Originally, highball is made by whiskey with carbonic water, but in Japan, in addition to whiskey highball, there are chuhai, which is made by shochu with carbonic water, and highball using vodka and spirits, which are popular with the general public.
You can easily drink Highball at izakaya, and you can easily get canned one at convenience stores and food supermarkets.
There are some with fruit juice, some with yogurt, some with cola, etc., so please try various taste and flavors.
What is Highball and can I drink it?
Materials of Highball
Whisky, shochu, or vodka, and juice, flavor, sugar etc.
| Gluten-free | Low-gluten | Wheat-free | Low FODMAPs | |
| for Vegetarian |
| Restaurant | Food supermarket | Convenience store | Drug store |
Highball is a popular drink based on whiskey, shochu, and vodka
Highball is a popular drink for the common people.
The base liquors are whiskey, shochu, and vodka, with alcohol consentration from 2 to 9%. Whiskey highballs are often made only with carbonated water, but shochu and vodka-based highballs are usually made with fruit juice, yogurt, cola, etc., and there is a wide variety.
It’s also on the izakaya menu, but there aren’t many types. If you want to choose from a variety of types, we recommend purchasing at a food supermarket. It comes in a 350ml can and is as cheap as $ 1-2.
Highball and chuhai have the following flavors.
- Whiskey base
Most of them are nade with carbonated water, but some contain lemon juice. Alcohol concentration is 7-9%. - Shochu or vodka base
The shochu highball (Chuhai) uses class Ko shochu, which is an inexpensive shochu that does not retain the flavor of the raw material. Vodka also has a clear taste, so there are various flavors and aromas in shochu or vodka base highball. Lemon juice is the most popular and is always found at an izakaya restaurant. Other types may not be placed.- A mixture of citrus juice like lemon, grapefruit, orange, lime, yuzu, sudachi, and shikuwasa,
- A mixture of other fruit juices like peach, grape, pear, apple, lychee, kiwi, pineapple, tomato, and aloe.
- A mixture of beverages like cola, yogurt, red wine, and matcha.
Try to drink Highball!
How much ?
- Izakaya restaurant: $3-5
- Convenience stores, food supermarket, and drug stores: $1-2 a 350ml can
Where can I get Highball?
- Izakaya restaurant
- Convenience stores, food supermarket, and drug stores
Precautions when drinking Highball
For gluten-free people
Barley spirits may be used as a raw material, but since it is distilled, you can think it as gluten-free.
Japanese writer’s comment for Highball
Highballs can be ordered at an izakaya restaurant, but we recommend buying cans at convenience stores or food supermarkets.
Various kinds are on sale. Often there is a picture of the fruit on the package, so you can know what juice is in it. Peach is recommended for people who like sweetness, and lemon is recommended for people who don’t like sweetness.
Many Japanese are also careful about excessive calorie intake, so many products have “zero” on the package. This means zero sugar. Be aware that artificial sweeteners are often used.
