It’s National Highball Week, and we’re here to celebrate!
It would be a flex to tell anyone that our whiskey is too good to mix. But what if it’s too good not to mix? Mixing any spirit with high-quality ingredients offers a great opportunity to experience it in a new way–highlighting subtler tasting notes, or turning what feels like a strong drink into a refreshing slow burn.
A highball is the simplest of cocktails, typically consisting of two ingredients: a spirit and a lengthener. A lengthener is added to increase the drink's liquid volume. Famous highballs include Gin & Tonic, Vodka & Soda, or Ranch Water. Most highballs imply carbonation, but you can also lengthen drinks with fresh lemonade, citrus juice, or iced tea.
These drinks often have a reputation for being invented to mask unpleasant flavors or the taste of alcohol. However, quality is key when making the perfect highball. With two ingredients, there isn’t anywhere to hide. In addition to an excellent spirit, the cocktail can only be as good as its lengthener. Buying good tonic water, ginger beer, or making yourself a fresh batch of lemonade will make all the difference.
Check out our journal for simple, delightfully refreshing highballs made with our whiskeys. One recipe for whichever J&M bottle is currently sitting on your shelf. Need to re-up? Join us in the tasting room this weekend for Old Fashioned Friday (5 pm to 7 pm) or Sunday’s Bluegrass Jam and leave with a bottle!
J&M Highballs
served in a Collins with ice
RYE & GINGER: 1.5 oz of J&M Rye, ice, top with ginger ale (or ginger beer for a spicier kick), and garnish with a citrus peel of your choice.
BOURBON & LEMONADE: 2 oz J&M Bourbon, ice, top with fresh lemonade, and garnish with a lemon peel or fresh herbs (mint, basil, sage, etc.).
SINGLE MALT & SODA: 2 oz J&M Single Malt, ice, top with an uncontrollably bubbly soda (Mineragua is a great choice), garnish with a lemon peel.
GENERATOR & TONIC: 2 oz J&M Generator batch 2 (limited edition collaboration with Metropolitan available exclusively in our tasting room), ice, Top Note or Fever-Tree tonic, garnish with a lemon wedge.