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Whiskey Highball (Japanese Haibōru)

japanese-haiboruThe Japanese Highball is not your average Whiskey Soda. This is a cocktail made with a fastidious attention to detail, zen-like focus, and the highest quality ingredients. Bartenders use block ice, which they carve into perfect cubes and stir in a glass until frost appears. After pouring out any excess water, the glass and ice is finally ready for the whiskey, which the bartender chills by stirring the liquor with ice precisely 13 times before adding more ice and topping everything off with soda water. The result is more art than cocktail. Plus, it's the perfect drink to have at karaoke night.

2 oz Japanese whiskey (60 mL)
6-8 oz soda water (3-4 times the amount of whiskey)

Garnish:
lemon wedge (optional)

Add a large ice cube to a highball glass.

With a bar spoon, stir until frost appears on the glass - in case the ice melts, pour off the leftover water.

Add another ice cube to the glass, then top with whisky, and stir with a bar spoon 13 times clockwise.

Now, add a third ice cube, filling the glass with ice completely.

Pour in the soda water into the glass, taking care not to touch the ice.

With a bar spoon, stir the drink 3 times, then gently lift the ice to incorporate the two drinks without disturbing bubbles.

Garnish with a wedge of lemon, if desired.

Makes 1 cocktail.

Cook's Notes:

  • WHISKEY: Japanese whisky is the way to go. The Suntory Kakubin Whisky is most commonly used for making the cocktail, although at high-end places and experienced drinkers choose the whisky and the kind of soda water they'd like, when ordering. Other popular brands of whisky used to make this highball include Suntory Hibiki, Suntory Toki, Suntory Yamazaki 12-year-old single malt whisky, the Hakushu single malt Japanese whisky, and Nikka Coffey Grain whisky. Alternatively, if Japanese whisky is not something readily available in your area, any Scotch wishky should be good to use, since Japanese whiskies are crafted in the Scottish style.
  • SODA WATER: Always go for soda water with high carbonization levels that is well-chilled and avoid mineral and sparkling waters since they have low levels of carbon. The key thing with soda water is to lose as little bubbles as possible. There are several ways one can preserve the bubbles in the drink when making the cocktail. One way to lose as little bubbles as possible is to make sure you pour the soda water into the glass so that it touches the glass and not the ice, which might cut the bubbles - make sure to tilt the glass as you pour. Also, you can pour the soda over a spoon as that way there is less chance the bubbles will burst.
  • ICE: Ideally, the ice should be clean, hand-carved, large, and should not have sharp edges that might burst the soda water bubbles. Since the ice needs to dilute slowly and steadily as not to throw off the temperature and the proportions of the drink, large spear-shaped ice or a few square ice cubes are best to use.
  • METHOD: Everything has to be cold beforehand - the ice, the whiskey, and the soda water. In case the glass has not been kept in the freezer, it needs to be chilled by placing a large ice cube in the glass and then stirring it until the glass is cloudy and the ice has melted a bit. Once you throw away the melted water, you can add another large ice cube to the whiskey and then stir again to chill it.
  • GARNISH: Although typically haibōru does not have a garnish, a lemon wedge, grapefruit slice, or a mint sprig are often used for this purpose; however, they do not act merely as a garnish, but provide flavour as well, since the choice of which garnish used depends on the choice of whiskey. For example, a Hakushu 12-year whisky pairs nicely with a sprig mint, that is usually placed at the top of the drink. On the other hand, Toki whisky goes well with lemon and grapefruit.
  • HOMEMADE HAND-CARVED ICE: To make hand-carved ice at home, freeze a bowl with water. Once frozen, chisel away the cloudy top part of the ice, then carve out large cubes out of the clear ice that's on the bottom of the bowl.
  • VARIATIONS: Haibōru does not have to necessarily include ice - there also exists a version made only with chilled whisky and chilled soda water, stirred in a well-chilled glass. Also, a haibōru can have additional ingredients, such as a splash of ginger ale or cola.
  • HAIBŌRU IN A MUG: A popular way haibōru is served in Japan is in a mug, in which case lemon juice is added to the cocktail, as well as a lemon peel or a lemon wedge. The mug is filled with cracked ice, the ingredients are added next and then just gently stirred. It is important that the mug has a handle on which to hold, so that is not directly held because otherwise, the ice will melt faster, and excess water will dilute and throw off flavors the drink.
  • DRINKWARE: Usuhari glass, a tumbler with a less than 1 mm thick glass, is the preferred choice for this cocktail. However, other kinds of drinkware such as a highball, and a fluted highball are commonly used, as is a stein with a handle. In any case, it is good to opt for a narrow glass because fewer bubbles can escape from the cocktail.
  • SERVING: The Japanese highball is typically served with dishes to drink during eating for mainly two reasons, first because it's refreshing and second because dry whisky is a great palate cleanser. However, it is a drink that can be enjoyed on its own as well.