Following the success of last year’s inaugural celebration, the 21 July marks the return of Whisky Highball Day, a day dedicated to the celebration of the whisky highball cocktail (and a good excuse for a drink on a Friday night).
A quintessential thirst quencher, the whisky highball is rumoured to have been created in the United States in the 1890s, however there are few places in the world where a highball will not appear on the menu.
A highball consists of one part spirit, three parts mixer and a garnish and is usually, simply whisky mixed with soda, served in a long glass with ice.
Johnnie Walker have curated a menu of highballs, which are served at their Princes Street bars, and showcase how versatile this refreshing drink can be - one that’s often the gateway for those that don’t usually drink whisky.
Whisky Highball Day was created last year by the team behind Larkfire, a totally neutral canned water, which is available in still and sparkling.
Commenting on the inspiration behind the day, James McIntosh, managing director of Larkfire said; “We had a great time celebrating the first official Whisky Highball Day last year and it will be bigger and better this time around. It’s a celebration of the most simple, yet most diverse way of drinking whisky.
"Whisky is a drink that can be enjoyed however you want, it is incredibly versatile and the innovation happening at the moment is really exciting.
"A highball is certainly becoming the go to drink, as more and more people are experimenting with mixers to create long whisky serves.
"Our aim is to support whisky producers and bar owners alike and encourage everyone to enjoy this most wonderful of spirits their way.”
While Larkfire uses their sparkling water in highballs, making sure the flavour of the whisky can shine through, the beauty of this simple drink is that you can use anything from blood orange soda to kombucha or dry ginger ale.
It’s this flexibility, plus the nature of the long drink, that makes it ideal in summertime.
It’s also what makes it ideal for those that ‘don’t drink whisky’, and a great drink to showcase how the whisky world has changed over the last few years.
My favourite is whisky and Barr’s Cream Soda, which, 10 years ago, would have been met with incredulous looks or even a refusal to make this at a bar.
Now it’s accepted that people can and will drink whisky however they want, which is one of the reasons Johnnie Walker has developed the Black Label highballs (one of which uses Cross Brew Coffee Liqueur and Bon Accord Cream Soda).
Whisky fans, and those keen to try a dram in a different way, are encouraged to join in with Whisky Highball Day on July 21.
All you need is to grab a bottle of your favourite whisky, add some ice and create your own highball. No matter what you choose, enjoy and toast the day.
You can share your highball serves across all social channels, just use the hashtag #WHD22 and tag @whiskyhighballday on Instagram.
Whisky Highball Day’s official water partner is Sparkling Larkfire, wild water sourced in the Outer Hebrides.
It has a very low mineral content and purity help you to get the most enjoyment out of your highball.
