Highball

Japanese Highball - The Only Whisky Cocktail that James Bond Refused ウイスキーハイボール

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• published: 23 Oct 2015
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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 Follow Us! https://www.facebook.com/DistinguishedSpirits http://instagram.com/distinguishedspirits https://twitter.com/DistinguishedSp http://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSp Featured in this Episode: Hibiki Harmony http://whisky.suntory.com/products/jh/ Fever Tree Club Soda http://amzn.to/1Gwk1GI Studio Neat Clear Ice Kit http://amzn.to/1MYeJFw Bar Tools: Schott Zwiesel Collins Glass http://amzn.to/1KT98zr