The Highball Family

Two ingredients, no shaker, nowhere to hide a lazy pour.

The template

1 : 3

Part 1: Base spirit
Part 2: Carbonated mixer

A highball is a spirit lengthened with something fizzy, built straight in a tall glass over ice. Gin and tonic. Whiskey and soda. Vodka soda. Rum and cola. It is the most-ordered category of drink in the world and the one people are most dismissive about learning.

That dismissiveness is why most highballs are mediocre. There is no technique to hide behind: three ingredients including the ice, so the quality of each one is the drink.

Why the template works

Carbonation carries aroma. Bubbles bursting at the surface throw the spirit's smell up at you, which is why a gin and tonic smells far more strongly of gin than the same amount of gin in still water. Lose the fizz and you lose most of the drink.

The mixer is the majority of what you are drinking, so a tired bottle of tonic ruins a good gin instantly. Small bottles, opened fresh, are worth more here than an expensive spirit.

Ice is not a garnish in a highball, it is temperature control for a drink that has to stay fizzy. Cold liquid holds carbonation; warm liquid dumps it. Fill the glass properly — more ice keeps the drink colder and therefore fizzier for longer.

How to make one properly

Build in the glass, do not shake

Never shake anything carbonated. Fill the glass with ice, add the spirit, then pour the mixer down the side of the glass to preserve as much fizz as possible. Stir once, gently, if at all.

Fill the glass with ice — genuinely full

Three cubes in a tall glass is the classic home mistake. It melts fast, waters the drink down and goes warm and flat within minutes. A full glass of ice melts slower and dilutes less.

Squeeze the citrus, then decide about the wedge

A lime wedge dropped in whole does almost nothing. Squeeze it first so the juice actually enters the drink, and add the spent wedge only if you want the aroma.

The common mistake

Flat mixer from a big bottle that has been open since last week. It is the single most common reason a home gin and tonic tastes worse than a bar one, and no amount of technique compensates.

How to remember it

Ice to the top, one measure of spirit, top with fizz, squeeze the citrus. Then just ask which spirit and which mixer.

