Recipes
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Robby Haynes’s Low-Proof Saffron Mule
With only ½-ounce of liqueur, this low-proof highball is “less of a cocktail and more of a flavor experience,” says Apologue Liqueurs co-founder Robby Haynes. If you’re looking to up the alcohol content, Robby recommends the addition of tequila or gin.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Robby and keep up with Apologue on Instagram.
Robby Haynes’s Low-Proof Saffron Mule Recipe:
1 lime, cut into 8 chunks
.5 oz Apologue Saffron Liqueur
Top Note Ginger Beer, to top
Garnish: lime wedge, optional
Muddle 3 of the lime chunks in the bottom of a Collins glass. Add Liqueur and fill with ice. Top with Ginger Beer, stir and enjoy.
Zarletti N/A Spritz
Milwaukee’s Zarletti is serious about their non-alcoholic recipes, proving that this burgeoning category of drinks can be as innovative and complex as anything else on their menu.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Zarletti GM Bryan Boyce and keep up with them on Instagram.
Image credit: Bryan Boyce
Zarletti N/A Spritz Recipe:
1 oz First Press Pierpaolo Pecorari Refosco Juice
3 oz Zera Organic N/A Sparkling Chardonnay
Garnish: fresh orange wheel
Fill a wine glass halfway with ice. Add all ingredients to glass, stir gently, and garnish.
Julia Momose’s Japanese Whisky Highball
“Yes, it’s two ingredients! But as long as you have high-quality ingredients, it can really be an outstanding drink that’s more than the sum of its parts.” - Julia Momose, in conversation with Top Note about the Japanese Whisky Highball
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Julia and follow her on Instagram for more beautiful and inspiring food & drinks.
Image credit: Kailley Lindman
Julia Momose’s Japanese Whisky Highball Recipe:
1.5 oz Japanese whisky, from the freezer
Top Note Club Soda No. 1, to top
Build over ice and serve bracingly cold.
Bridgit Loeffelholz’s Grapefruit & Aquavit Highball
This highball is earthy, tart and complex: the perfect year-round sipper!
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Bridgit and follow Dampfwerk Distilling on Instagram for the latest distillery news.
Image credit: Bridgit Loeffelholz
Bridgit Loeffelholz’s Grapefruit & Aquavit Highball Recipe:
1.5 oz Dampfwerk Aquavit
.75 oz dry vermouth
.75 oz grapefruit juice
.25 oz grapefruit oleo saccharum or simple syrup
2 drops saline, optional
1 drop lavender bitters, optional
Top Note Sparkling Grapefruit Soda, to top
Garnish: grapefruit slice and fresh thyme
Short shake all ingredients except Soda together with ice and strain into a highball glass. Top with Soda, stir, and garnish.
Ross Salchow’s Barrel Gin Highball
The highball is, in its purest historic iteration: spirit, mixer, and garnish. When you’re working with quality ingredients that complement each other, simple is truly king.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Ross and follow Great Lakes Distillery on Instagram for the latest distillery news.
Image credit: Ross Salchow
Ross Salchow’s Barrel Gin Highball Recipe:
2 oz Rehorst Barrel Reserve Gin
Garnish: twist of lemon
Stir gin and soda together in an ice-filled old fashioned glass and garnish.
Danny Jahnke's Floracillin Highball
Drawing inspiration from the classic Penicillin cocktail, Danny says, “Ginger and honey pair really well with the complex flavor notes of Flora,” making for a cozy and relaxing non-alcoholic cocktail.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Danny and follow Flora Hemp Spirits on Instagram for more non-alcoholic cocktail inspiration.
Image credit: Danny Jahnke
Danny Jahnke’s Floracillin Highball Recipe:
2 oz Flora Hemp Spirit
.25 oz honey, warmed
.5 oz lemon juice
Top Note Ginger Beer, to top
Garnish: fresh rosemary, optional
Stir all ingredients together with ice in a highball glass.
Evan Knutson’s Gin & Tonic
Sage and citrus are married together with a host of complimentary botanicals in this creative take on the classic Gin & Tonic.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Evan and follow him on Instagram for more cocktail inspiration.
Image credit: Evan Knutson
Evan Knutson’s Gin & Tonic Recipe:
1.5 oz sage-infused Death’s Door Gin
2 dashes Bittercube orange bitters
Top Note Indian Tonic, to top
Garnish: expressed orange peel (flamed, if desired)
Stir all ingredients together in an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish.
Amaro | Bitter Lemon | Gin | Vermouth
Emily Vikre’s Negroni Highball
“All this thinking about Negroni’s led me to want to make a Negroni highball!” - Emily Vikre
Read our Q&A with Emily to learn more about her journey into the world of cocktails, distilling, and - you guessed it - Negroni’s!
Image credit: Emily Vikre
Emily Vikre’s Negroni Highball Recipe:
1 oz Vikre Distillery Gin
3/4 oz Vikre Distillery Amaro (or Campari)
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
Top Note Bitter Lemon Tonic Water, to top
Garnish: orange twist, optional
Combine the spirits in a highball glass with ice, top with Bitter Lemon, and stir gently. Garnish if desired.
Gin | Summer Cocktails | Tonic
Alyssa Hughes’ Pineapple Gin & Tonic
Add some flair to the classic gin & tonic with a splash of tropical citrus! Enjoy this lower-ABV refresher on the rocks or straight-up like Alyssa. She uses a small mason jar, but a coupe or champagne glass would work just as well.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Alyssa and follow her on Instagram for the latest updates on her distilling adventures.
Image credit: Alyssa Hughes
Alyssa Hughes' Pineapple Gin & Tonic Recipe:
1.5 oz gin
1.5 oz pineapple juice
1 dash Bittercube orange bitters
Top Note Classic Tonic, to top
Garnish: Manderin orange peel
Stir all ingredients together in a glass with ice (or skip the ice as per Alyssa’s preference!) and garnish.
Irish Ale
In this Whiskey Ginger variation, Ginger Beer takes the place of Ginger Ale, providing a bigger, bolder drinking experience and just enough kick to keep us coming back for seconds (and thirds and…)
Irish Ale Recipe:
1.5 oz Irish whiskey
5 oz Top Note Ginger Beer
Garnish: lime wedge
Stir ingredients together in an ice-filled glass and garnish.
Kirk Jones’ Bitter Sweetheart Highball
When asked about the inspiration behind this highball, Kirk laughed and proclaimed that he’d “made it around Valentine’s Day” and that it reminded him of his ex, so it’s fitting that he named it the Bitter Sweetheart!
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Kirk and follow Royal Rose Syrups on Instagram for more cocktail inspiration.
Image credit: Kirk Jones
Kirk Jones’ Bitter Sweetheart Highball Recipe:
1.5 oz gin
.5 oz Campari
.5 oz Dry Curaçao
.75 oz Royal Rose Organic Raspberry Syrup
1/2 oz lime juice
Top Note Club Soda #1, to top
Shake all ingredients except the club soda in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass, top with club soda, and stir.
Jon East's Chai Highball
Jon made this for us on our Instagram live series, Highballs at High Noon! While its preparation is simple, this cocktail is incredibly complex.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Jon and follow him on Instagram for cocktails and cute dog pics.
Image credit: Jon East
Jon East's Chai Highball Recipe:
1.75 oz Twisted Path Chai Liqueur
1 dash Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit Bitters
1 dash Bittermens Buckspice Gingersnap Bitters
4 drops Bittermens Xocalatl Mole Bitters
Garnish: citrus peel
Stir all ingredients together in a highball glass filled with ice and garnish.