Whisky with a difference: Japanese highball
Aug 19, 2017
Refreshingly sparkling: Japanese highball - a different kind of whisky
There is no question that whisky can be drunk in different ways. While the "straight" version - without ice or water - is the most common in Europe, the Japanese prefer to drink the "water of life" in a completely different way. This drinking method is sure to bring tears to the eyes of some whisky lovers in Europe, as they would certainly consider this method a waste of the noble distillate. This is because the Japanese love their whisky as a highball. A large long drink glass is filled with ice, filled one third full with whisky and stirred well, a little more ice is added and then filled two thirds full with soda water. The highball is then stirred once more with a narrow bar spoon, but really only once. The highball is therefore similar to the long drinks that are popular here and is closely related to them. In Japan, the highball is very popular in all situations, be it with a meal, as an accompaniment in a bar or as an after-work drink. This is mainly due to the high beer tax in Japan: 77 yen tax is levied on a normal beer in a 350 milliliter can, and the tax is based on the percentage of malt content in the beer. "Real" beer is therefore quite expensive, making the highball a popular and, above all, easily digestible alternative.
Incidentally, the highball is already available in cans in Japan, for example in supermarkets or convenience stores. Incidentally, we also had the Suntory Kaku Highball in a can in our range when we started our business two years ago, but we had to take it out of our range because the ridiculously high costs of the German can deposit system and the alcopop tax put a spanner in the works in the long term. So the only option is to mix your own highball with a proper Japanese whisky, such as our Suntory Special Reserve.
Why highball?
There are various theories about the origin of the term highball. The most famous theory goes back to the history of the railroad. When steam locomotives still existed, the steam pressure in the boiler caused a ball to rise up a riser pipe (high). This process was known as "highballing". Once the train was moving, passengers in the dining car enjoyed themselves with drinks.
In Japan, the highball became popular shortly after the end of the Second World War and has been the most popular way to enjoy whisky since the 1950s. At this time, restaurants in Japan were becoming increasingly important and the highball was both a great new flavor for the Japanese and an ideal and light accompaniment to food.
Nowadays, highballs can be found on every drinks menu in good bars. But be careful: what sounds so easy is a fine art. A highball must be prepared with care, time, love and the right ingredients. This promotional video from Suntory shows you how to do it properly:
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