cocktail bars to vending machines. And while highballs as a broad category have been popular in the U.S. for decades, more bartenders are looking to capture the artisan nature of the traditional Japanese preparation — from the frosted glass to the hand-carved ice — in new versions of the drink.

But why now? Some might argue that as a refreshing, approachable, low-ABV cocktail, it checks the boxes of what many drinkers are looking for. Plus, as tourism to Japan continues to rise, Americans have developed an appreciation for products from the island nation. “Japanese bar culture is starting to become more and more prominent in the U.S.,” Takuma Watanabe of New York City’s Martiny’s, L’Americana, and Midnight Blue, says. “So the popularity of a classic Japanese cocktail like the highball makes sense.”

Though the cocktails are simple and quaffable, they aren’t the same two-ingredient well drinks patrons order at a dive — like a Vodka Soda or Rum and Coke. There’s a subtle art to creating a highball with just the right temperature and level of carbonation. The challenge of making the perfect highball, and the increased popularity of technique-forward drinks, makes this cocktail the ideal canvas for creative bartenders to riff on. Similar to how the simple Aperol Spritz evolved into a full-on category, the highball is increasingly seeing its own section on bar menus.

From traditional, two-ingredient interpretations of the drink, to the more complex builds, here are six bartenders redefining the classic Japanese highball in the U.S. right now.

Julia Momosé, Kumiko, Chicago

Credit: @barkumiko via Instagram

Kumiko is a Japanese dining bar in Chicago’s West Loop, where partner and creative director Julia Momosé showcases Japanese ingredients in a number of elegant and precise cocktails.

On the menu of Kumiko’s more casual, walk-in bar space, Momosé features a section called “to start,” a play on the notion of “toriaezu” in Japan, which is similar to the equivalent of an apéritif or aperitivo. Here, the cocktails range from straightforward whisky highballs to other long drinks inspired by the highball, like the Lemon Tōgarashi Chū-Hi and the Sherry and Tonic. But for her more traditional versions of the drink, Momosé makes sure not to deviate too much from the simple spirit and soda build.

While the menu always features a classic “Highball” with Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky and the bar’s house club soda blend, Momosé also has a number of riffs that add just a little something extra. The current iteration (Highball No. 9) is made with Nikka Whisky Days and Rhine Hall Pommeau, paired with club soda and a float of Nikka Yoichi Single Malt Japanese whisky.
The ingredients that she introduces to each variation are meant to amplify the natural complexities of the whisky. “At the heart of it, it still needs to be a highball, but there might be a quarter-ounce or bar spoon of something to give it a little something different,” she says.

Momosé also pioneered a strategy to help prevent the one dreaded downside of drinking a highball — getting hit in the face with the tall block of ice when you go to take a sip. Instead of one long block of ice, she employs two thinner parallel spears. As they melt, the pieces start to angle down so drinkers don’t get bonked in the nose.

Steve Schneider, Sip & Guzzle, NYC

The Sherry Colada Highball at Sip & Guzzle Credit: Eric Medsker

An extension of Tokyo’s renowned SG Club, Sip & Guzzle is a dual-level bar concept in New York City’s West Village — Sip being the intimate, subterranean cocktail den downstairs, and Guzzle being the welcoming, more casual bar on the street level. With the bar’s Japanese roots, and Guzzle’s emphasis on simple, easy-drinking cocktails, it’s no surprise that the upstairs menu has a section dedicated to highballs. And Guzzle’s head bartender, Steve Schneider, takes a traditional approach to the drink.

“For me, I’m still of the mind that a highball should be one liquor and one mixer, possibly with a garnish,” he says. “I see a lot of tall and long drinks being labeled as ‘highballs,’ but they are technically some form of Sling, Collins, Fizz or the like, … but for me a highball is still one liquor and a mixer. Quick and easy. Bing, bang, boom.”

While Guzzle does offer the classic combination of Japanese whisky and soda, it also has a few creative iterations like the Taka Highball with Calvados and tonic water or Schneider’s all-time favorite, the Sherry Colada Highball made with cream sherry and coconut-pineapple seltzer. While this drink sticks to Schneider’s two-ingredient rule, it still offers a fresh new take on the drink, as the seltzer water introduces a new flavor profile. “It has no sugar but is super refreshing and tropical. It tastes like a carbonated Piña Colada.”

