Southern Highball

About the Southern Highball

A refreshing citrus whiskey cocktail with a bubbly finish, the Southern Highball combines Timber Creek’s Southern Reserve Florida Whiskey with lemon juice, simple syrup, and soda water. Unlike a straightforward whiskey and soda, this one gets shaken with lemon and syrup first, which builds in more citrus intensity and a touch of sweetness before the soda water goes in to lighten the whole drink. Southern Reserve Florida Whiskey holds its ground well in a highball format because of the depth Timber Creek builds into the spirit before it ever reaches the glass.

Each grain component is distilled and barrel-aged on its own, then blended together under the distillery’s PureBlend process, which gives the finished whiskey enough caramel and oak structure to stay noticeable even when shaken with citrus and topped with soda. To build it, shake the whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice until well chilled, strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice, and top with soda water. Because it’s bright, citrusy, and not too sweet, this highball pairs well with foods that have their own acidity or crunch.

A chicken Caesar salad is a good match, letting the drink’s lemon note echo the dressing, and fried calamari works nicely as well, with the highball’s fizz helping cut through the richness of the fry. Adding the soda water last, after the shaken portion is already strained over ice, helps preserve as much carbonation as possible for a livelier finish. The Southern Highball is a good everyday cocktail, easy enough for a weeknight dinner but still interesting enough for a casual get-together with friends.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice matters more than usual here, since the drink has few other ingredients to hide behind if the citrus tastes flat or bottled. It’s the kind of drink that goes down quickly because it’s so light, so pace yourself accordingly, stay hydrated, and enjoy it responsibly.

A refreshing citrus whiskey cocktail with a bubbly finish, the Southern Highball combines Timber Creek’s Southern Reserve Florida Whiskey with lemon juice, simple syrup, and soda water. Unlike a straightforward whiskey and soda, this one gets shaken with lemon and syrup first, which builds in more citrus intensity and a touch of sweetness before the soda water goes in to lighten the whole drink. Southern Reserve Florida Whiskey holds its ground well in a highball format because of the depth Timber Creek builds into the spirit before it ever reaches the glass.

Each grain component is distilled and barrel-aged on its own, then blended together under the distillery’s PureBlend process, which gives the finished whiskey enough caramel and oak structure to stay noticeable even when shaken with citrus and topped with soda. To build it, shake the whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice until well chilled, strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice, and top with soda water. Because it’s bright, citrusy, and not too sweet, this highball pairs well with foods that have their own acidity or crunch.

A chicken Caesar salad is a good match, letting the drink’s lemon note echo the dressing, and fried calamari works nicely as well, with the highball’s fizz helping cut through the richness of the fry. Adding the soda water last, after the shaken portion is already strained over ice, helps preserve as much carbonation as possible for a livelier finish. The Southern Highball is a good everyday cocktail, easy enough for a weeknight dinner but still interesting enough for a casual get-together with friends.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice matters more than usual here, since the drink has few other ingredients to hide behind if the citrus tastes flat or bottled. It’s the kind of drink that goes down quickly because it’s so light, so pace yourself accordingly, stay hydrated, and enjoy it responsibly.