One part Chivas whiskey, three parts soda and ice make the easiest 10-second Summer cocktail.
Purists would demand one drinks whiskey neat, the heat and “true dominant alcohol flavours” guaranteed to sear one’s throat as he places the nosing glass back down on a table. Others would say a splash of water would suffice, the liquid helping to “open” the whisky up to release new tastes and aromas. Water will even cut down on its strength and tempers the fire, peat and smoke for first-timers or non-committers.
The Chivas-approved way (the good Scots have been doing it for 235 years) however is to drink it in a highball. Not to be confused with a whiskey soda, a highball has a more pre-eminent history. Invented in the late 19th century at a Manhattan bar, it required accurate precision lest a bartender ruined its standing as the “high priest of drinks”. The whiskey soda? The crass cocktail one would scream for at a bartender after one too many.
While the base recipe for a highball as advised by Chivas requires one part of the whisky (the Chivas Regal 12 Years Old is best for blending, its rich and smooth notes adding sweetness to the acidity of soda) to three parts of soda water, other recipes of the classic cocktail have been provided too. Replace the soda water with ginger ale and one has a cocktail with refreshing notes of citrus. An elderflower and soda water mix produces a sweet and crisp cocktail that does not come out cloying.
If one has the finesse, barley syrup can also be added. The only caveat in this cocktail being that the making of one’s own syrup is encouraged — a concoction of roasted barley pearls, 100ml of water and 100grams of sugar boiled over a pan and refrigerated for two weeks.
No mucking or muddling about with any of the three Chivas highballs aka Summer’s easiest cocktails, just add copious amounts of ice once one is done. Cheers to that.
Shop the Chivas Regal 12 Years Old here today (there’s a Great Spirits Sale too fyi) or click here to catch up with our June/July 2021 issue.
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