A Simple Scotch and Soda Is a Refreshing Classic

Learning how to make the best Scotch and soda might sound unnecessary. After all, it’s just a combination of Scottish whisky, sparkling water and ice. In a glass. Mixing up a Scotch and soda should be as easy as falling off the proverbial log.

However, it turns out there are a number of considerations that go into making the ideal version of this drink, also known as the Scotch highball.

The History of the Scotch and Soda

Its precise origins are murky, but the combination of Scotch and soda was making the rounds in both Britain and the U.S. in the late 1800s. Cincinnati barman C.F. Lawlor includes a whiskey and soda drink called the Splificator in his pioneering 1895 book The Mixicologist, plus a “High Ball” cocktail that features brandy or whiskey and seltzer over ice.

More proof linking the Scotch and Soda to this era is a 1927 letter written by bartender and author Patrick Gavin Duffy, which was published in the New York Times. In it, Duffy states that he rarely served Scotch whisky at his café until a British actor, E.J. Ratcliffe, started asking for it. When Duffy got his hands on some Usher’s whisky, he started making Ratcliffe a drink with Scotch, club soda and a lump of ice around 1894. Word spread, and soon Duffy writes he was serving little else besides these Scotch highballs.

Cocktail historian David Wondrich, author of the cocktail guide Imbibe, shares that over time, the Scotch and soda was eclipsed by fancier drinks. That jibes with the experience of Alfie Spears, a former bar manager and single malt brand ambassador for Bacardi’s Scotch portfolio, which includes Aberfeldy and Craigellachie.

“Seven years ago I had one regular who would order a Scotch and soda, you didn’t get that order very often,” he says. “The whisky highball is very resurgent—and we owe some of that to our Japanese counterparts.”

Japan, of course, is famous today for its exceptional whiskies, and the whisky highball became a national favorite beginning in the 1950s. By the 1980s, Japanese bars were slinging the drink via high-tech highball machines, which infuse whiskey with carbonated water. In recent years, these gadgets began appearing stateside, which, combined with a reignited interest in the drink at cocktail bars nationwide, heralded the drink’s renewed popularity.

How Do You Elevate a Scotch and Soda?

The recipe for a Scotch and soda is basic enough, but making an elevated version worthy of being called a highball requires some advance preparation, says Josh McEachern, a Highland Park Whisky brand ambassador based in Dallas. Here’s how to do it:

Start with ice. The best Scotch and soda is super chilled, which allows you to enjoy the sensation of the bubbles and the complex flavor of the Scotch. Small ice cubes and crushed ice melt too quickly, so opt for large-format ice cubes or ice spears at least one-inch wide that chill the drink thoroughly while melting slowly. And while you’re at it, chill some 10-ounce highball glasses, so the glass doesn’t heat up your drink.

Choose your Scotch. Scotch whisky shows different flavor notes depending on where and how it was made. The barley used to make single-malt Scotch is roasted over peat moss, giving the final spirit a smoky character. If you like intense smokiness, choose a single malt Scotch from Islay (pronounced eye-luh), such as Ardbeg. For more subtle smoke mixed with herbal notes, choose a whisky from Orkney, like Highland Park 12-Year.

If you’re more into spirits with roasted fruits and intensity, choose a Speyside Scotch like Craigellachie. And if you’re a bourbon fan who’s just flirting with Scotch, pick a smooth style with caramel notes like Aberfeldy or Glenfiddich 14-year aged in a bourbon cask. A blended Scotch, which includes some malted Scotch along with Scotch distilled from grains, is also a fine choice for a mixed drink, since blends tend to be more affordable than single-malts.

Add some bubbles. Quality matters here, too. For the ideal Scotch and soda, you want a sparkling water that doesn’t have other flavors, so McEachern prefers seltzer. “Seltzer is nice because it’s more neutral than sparkling mineral water or club soda,” he says. “Seltzer will bring out the pure flavors in your Scotch.”

Don’t forget the garnish. Garnishes are also key, as they can help bring out different notes in the spirit, says Spears. For a classic Scotch and soda, he recommends a lemon wedge or twist. Scotches with more robust flavors, meanwhile, are complemented by an orange twist or a wedge of pink grapefruit.

“You can really be as creative as you want,” Spears says. “You can play with different citrus fruits like orange or grapefruit to see what you think the drink needs. Everyone’s palate is unique.”

How to Make a Classic Scotch and Soda