Ingredients

   
2oz Japanese whisky
0.5oz yuzu juice
  Soda water, well chilled
  Ice
  Yuzu peel or lemon twist

Steps

  1. Chill a highball glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.

  2. Fill the glass with ice. Pour in whisky and yuzu juice.

  3. Top with cold soda water. Stir gently — once, vertically — to combine without killing the carbonation.

  4. Garnish with yuzu peel or a lemon twist.

Analysis

Total drink: ~200g (2 oz whisky at 43%, ½ oz yuzu, soda to top, over ice)

Component Amount % of drink
Alcohol (ethanol) ~20g 10.2%
Sugar ~1g 0.5%
Water + dilution ~179g 89.3%

A citrus highball — ~10% ABV finished and essentially dry. Same structure as a plain highball with a small yuzu addition for aromatic tartness; the juice adds almost no sugar. Cold is still everything — the yuzu brightens the whisky without softening the fizz.

Notes

  • Everything must be cold. Glass, whisky, soda. Warm components kill the fizz.
  • Stir once, gently. Over-stirring flattens the drink.
  • Yuzu juice is available bottled at Japanese grocery stores. Fresh yuzu is seasonal (winter).
  • The ratio is roughly 1:3 spirit to soda. Adjust to taste.
  • Suntory Toki or Nikka Days work well here — light, mixable whiskies. Don’t waste single malt on a highball.
  • A lemon twist is a fine substitute if yuzu peel isn’t available.