Japanese Highball - The Only Whisky Cocktail that James Bond Refused ウイスキーハイボール
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- čas přidán 22. 10. 2015
- Learn how to make a Japanese Highball worthy of being called a James Bond cocktail using Suntory Hibiki Blended Whisky, Fever Tree Soda Water and clear ice. The series, Cocktails and Pussy Galore, shows you how to drink like 007 using the Ian Fleming books (not the movies) as the source.
In the book, You Only Live Twice, James Bond goes to Japan. His friends, Dikko Henerson and Tiger Tanaka are both fond of Japanese whisky. Tiger was particularly enamored with Japanese Highballs. Bond stuck to sake (a lot of sake) and complained that it was too weak for his tastes, but then refused to drink Japanese whisky. Which is strange because he loved Scotch and loved Scotch and Sodas. Japanese whisky is made in the tradition of Scotch whisky, but with the finesse of the Japanese touch. So why refuse a Japanese Highball?
Bond seemed to think Japanese Whisky was rot-gut. The tone he used in referring to it, suggests his disgust with it. He never tries it in any of the books, so perhaps his disgust comes from an experience "off-screen." Or perhaps it's racism or xenophobia or a combination of all three. Except over the course of the book, Bond grew fond of the Japanese people and Japanese culture he was exposed to. Perhaps he was giving up hard alcohol? However, he ordered a pint of Jack Daniels to go with his dinner. Whatever, the reason, Bond never partook in the libation. It's his loss because it's a great drink.
It's one both novice and experienced drinkers will enjoy alike. The flavors are strong, but the burn of the high proof alcohol is missing because it's so well diluted with ice and soda. The flavor of the drink is determined by three things: quality of ice, the neutrality of the soda water and the flavor of the whisky. A blended whisky is recommended here, but use whatever you want.
In the US we rarely have access to the cheaper Japanese whiskies. Typically, especially with the big producers, Nikka and Suntory, we only get their higher end bottles imported. Other brands like Mars and Akashi are available at a lower price point, but those can be hard to track down.
Dikko specified that he like Suntory White Label (aka Shirofuda), so if you have access to that one, try making a Highball with it. It's not available in the States, but it's a blended whisky with a peaty flavor profile. Which was similar to Scotch whiskies, but supposedly at the time of its initial release, was too brash for Japanese palettes.
The tradition of Japanese Whisky was founded by the efforts of two men, Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketsuru. Torii founded Suntory and Taketsuru founded Nikka. Masataka Taketsuru spent time in Scotland where he fell in love with Scotch whisky and his Scottish wife, Rita. He brought his knowledge of Scotch back to Japan where it was refined and eventually turned in the delicate, softer spirits that are produced today.
The Japanese Highball was in its hight of popularity when You Only Live Twice was written. It began to die off, like most cocktails in America, in the early 80's. Recently, however, it has gotten a resurgence, partially due to the availability of canned, pre-made highballs. Those products are not available in the States and while I can't speak to the quality of them, I know that the Japanese highball, made well is a great drink.
The unsung hero of the drink is the large hunks of clear ice. Great ice is important to Japanese drinks. There are several methods for making clear ice at home. Most involve freezing a large insulated cooler full of water and chipping down the resulting block of ice into manageable chunks. That would perhaps be a more accurate method and one that works well assuming you have the space in the freezer, cool roommates or a patient spouse. But the easiest method I've found is using the Studio Neat ice kit. It doesn't have the versatility of the large block of clear ice, but it works well in this instance and it takes up a lot less freezer real estate.
As with a lot of Japanese culture there is a bit of a ritual to this drink. I certainly don't do it as well as skilled Japanese bartenders, but then again, who can? My approximation of their extremely well-honed precision will get you close to the experience. Nothing can replace the real thing, but this will get you as close as you can get in the comfort of your own home and you'll be glad you did. It's worth it. Kampai!
Recipe:
1.5 oz Japanese Whisky
3 oz Soda Water
Fill chilled collins glass with large, clear ice. Add whisky. Top with soda water.
Music:
"Spare a Dime" by Auracle
via JinglePunks
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Featured in this Episode:
Hibiki Harmony
whisky.suntory.com/products/jh/
Fever Tree Club Soda
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Studio Neat Clear Ice Kit
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Bar Tools:
Schott Zwiesel Collins Glass
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Very well produced, I really appreciate the background on the whisky and on Bond. Thanks for the attention to detail and for including all the steps, from ice shaving to half-stirs.
