THIRSTY THURSDAY
Its almost Friday, but you want something more satisfying than a single cocktail after a long hard day at work. A “highball” always hits the spot. Typically a cocktail would be mostly alcohol, but in the case of the highball which became popular first in the 1960s, was mostly soda. Quite simply, its a double shot of your favorite spirit topped off with with enough soda and ice to fill a 12 ounce glass. Later variations include other soft drinks and mixers like fruit juice. Its really hard to screw up, its just two ingredients, hard liquor and mixer with ice.
Here are the most popular highballs every bartender knows:
- Rum & Coke
- Gin & Tonic and/or Vodka & Tonic
- Seven & Seven (Whiskey & Lemon Lime soda, originally named for Seagram’s 7 and 7up)
- Gin & Ginger (Gin with Ginger Ale)
- Jack & Ginger (Jack Daniels Whiskey with Ginger Ale)
- Jack & Coke (Jack Daniels Whiskey with Cola)
- Screwdriver (Orange Juice & Vodka)
- Scotch & Soda (Scotch Whiskey with Club Soda)
- Vodka & Cranberry Juice
- Vodka & Sprite (even better is a Vodka with Bitter Lemon soda if they have it)
If your bartender does not know any of these drinks… order a club soda, pay the tab, and leave immediately. However, if you have confidence where you are drinking, enjoy a Dark & Stormy. It takes just a slight bit more care. Pour in your ginger ale, some crushed ice on top, and pour some dark rum over the back of a spoon so it gently floats on top of the highball glass.
