Latitude 42 Vodka · Recipe 12
Spring Fever
The highest form of the highball.
Ingredients
- 55 ml Latitude 42 Vodka
- 15 ml fresh lemon juice
- 10 ml honey syrup (2:1 honey to water)
- 120 ml sparkling mineral water
Method
Build. Serve in a Tall highball glass. Garnish with Mint sprig + lemon peel.
Sparkling mineral water: Fever-Tree or Topo Chico.
The story
The highball may be the most underrated category in cocktailing. Jeffrey Morgenthaler — the Portland barman who revived the Amaretto Sour, wrote obsessively about ice and technique, and made simple drinks feel serious — has argued for years that a perfectly made highball is one of the most difficult drinks to execute and one of the most satisfying to drink. The key: temperature, dilution, and carbonation must be in alignment. Pre-chill the glass. Use large, clear ice so it melts slowly. Add the spirit and allow it to settle. Pour the mixer down a spoon or the glass wall to preserve CO2. This is not fussiness — it's the difference between a drink that lifts you and one that merely hydrates.
Tasting note
The bubbles are everything. Clean vodka with a honey-lemon softness, and the effervescence carries it all upward. This is what a highball should feel like.