Ingredients
- 2 ozAlcohol-Free Whiskey
- 4–5 ozChilled sparkling water
- To fillIce — the best you have
- GarnishFresh lemon wedge or twist
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How to Make It
- Chill a highball glass in the freezer if you have time — it makes a difference.
- Fill the glass to the top with good ice.
- Add the alcohol-free whiskey and stir briefly to chill it.
- Top slowly with cold sparkling water, pouring down the side of the glass to preserve the bubbles.
- Express the lemon over the surface, rub it on the rim, and drop it in.
Why This Works
The highball is the most exposed format in cocktail making — nothing to hide behind, so execution is the recipe. Everything should be as cold as possible: chilled glass, plenty of ice, refrigerated sparkling water. Cold liquid holds carbonation better, and carbonation is the drink's entire texture.
Dilution here is a feature. As the ice slowly melts, it opens up the whiskey's aromatics the way a splash of water opens a neat pour. The drink you finish is subtly different from the drink you started — that slow evolution is the highball's quiet pleasure.
The Alcohol-Free Swap
With only sparkling water alongside it, the alcohol-free whiskey is fully exposed here — this is the drink to make when you want to actually taste your AF spirit.