Japanese Highball recipe with Nikka Days and sparkling water

Japanese Highball cocktail with Nikka whisky

Updated: October 2026

Here is our Japanese Highball recipe, made with Japanese whisky and sparkling water. Further down you will find a little about the background of the drink, a comparison with an ordinary highball and answers to the most common questions.

Quick overview: Japanese Highball recipe: Japanese Highball

Get the recipe for a delicious Japanese Highball drink - we recommend of course using Japanese whisky.

Ingredients

2 parts whisky – we recommend Nikka Days or another good Japanese whisky
6 parts sparkling water
tsp. lime juice (twist a piece of fresh lime in the glass)
Garnish: lime zest or dried lime
Ice cubes
a tall Highball glass

Procedure

Add ice cubes to the Highball glass.

Then pour the whisky and sparkling water together with the lime juice.

Finish by adding the lime zest as a garnish.

Tip

If you still find it too strong, you can add more sparkling water and lime juice to taste.

If you need bar equipment, have a look at our cocktail equipment for your home bar with shaker, stirring spoon, strainer etc.

	Facts about the drink
Drink	Japanese Highball
Whisky	2 parts, for example Nikka Days
Sparkling water	6 parts
Lime juice	tsp., twist a piece of fresh lime in the glass
Glass	Tall Highball glass with ice cubes
Garnish	Lime zest or dried lime

About the Japanese Highball

A highball can be a really good way to start drinking whisky, as the sparkling water makes the drink even fresher, which young palates in particular prefer.

Highball is an extremely popular drink in Japan and is based on the fact that the Japanese love to enjoy alcohol with their food, which makes it incredibly hard to drink neat whisky while eating. So they added sparkling water and ice without ruining the taste.

Japanese Highball first became popular after World War II, when the economy was not strong enough for people to afford drinking neat whisky, which led to it being mixed with sparkling water.

About the whisky in the drink

According to our product page, Nikka Days is a blended Japanese whisky at 40 % and 70 cl. It is described as light and fresh with fruitiness and a soft finish, so it suits a long drink well. You can also look through our range of Japanese whisky.

Japanese Highball and an ordinary highball

	Our recipe and highballs in general
Ratio	6 parts sparkling water to 2 parts whisky, so 3 : 1 (ours) / 2 : 1 or 3 : 1 (Wikipedia)
Mixer	Sparkling water (ours) / often carbonated, for example soda (Wikipedia)
Glass	Tall Highball glass (ours) / highball or Collins glass (Wikipedia)
Serving	Over ice cubes (ours) / over ice (Wikipedia)

According to Wikipedia, highball in Japan means specifically whisky and soda, not just any spirit with a mixer. The word may come from old railroad signals, but that is uncertain.

Tips for your Japanese Highball

Use plenty of ice cubes and a cold glass, so the drink stays cold and does not water down. Pour the sparkling water gently down the side of the glass so it keeps its fizz. Stir once at most. If you find it too strong, add more sparkling water, as the recipe says.

My verdict on Japanese Highball

It is a simple, fresh drink and hard to get wrong. It suits food, as the text above says, and is a good place to start if you are new to whisky. Pick a light whisky like Nikka Days, and you will still taste it through the sparkling water.

Frequently asked questions about the Japanese Highball recipe

What is a Japanese Highball?

A long drink of Japanese whisky, sparkling water and a little lime juice, served over ice in a tall glass.

What goes into a Japanese Highball recipe?

2 parts whisky, 6 parts sparkling water, a teaspoon of lime juice, ice cubes and lime zest or dried lime as garnish.

How do you make a Japanese Highball?

Put ice cubes in a Highball glass. Pour the whisky and sparkling water together with the lime juice, and finish with zest as garnish.

Which whisky should I use?

We recommend Nikka Days or another good Japanese whisky.

What is Nikka Days?

A blended Japanese whisky at 40 % and 70 cl. According to our product page it is light and fresh with fruitiness and a soft finish.

Why do the Japanese drink Highball?

According to our text, the Japanese love to enjoy alcohol with their food, and with sparkling water and ice whisky becomes easier to drink with a meal.

When did Japanese Highball become popular?

According to our text, after World War II, when the economy did not allow people to drink neat whisky, so it was mixed with sparkling water.

What is the difference between a highball and a Japanese Highball?

According to Wikipedia, a highball is a spirit with a larger share of mixer, while in Japan the word specifically means whisky and soda.

What if it is too strong?

Add more sparkling water and lime juice to taste.

Is Japanese Highball good for beginners?

Yes, the sparkling water makes it fresh and light, and it can be a good way to start drinking whisky, as our text says.

See all our drink recipes and our whisky. You can also read Wikipedia about the Highball.

EUR 50,75

Japanese Highball recipe with Nikka Days and sparkling water

Quick overview: Japanese Highball recipe: Japanese Highball

Ingredients

Procedure

Tip

About the Japanese Highball

About the whisky in the drink

Japanese Highball and an ordinary highball

Tips for your Japanese Highball

My verdict on Japanese Highball

Frequently asked questions about the Japanese Highball recipe

Read more

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Japanese Highball recipe with Nikka Days and sparkling water

Quick overview: Japanese Highball recipe: Japanese Highball

Ingredients

Procedure

Tip

About the Japanese Highball

About the whisky in the drink

Japanese Highball and an ordinary highball

Tips for your Japanese Highball

My verdict on Japanese Highball

Frequently asked questions about the Japanese Highball recipe

Read more

More drinkrecipes

Gin Tonicrecipe

Gin Fizzrecipe

Gin Hassrecipe

Dry Martinirecipe

Njordic Martinirecipe

Mai Tairecipe

More drink
recipes

Gin Tonic
recipe

Gin Fizz
recipe

Gin Hass
recipe

Dry Martini
recipe

Njordic Martini
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Mai Tai
recipe