Welcome to the first Distilled edition of 2020…

….is all about the Highball serve, a serve that is proving popular among bartenders due to their accessibility and easy-drinking style and the opportunity to showcase unusual flavours with more familiar spirits. In this edition you will find information on various spirits, as well as how the Highball can be used as vehicle for everything from Tequila, to Gin, Rum and Whiskey.

First up in this edition is Laphroaig 10 YO, a full-bodied, smoke filled legend, with a hint of sweet to go with salt and seaweed. When it comes to flavour, this stands out as one of Scotland’s most memorable whisky experiences.

Moving across the pond from Scotland, into the world of American whiskey, Jack Daniel’s has done more to promote a simple highball serve than any other. But if you want to branch off from the standard “Jack & Coke” then the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye, a Rye whiskey that has been embraced by some of the best bar professionals in highball serves.

We then come on to Maker’s Mark, a whiskey that is lauded for its sweet profile with a high corn percentage, this allows bartenders to build on its sweetness with a little sugar syrup in a drink, but also counter it with something fresh. As a result, it works nicely in a slightly adapted julep highball serve, lengthened with some soda water: a perfect serve if the bar doesn’t have julep cups.

We can’t talk about Highballs and not mention Gin, and as a proud champion of gin history, Hayman’s is renowned for its innovative approach to distilling, and recently launched the exceptional Hayman’s Small Gin. Described as a “gamechanging gin” the aim of this spirit is to let bartenders mix a real gin and tonic with just 0.2 units of alcohol per serve.

Next up is Slingsby Gin, a truly great highball gin that even when lengthened with lemonade or tonic, still lets the aromas of black pepper, citrus and pine prevail, leaving that classic, clean London Dry Gin character to come through on the palate.

Snapping at the heels of gin when it comes to sales figures is Rum, and Spiced Rum in particular is going to be massive this year. The Cut Rum range we feature next appeals to younger drinkers and Highballs are a great way to showcase these rums

Hopefully you will find the information within this edition insightful and inspiring, enabling you to offer a great range of this brilliant and versatile serve!