Toasted Barley Highball (with Mocktail Version)
A grown-up toasted-barley highball with whisky and soda—plus a fully caffeine-free mocktail version with barley tea, citrus, and soda for everyone at the table.
Roasted barley and whisky are natural cousins—both built on toasted grain—which makes barley tea a perfect base for a highball. Brewing the barley strong and chilling it gives you a malty, nutty mixer that amplifies the toasty notes in the spirit.
For the classic highball, build it tall over plenty of ice: chilled strong barley tea, a measure of whisky, and a long top of cold soda water. The barley tea softens the alcohol's edge and adds depth, while the soda keeps it crisp and refreshing.
A twist of lemon and a few drops of bitters lift the drink and keep it from tasting flat. Serve it ice-cold in a tall glass—it's a lighter, more sessionable take on the Japanese whisky highball.
For a fully caffeine-free, alcohol-free mocktail, skip the whisky entirely: combine chilled strong barley tea, a squeeze of lemon, a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup, and top with cold soda water over ice. Garnish with a lemon twist. You get all the toasty, refreshing character of the highball with none of the alcohol—a drink the whole table can share.
Ingredients
- 60 ml whisky (Japanese-style if possible)
- 90 ml strong chilled barley tea (4 tbsp kernels brewed in 1 cup, cooled)
- Cold soda water, to top
- 1 lemon twist
- 2 dashes aromatic bitters (optional)
- Plenty of ice
- For the mocktail: omit whisky; add 1 tsp honey and a squeeze of lemon
How to make it
- 1Brew the barley tea strong and chill it thoroughly in the fridge.
- 2Fill a tall glass to the top with ice.
- 3Pour in the whisky and the chilled barley tea, then add bitters if using.
- 4Top slowly with cold soda water and stir once gently to combine.
- 5Garnish with a lemon twist and serve ice-cold.
- 6For the mocktail: replace the whisky with an extra splash of barley tea, add 1 tsp honey and a squeeze of lemon, then top with soda over ice.
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