Don’t Be Fooled by Fake Highballs — Meet the Real Highball
Hello, this is Bottle Station!
These days, with the scorching summer heat, there’s only one thought that keeps coming to mind:
“A cold highball would be perfect right now.”
But as a bartender, there’s one thing that makes me a little sad these days.
No matter which bar I go to, everyone seems to be selling “highballs.”
And what frustrates me even more is this:
Many places are selling drinks that aren’t actually highballs.
So now it’s time to know what you’re drinking.
What is a real highball?
Let’s find out together with Bottle Station, a great solo-drinking bar near Daehwa Station.
What a Real Highball Actually Is
One of the best ways to enjoy whisky cold is with a highball.
After the whisky boom that followed COVID, highballs started appearing everywhere—even in ordinary soju and beer restaurants.
So I went around and tried them.
And honestly…
I couldn’t believe they were calling those drinks highballs.
A real highball is made by combining flavorful whisky—such as Scotch, bourbon, or peated whisky—with ice and sparkling water.
The Problem with Many “Highballs”
If a highball only costs around 5,000–6,000 KRW, chances are that either very little whisky is used, or a very cheap whisky is being used.
When that happens, you can barely taste the whisky.
So some places add whisky flavoring instead.
Others mix the drink with tonic water rather than sparkling water.
Because tonic water contains sugar and added flavoring, it is not considered a traditional highball.
How to Enjoy a Traditional Highball
To enjoy a proper highball, you should use real whisky topped with sparkling water.
At Bottle Station near Daehwa Station, we serve authentic highballs.
We first let you taste the whisky highball made with Scotch whisky and sparkling water, and then, if you like, you can add lemon afterward.
That is the most traditional way to enjoy it.
Highballs at Bottle Station
At Bottle Station, you can enjoy a wide variety of highballs.
From a classic Scotch highball to flavored options such as Earl Grey Highball and Peach Tree Highball,
we also offer highballs made with many different whiskies.
For single malts, you can choose from The Macallan, Balvenie, Glenfiddich, Glendronach, and Glenlivet.
For bourbon lovers, we offer options such as Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey Rare Breed, and Woodford Reserve.
And for those who really know their whisky, there’s the legendary peated highball.
We have a range of peated whiskies available, including Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Ardbeg, and even Ardbeg Uigeadail, all of which can be enjoyed as highballs.
Bottle Station’s Secret Tip
Here’s our bartender-approved way to enjoy a highball:
- Choose a whisky that matches your preferred style.
- Ask the bartender to make it with sparkling water.
- Request a lemon slice only, without lemon juice.
- Take a sip first.
- Add lemon juice afterward only if it suits your taste.
This way, you get the full whisky character, the refreshing quality of the highball, and a perfect balance of flavor and aroma.
A refreshing highball is one of the best ways to beat the summer heat.
If you’re near Daehwa Station or KINTEX and craving a real highball,
come visit Bottle Station, the perfect bar for enjoying a drink on your own.