90 cocktails in the Highball family

Gin & Tonic — The simplest great drink — and the hardest to make perfectly.
Moscow Mule — Vodka, ginger, and lime in a copper mug — the drink that sold a spirit.
Dark & Stormy — Bermuda's national drink — dark rum and ginger beer, dramatic and delicious.
Tom Collins — A tall, fizzy gin lemonade that's been cooling people off since the 1870s.
Paloma — Mexico's real national cocktail — forget the margarita, this is what people actually drink.
Tequila Sunrise — Orange juice, tequila, and grenadine that sinks to create a sunrise gradient. Simple, beautiful, effective.
Long Island Iced Tea — Five spirits, no tea, and somehow it works. The drink that taught a generation that more isn't always less.
Spicy Paloma — Mexico's favorite highball gets a fiery upgrade with fresh chili.
Irish Mule — Irish whiskey meets ginger beer — smoother and more approachable than the Moscow original.
Gin Fizz — The original brunch drink — gin, citrus, sugar, and soda water.
Ranch Water — Texas's unofficial state drink — tequila, lime, and Topo Chico. That's it.
Mimosa — Champagne and orange juice — the brunch drink that needs no introduction.
Kir Royale — Champagne meets blackcurrant — French elegance in every bubble.
Whiskey Ginger — The simplest great drink — whiskey and ginger ale over ice. Nothing more needed.
Mojito Royal — The Mojito goes upscale — champagne replaces soda for a celebratory twist.
Fresh Paloma — The Paloma made with fresh grapefruit — no soda needed when the fruit is this good.
Cuba Libre — More than rum and Coke — the lime makes it a Cuba Libre, not just a mixed drink.
Vodka Soda — The minimalist's drink — vodka, soda, and a squeeze of citrus. Zero sugar, zero fuss.
Harvey Wallbanger — A 1970s classic — vodka, OJ, and a float of herbal Galliano.
El Diablo — Tequila, cassis, lime, and ginger beer — the devil's own refreshment.
Gin Rickey — The no-sugar highball — just gin, lime, and soda water.
Dark 'n' Stormy — Bermuda's national drink — dark rum and spicy ginger beer.
Blue Lagoon — Electric blue and refreshing — vodka, blue curacao, and lemonade.
Japanese Whisky Highball — Japanese precision — whisky and soda as art.
Americano — Campari, sweet vermouth, and soda: the low-proof Italian aperitivo that came before the Negroni.
Caesar — Canada's savory answer to the Bloody Mary, built around vodka, Clamato, spice, and a celery-salt rim.
Chilcano — Pisco, lime, ginger ale, and bitters make Peru's easygoing, fragrant answer to the mule.
Floradora — Gin, raspberry, lime, and ginger ale make a bright Edwardian highball that deserves a comeback.
Horse's Neck — Brandy and ginger ale with one long curling lemon peel—the simplest highball with the best garnish in the room.
John Collins — The whiskey Collins: lemon, sugar, bourbon, and soda built tall for a long, easy-drinking sour.
Kentucky Buck — Bourbon, strawberry, lemon, and ginger beer make a bright contemporary buck with real Kentucky backbone.
Kentucky Mule — Bourbon, lime, and ginger beer give the Moscow Mule a warmer, oakier American accent.
Mamie Taylor — Scotch, lime, and ginger beer: a brisk Edwardian highball that deserves the same love as the Moscow Mule.
Sea Breeze — Vodka, cranberry, and grapefruit make a crisp, tart long drink from the classic 1980s juice-cocktail family.
Screwdriver — Vodka and orange juice done properly: cold, fresh, and balanced enough to understand why it became a classic.
Sloe Gin Fizz — Blackthorn berry liqueur, lemon, and fizz — tart enough to keep the fruit honest.
Absinthe Frappé — An aromatic New Orleans institution of crushed ice and herbal absinthe.
Bay Breeze — A tart and tropical combination of vodka, cranberry, and pineapple.
Buck's Fizz — The London institution's luminous precursor to the mimosa, balancing effervescent champagne with bright mandarin citrus.
Campari Soda — The quintessential Milanese aperitivo balancing bitter gentian with crisp effervescence.
Cantarito — A vibrant, citrus-forward Mexican highball traditionally served in an earthen clay cup.
Cherry Lime Rickey — A vibrant, tart riff on the classic highball combining crisp gin, fresh lime, and aromatic cherry.
Cointreau Fizz — A crisp, effervescent blend of sweet orange liqueur and tart lime.
Empress 75 — A vibrant indigo-hued sparkling cocktail balancing botanical gin, fresh citrus, and crisp champagne.
Fernandito — Argentina's beloved bitter and effervescent highball creation.
Fino Collins — A crisp, bone-dry low-proof refresher pairing saline sherry with citrus and fizz.
Garibaldi — A Milanese classic pairing bitter red apéritif with vibrant, aerated citrus juice.
Greyhound — Tart citrus meets crisp gin in a timeless, bracing refresher.
