Making an AUTHENTIC Japanese Whisky Highball (ウィスキーハイボール) | In The Drink
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- čas přidán 17. 10. 2023
- Every English-speaking article, video, and tutorial about Japanese whisky highballs, is WRONG! Not intentionally, though, I'm sure... No, I am here to debunk a bit of an information feedback loop that we Westerners / English-speaking peoples seem to have gotten ourselves into regarding this classic Japanese cocktail.
The bogus ritual you've seen floating around the internet regarding this drink is just that, bogus! So what we will find out here today, is the real, authentic method behind this drink, looking at actual Japanese bartenders as our main source of information.
Recipe:
- 35ml whisky of choice (consider Suntory or Nikka brand).
- 105ml - 140ml high quality soda water.
- mix over high quality ice.
- Enjoy!
Got a new 4k camera too. Enjoy it! - Zábava
Great video!
The other CZcamsrs made several mistakes which I want to add. I lived in Japan 6 years until a month ago, worked in bars, and am fluent in Japanese (N2).
1. they seldom use Japanese whiskey. Usually Glenmorangie, Glenfarclas, Caol Ila, or Glenlivet is the standard.
2. Mizuwari and Tansansuiwari are two different things.
3. Most Japanese bartenders actually suck balls and the few that shine have their own way of making the highball different from the last.
4. They usually use two large clear ice cubes and not one large spear.
5. The amount of stirs depends if the whiskey is room temp or chilled or the bartenders preferance.
6. Stir speed also depends on the bartender.
7. Each bartender has a specific ratio (Moriwaki Daichi uses 35ml of Glenlivet 12y to 120ml of soda, but I use 45ml of Glenfiddich to 120ml of soda)
8. There aren't rituals specific to the highball, but each bartender has their own ritual to making different cocktail not universal to the rest of Japan.
The level for Bartending is much higher in Japan in major cities. A lot of people like to idolize Japan, but in reality they have their own fair of bad bartenders with a bad sense of taste. I think the reason is, because most people go to the main bars in each metropolis which are guaranteed to be at least a 7 out of 10. People have unrealistic ideas of what drinking in Japan looks like. If you go to Nagoya (a non-touristy super city) and go to the most popular bar, its trash...same with Okayama, Sapporo, and Sendai. This is like going only to Manhattan and juding all American cocktails by that experience.
The flavor profiles Japanese enjoy and us western enjoy tend to be different too. They focus on suddle undertones and simple flavors while we westerners tend to enjoy explosive flavor combinations with complex overtones. I took a Japanese bartender (Japanese champion) to San Fran/Miami and he thought everything was complex and too much. He didn't really like anything.
I am happy to speak about Japanese bartending anytime. I love your videos!
This is such a fantastic insight, I really appreciate you sharing your experiences here! Just goes to show there’s always more stuff to learn, thanks man
Itadaki masu before eating food (being thankful for the food), kampai before drinking (the equivalent of cheers.)
I appreciate the story behind this as well as all the deep diving research and respect to the art of making this drink.
Can't say I ever expected to see such a deep dive on the Japanese Whisky Highball. Well done, Joe. Really enlightening. Cheers!
Thanks Vino! Really appreciate you stopping by!
This is AMAZING! I've been trying to track down the origins of the 13 and a half stirs method and the best i could find were a couple sources saying they got it from Suntory brand ambassadors. Your video and comments section really helped me out!
The better ratio is 1:5 (measured!). And using Toki whiskey which was specifically made for highballs. Also the lemon twist/garnish is absolutely necessary, with the addition of mint making an absolutlely god like summer drink. Also a thick frozen beer glass would also be superior.
Keep it up mate. I loved the cinematography and storytelling
as a fan of the Highball, i really appreciate you taking the time to dispel a lot of the... frankly orientalist approach to Japanese food, cocktail and bar culture. Not every bartender is Hiroyasu Kayama and the Whiskey Highball has a much more humble origin that has been forgotten in the west.
JOE!!! I must be doing it right!! I def take gulps when I first taste my cocktail!!! This is one cocktail I need to try!! I've never had Japanese Whiskey, so I'm game!!! CHEERS!!!
Hell yeah man! Honestly it’s such a good way to enjoy a decent whisky, my fav rn for a highball is Johnnie Walker Red, it’s so refreshing! Thanks for stopping by Tim!
Hello from Ohio. New subscriber here. Well done on the video.
Japanese love presentation. Just get a rocks glass, put a large cube of ice in there (doesn't have to be clear), put in a shot - 2 oz of whiskey and then fill the rest of the way with soda water. Stir for a few seconds and you have the same thing. Substitute - ginger ale, ginger beer, sour mix, tonic water, cola, citrus soda, etc. for soda water for different tastes.
I used tonic water and it was also good
For a relaxing time, choose Suntory Time ;)
You deserve 100x the subs you have now!
Thanks man! Means a hell of a lot
I only ever see people drinking Mizuwari with Shochu or some of those weird high proof Sake
just got to the end and laughed out loud at ITADAKIMASU!! (kanpai mate!)
2ND!?!?========>I want silver NOW!!!!
I was just doing brief research on the mizuwari and how it's a drink in lou of Shōchū drinking methods/traditions established long before Suntory's push in the 70s to increase sales and found your channel. Legit I am glad I encountered your work here on the highball and mizuwari before trudging through the feedback loop that other channels unfortunately did.
For a relaxing time, choose Suntory Time ;)