+Pi Di Great. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Kampai!
That was an AWESOME vid!!! Love the James Bond history part. Going to try this drink next weekend.
Nice! Let me know how it turns out. And stay tuned. I've got a couple more Bond videos coming soon...
Love this channel!
Awesome! Thank you! Glad you dig it!
Good video- history lesson blended with movie trivia.
Cheers! Or in this case, book trivia. Haha.
Nice
I tried a highball for the first time with Suntory Toki, filtered ice spheres and pellegrino. It was AMAZING!
Awesome. Glad you liked it. I still haven't tried Toki. I'll have to get my hands on that one. Cheers!
Michael J Nice! I had mine with Perrier.
Was that beer stein made in West Germany?
Another recipe I'd like to see you make is the Japanese Cowboy, I'd like your take on it! Been subscribed for a few days now and still going through plenty of videos time and time again, This is Quality!
Glad you dug it. I've never heard of the Japanese Cowboy. Was that an autocorrected version of Japanese Cocktail?
No actually, it involves a three part mix of lemon juice, Japanese whisky and ginger syrup. I always go for fresh lemons when it comes to cocktails,and I usually add a small lemon peel twist as a garnish, the drink can be shaken, but it's best to build it in the glass over a large cube and stir once all ingredients are added. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 oz. of Japanese whisky, I personally use Suntory (Toki) Japanese whisky,though if people have a preference over another by all means try it out, then 1 oz. of fresh lemon juice, I usually take a small peel before I juice the lemon, and finally 1/2 oz. of ginger syrup, I use homemade ginger syrup, and for this I use a 2 to 1 ratio of water to sugar, I don't typically like a lot of sugar in my drinks, but just enough give it a slight syrup consistency. Then stir around in a low-ball glass with your big piece of cubed ice and add your lemon garnish.
Sounds pretty good. Like a simplified Penicillin.
Where did you get the ice chisel from?
Another great recipe! It's a pity Hibiki is £60 a bottle over here in the UK... Kampai!
+viperhalberd Thanks. Glad you liked it. Yeah, Hibiki is pricy here too, about $55-$60 per bottle...if you can find it.
Distinguished Spirits In Switzerland you pay even 120 bucks for a bottle :(
What is the song called playing in the background?
+MJFO600 I updated the description, but here's the song and the artist: "Spare a Dime" by Auracle
Clear ice? Kit? LINK?
It's in the Description, but here you go: amzn.to/1MYeJFw
Cheers!
You can use a regular cooler too. Just fill it with water, put it in the freezer with its top off for about 24 hours (depends on how cold your freezer is), and you'll have a big block of clear ice. Carve it up with a bread knife and a wooden mallet.
Had a Hibiki highball tonight in Bangkok. The host asked me if I was sure that I didn't want it on the rocks. I righteously wagged my finger at him.
Hahaha. Perfect! In Bangkok, if you can't find Hibiki, just ask for a Black & Soda (Johnnie Walker Black Label and soda). They'll have that one everywhere. Cheers!
Down in Puerto Rico we drink Whisky Coco, Johnnie Walker Black and Coconut water. :)
The Whiskey Rickhouse whoa, I really can’t imagine that! Is it good?
EPIC ICE
+Benjamin Hart Glad you dig it. Cheers!
Why not measure out the soda water instead of guessing? Even a half ounce off and you tremendously alter the flavor with more/less dilution. Also, seems you could avoid the need to stir to combine by adding the soda water to the glass first, followed by the whisky. The whisky displaces the less dense soda water and you're set.
I like eyeballing it to keep the drink as carbonated as possible. But if you'd rather measure it, go for it. I like building it whiskey first because you can stir and chill the whiskey before adding the soda, that way you don't have to disturb the carbonation and can really make sure you have that cold and bright, biting fizz when you sip the drink. Personally, that's how I like it best.
But James Bond isn't a real person he's a character in a fictitious movie. So who cares if he refused it.
It's a series on how James Bond drinks in the books, of course I'm going to discuss it. James Bond, a fictional character, is very influential in pop culture. His oddball drinking habits dictated a lot of what was drank and how it was drank at the end of the 20th century. It's important context for our culture and it's important to point out when he got it wrong. Even though he was a fictitious character, he had a real impact on our culture and that perspective made for an interesting lens through which to view our culture, drinking, etc.
Da fu