How to Make a Scotch and Soda the Right Way (2024)

The proper way to drink Scotch is with a splash of water to awaken the whisky's flavor and smooth the bite of the alcohol.Or so they say in Scotland. But not all of us have the constitution for that. Thank god, then, that the highball is making a comeback.What, exactly, sets it apart from a plain old whisky soda? Good scotch, good soda, and attention to bubbles.

As Masahiro Urushido, head bartender at Katana Kitten, a Japanese-American bar in New York,told us last year, mixing a highball co*cktail like a scotch and soda requires care. He makes them by filling a tall, narrow-mouthed glass with ice, adding the whisky, then holding the glass at an angle and slowly pouring in the soda. He doesn't stir. He does garnish with a lemon twist. And he makes sure to chill his whisky, his soda, and his highball glass in the freezer before using them.

Pick the scotch of your choosing—to each their own with something as varying as scotch flavors—and grab some little bottles of quality club soda, as those have the best fizz. Don't get lazy with the glassware: That special highball glass goes a long way to preserving bubbles. Then, enjoy your simple, refined scotch and soda.