Classic
Bourbon Highball
Bourbon, soda, restraint
The American highball, stripped to essentials: cold dilution lets bourbon's vanilla and oak surface without alcohol burn, and lemon peel oils brighten the finish. Quiet, almost meditative — built to drink with food, not to impress.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz Bourbon
- 4 oz Soda Water
Method
Fill a chilled highball glass with cold ice. Add bourbon. Top gently with cold soda water. Stir once. Express lemon peel over the drink and drop it in.
Sourced from American highball tradition, late 19th / early 20th century; codified across the Old Mr. Boston Bartender's Guide (1935) and Difford's Guide. (Japanese whisky highball culture later popularized a related style via Suntory.)