Zach Rivera, Golden Years, Chicago

22° Highball at Golden Years Credit: Wade Hall

One of the most appealing aspects of the highball is its crisp, ice-cold presentation. At Chicago’s ‘70s-inspired Golden Years, Zach Rivera and Christina Chae decided to double down on this aspect of the cocktail in their “bracingly cold” 22° Highball version of the drink.

Shockingly, this ice-cold concoction isn’t served on ice at all, embracing the kobe-style highball. Instead, beverage director Rivera meticulously controls the temperatures of all components of the drink in order to reach the maximum level of carbonation. The glassware and the whisky are both kept in the freezer, and Rivera keeps the soda bottles “teetering on the edge between frozen and liquid” as well. “The single biggest factor for carbonation is temperature,” Rivera says. “The serving process is fun to watch, but it’s also what allows the cocktail to be served as cold and as carbonated as it can be.” To amplify that carbonation further, he even carbonates the whisky.

When a guest orders the drink, it’s as simple as combining these components, but due to the frigid temperature of the glass and the soda, the presentation is quite compelling. “The ice in this highball is literally born in the glass as it’s poured,” Rivera says. “Then, when the whisky is poured over the top, most or all of it disappears again.”

Naren Young, Sweet Liberty, Miami

The Big in Japan Highball at Sweet Liberty Credit: Sweet Liberty

Located in sunny Miami Beach, Sweet Liberty embraces a sort of tropical, Americana vibe that doesn’t immediately evoke thoughts of Japanese highballs. Nonetheless, the bar has a menu section titled “Highballs Are Hot Right Now,” which feels surprisingly appropriate for the setting. After all, what could be better than a crisp highball after a day sunbathing by the water?

The bar’s creative director, Naren Young, appreciates the approachability of a crisp, quaffable highball, but aims to put a more complex spin on the idea, going far beyond the prescribed two-ingredient combos. “I love the simplicity of a classic Japanese highball,” he says. “And while our versions are certainly not simple, they are delicious, and most people can feel comfortable ordering from this section.”

The highballs at Sweet Liberty each surround a singular theme, ranging from the Grapes of Wrath, made with sake, brandy, yuzu, curaçao, calamansi, hibiscus soda, and crushed grapes, to the Florida Cocktail, a combination of rum, lime juice, fluffy pineapple, crème de menthe, and mint. Young’s favorite is the Big in Japan, a cocktail that pays a tribute to the highball’s roots. It features Suntory Toki, Midori, St-Germain, fresh pressed green apple, ginger, and lemon juice, topped up with a Japanese hefeweizen beer.

Takuma Watanabe, Midnight Blue, NYC

Loyal Salted Lemon Sour at Midnight Blue Credit: Joanna Lin

“The highball is a very iconic cocktail in Japan; it’s usually the first drink you have when you turn 20, which is the legal drinking age there,” Midnight Blue’s founder and beverage director Takuma Watanabe says. “So I wanted to bring this part of Japanese bar culture to Midnight Blue.”

The jazz bar in NYC’s Flatiron neighborhood features a set of culinary-minded highball riffs that range from traditional to far off the beaten path. Watanabe wanted to provide a few options for a light, refreshing accompaniment to Midnight Blue’s bar food. “The highballs really cut the fat of the gyoza, almost helping to cleanse the palate when enjoying lots of them.”

Watanabe particularly enjoys the Loyal Salted Lemon Sour, a twist on the classic Japanese lemon sour made with iichiko Silhouette shochu, Meyer lemon, and honey, balanced by a touch of salt and the refreshing fizz of soda

Jason Garcia, Kiko, NYC

The Nashi Highball at Kiko Credit: Gentl & Hyers

There’s no denying that force carbonation is having a moment in the cocktail world. From Superbueno’s Vodka y Soda to Mírate’s Paloma, more bartenders are adding a spin to classic carbonated drinks. At Kiko, a new restaurant in NYC’s Hudson Square, head bartender Jason Garcia wanted to apply this new level of control over carbonation to the classic highball.

“This technique allows you to carbonate the entirety of the cocktail, so there’s a more complete fizz throughout,” Garcia says. “Sometimes when I go out, highballs can be very inconsistent, you don’t know how the soda water itself is being chilled. It’s really important for it to be chilled and this way, everyone gets a cocktail that feels like it was made with a freshly cracked Topo Chico.”

Kiko currently offers three different highballs on the menu including the Nashi Highball prepared with the traditional Japanese whisky, but with a twist. Garcia includes pickled ginger syrup and pear cider to add some extra flavor and complexity, but without overshadowing the whisky.

The article These Bartenders Are Redefining the Classic Japanese Highball appeared first on VinePair.