Italian Greyhound — Vodka and tart grapefruit meet a bitter botanical backbone.
Lynchburg Lemonade — A refreshing Tennessee whiskey highball spiked with triple sec and crisp lemon-lime soda.
Melon Ball — A vibrant neon-green classic balancing crisp vodka and lush honeydew sweetness with bright citrus.
Michelada — A savory, spiced Mexican beer cocktail balanced with fresh lime and chili.
Sex on the Beach — A fruit-forward 1980s beachside staple balancing vodka, peach schnapps, and tart citrus.
Shandy — A crisp, effervescent union of chilled pale lager and tart citrus.
Skeleton Key — A vibrant modern highball balancing rich bourbon, floral elderflower, and spicy ginger.
Yorkshire Buck — A crisp, botanical highball marrying regional gin with tart Yorkshire rhubarb and fiery ginger beer.
Batanga — A legendary Mexican highball combining earthy blanco tequila, lime, cola, and a salted rim.
Bombay Buck — A crisp blend of gin, fresh lime, and spicy ginger beer.
Colorado Bulldog — A creamy, effervescent twist on the White Russian spiked with cola for a refreshing fizz.
Cucumber Cooler — Crisp garden cucumber meets botanical gin and effervescent club soda in this refreshing highball.
Elderflower Collins — A refreshing and floral twist on the classic gin collins featuring elderflower liqueur.
Fernet and Coke — Fernet-Branca meets crisp cola in this bitter-forward, refreshing Argentine cultural classic.
French 125 — An elegant, brandy-forward variation of the classic French 75 featuring rich cognac and crisp Champagne.
Gin Buck — A sparkling and refreshing blend of crisp gin, fresh citrus, and spicy ginger ale.
Ginger Rogers — A refreshing blend of gin, muddled mint, spicy ginger, and crisp ginger ale.
Italian 75 — A sparkling Italian twist on the classic French 75 featuring bright limoncello.
Jalisco High Tea — Earthy reposado tequila pairs with lemon verbena tea and cherry liqueur in a refreshing highball.
Jamaican Mule — Earthy Jamaican pot-still rum meets fiery ginger beer in this vibrant tropical highball.
Kentucky Lemonade — A refreshing bourbon highball pairing zesty lemon juice, orange liqueur, and effervescent soda.
Limoncello Collins — A refreshing, Italian-inspired twist on the classic Collins marrying crisp gin with vibrant lemon liqueur.
Porto Tonico — A refreshing, low-ABV Portuguese highball marrying dry white port and crisp tonic water.
Presbyterian — A crisp, refreshing highball combining blended Scotch whisky with lively ginger ale and club soda.
Rosemary Gin Fizz — A botanical gin fizz enhanced with earthy rosemary syrup and bright fresh lemon juice.
Southside Fizz — A crisp and refreshing gin highball blending bright mint, citrus, and club soda.
Bloody Mary — A savory classic combining vodka, seasoned tomato juice, and bright citrus for a bold, refreshing morning drink.
Campari Spritz — A refreshing Italian classic blending bitter Campari, crisp prosecco, and soda water over ice.
Cranberry Mule — A refreshing twist on the classic copper mug cocktail featuring tart cranberry and spicy ginger beer.
Gin Sling — A refreshing nineteenth-century precursor to the Collins family, balancing crisp gin with tart citrus and effervescent soda.
Horsefeather — A refreshing Midwestern highball combining spicy rye whiskey, zesty ginger beer, fresh lemon juice, and aromatic bitters.
Imperial Fizz — An effervescent classic combining blended whiskey and rum with bright citrus and club soda.
London Buck — A refreshing highball combining London dry gin, fresh lemon juice, and effervescent ginger ale.
Lone Tree Cooler — A refreshing classic highball uniting crisp gin, dry vermouth, fresh citrus, and a hint of grenadine.
Madras — A crisp and refreshing blend of clean vodka, tart cranberry juice, and bright orange juice served over ice.
Peter Collins — A tart and effervescent twist on the classic Collins marrying London dry gin with crisp cranberry and citrus.
Punch Royal — A historic seventeenth-century Cognac punch brought to sparkling life with champagne and citrus.
Sloe Gin Royale — An effervescent British twist on the classic champagne cocktail pairing earthy sloe gin with dry sparkling wine.
St-Germain Spritz — A crisp, floral aperitivo pairing elderflower liqueur with sparkling wine and club soda.
Stone Fence — A historic American highball combining whiskey and dry hard cider over ice.
The Chapman — A vibrant Nigerian punch balancing bright citrus sodas, aromatic bitters, and rich blackcurrant cordial.
Yorkshire Sling — A refreshing gin sling featuring cherry brandy, bright citrus, and crisp sparkling apple rhubarb soda.

Practise these cocktails in the free Virtual Bar game.