Yuzu Honey Highball
A bright, fragrant Japanese-style non-alcoholic highball: tart yuzu juice and floral honey syrup topped with sharp, crackling soda water over plenty of clear ice. Crisp, lightly sweet and very refreshing.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- —
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 10 min
- Makes
- 1 tall highball (about 10 oz / 300 ml)
Steps
Before you start
- Chill the soda water and the glass in the fridge or freezer for at least 30 minutes; cold soda keeps its fizz much longer.
- Use a fresh, unopened bottle or can of soda water for the strongest carbonation.
- Honey is thick when cold, so dissolve it in warm water first (step 1) to make a pourable syrup.
- Bottled yuzu juice varies in tartness and sweetness; taste and adjust the honey after your first sip.
Make honey syrup
- In a small bowl, stir the honey and hot tap water together with a spoon for about 30 seconds, until the honey has fully dissolved into a smooth, runny syrup with no streaks at the bottom.
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Ready when: Syrup pours freely off the spoon with no honey clumps.
Tip: Don't use boiling water; it can dull honey's floral aroma.
Cool the syrup
- Let the syrup sit for about 5 minutes so it cools to room temperature.
- Warm syrup would melt the ice and flatten the soda.
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Ready when: Syrup feels neutral or cool when touched.
Tip: Speed it up by placing the bowl in the freezer for 2 minutes.
Mix yuzu base
- Pour the cooled honey syrup into the bottom of the chilled glass.
- Add the yuzu juice and stir for 10 seconds so the two are fully combined.
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Ready when: The base looks uniformly pale gold and cloudy, with no honey pooled at the bottom.
Tip: Taste a drop on a spoon: it should be tart-sweet, as it will mellow once diluted.
Add the ice
- Fill the glass to the top with ice cubes, about 1½ cups (200 g).
- Packed ice melts slower and keeps the drink colder and fizzier.
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Ready when: Ice reaches within ½ inch (1 cm) of the rim.
Top with soda
- Tilt the glass and pour the cold soda water slowly down the inside wall, or down a bar spoon, until the liquid reaches just below the rim, about 5 fl oz (150 ml).
- Pouring gently preserves the bubbles.
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Ready when: Bubbles rise steadily and the drink is filled to about ¾ inch (2 cm) below the rim.
Tip: Never pour soda directly onto the yuzu base; it will foam over and lose fizz.
Stir and garnish
- Insert a bar spoon to the bottom and lift once or twice, gently, to blend the layers without knocking out the bubbles.
- Twist the lemon peel over the glass to release its oils, rub it around the rim, then drop it in.
- Serve right away.
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Ready when: Drink is evenly pale gold, fizzing, and smells of citrus when lifted.
Tip: Stirring more than twice makes the highball go flat quickly.
Good to know
Tips
- Use large, solid, clear ice cubes if you can; they melt slowly and keep the drink from becoming watery.
- Keep every component very cold before building: cold soda, a chilled glass and cool syrup together make the fizziest highball.
- For a tarter drink, reduce the honey to 1½ tsp; for a sweeter one, increase to 1 tbsp.
- Add the soda last and stir minimally to keep it sparkling.
Make ahead
The honey syrup and yuzu base can be mixed up to 3 days ahead. For each drink, combine the cooled honey syrup (2 tsp honey + 2 tsp water) with 1½ tbsp yuzu juice, about 2½ tbsp (40 ml) of base per drink. Multiply for more servings, then refrigerate in a sealed jar. When serving, pour the base into a chilled glass, then add ice and soda.
Storage & reheating
Serve immediately; the finished highball does not keep because it goes flat. Plain honey syrup keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (bring to room temperature before using). The yuzu-honey base keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not freeze the finished drink.
Substitutions
- yuzu juice → 1 tbsp lemon juice plus 1½ tsp grapefruit juice (total 1½ tbsp / 22 ml). Approximates yuzu's tart, slightly bitter, floral profile; the flavor will be less aromatic.
- mild honey (such as acacia or clover) → Agave syrup, same amount. Dissolves easily and tastes more neutral; skip the warm water and use 2 tsp (10 ml) directly.
- soda water → Unsweetened sparkling mineral water. Choose a neutral one with strong carbonation for the best crispness.
- lemon peel strip → Thin lime wheel. Gives a similar fresh citrus aroma at the rim.
