A whisky highball is as simple to make as it is delicious to drink, which is one of the reasons it’s at the top of the drinks trends list this year. It’s a great drink to serve at home while entertaining friends and family over the festive season, and with the right mixer, your Highball could be the talk of the town.

South Africa’s Three Ships Whisky produces expertly distilled globally awarded whiskies at the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington, outside Cape Town – and with a versatile range that appeals to the local palate, it’s the perfect base for delectable Highballs.  To celebrate the rise of the whisky highball, the team have created four South African inspired highball mixers that are simple to make and perfect to try out over the summer holiday season.

Mzansi’s favourite local mixologist Peter Lebese aka #thegintleman of sipexclusive has had a hand in designing these so that they appeal to the South African palate – with each mixer perfectly matched with variants from the Three Ships Whisky core range – the Three Ships Whisky Select, 5-Year-Old and 10-Year-Old 2007 Vintage.  Named Kasi Flame, Lemon Select, Pineapple Slinger, and Timeless 10, these are bound to roll off the tongue as naturally as local lingo like ‘naartjie’ and ‘saamie’. ‘

‘’Crafting an exceptional whisky takes time and skill,’’ he explains. ‘’That doesn’t mean making a great whisky Highball needs to be time-consuming or complicated. The Three Ships Whisky highball mixer recipes have been created to be fun and simple to make – using some of the finest local ingredients that can be found in the kitchen, garden or fridge in most of our homes.  The secret to making a world-class whisky highball is using an expertly distilled whisky for your base – and the Three Ships Whisky range meets all the credentials with a versatile range catering to different taste profiles.  Only an expert can create an award-winning whisky, but with the right mixer, anyone can make the perfect whisky highball.’’

The Three Ships Whisky Select is a high-quality, smooth-tasting blend of the finest malt and grain whiskies, distilled in both pot and column stills that have been left to mature for a minimum of 3 years. Add fiery ginger ale and naartjie and to create the refreshing Kasi Flame Highball.

If ginger ale is not for you, try the Pineapple Slinger Highball – a mouth-watering blend of the Three Ships Whisky 5-Year-Old served with a splash of pineapple-flavoured sparkling water, a slice of pineapple and a sprig of mint– the perfect drink for relaxing on the patio on those hazy summer days. The Timeless 10 is definitely for you if your palate leans towards the slightly exotic – served with the Three Ships Whisky 10-Year-Old and a splash of soda garnished with thinly sliced beetroot, it’s also bound to impress your guests.

Try your hand at one of the summer Highball mixers from Three Ships Whisky. It’s the perfect serve for a sociable sundowner or a refreshing pre-dinner drink – or simply to celebrate with family and friends during the special festive season occasions.

Kasi Flame

• 35-50ml Three Ships Whisky Select
• Top with ginger ale
• Garnish with a naartjie wedge

Lemon Select

• 35-50ml Three Ships Whisky Select
• Top with lemon flavoured sparkling water (or soda)
• Garnish with bashed Lemongrass

Pineapple Slinger

• 35-50ml Three Ships Whisky 5-Year-Old
• Top with pineapple flavoured water
• Garnish with a long slice of pineapple and a mint sprig

Timeless 10

• 35-50ml Three Ships Whisky 10-Year-Old
• Top with soda
• Garnish with thinly sliced beetroot

MORE ABOUT THREE SHIPS WHISKY

Three Ships Whisky flies the flag for the South African whisky industry and was the first local brand to experiment with new techniques and a new identity. Globally respected Master Distiller Andy Watts is recognized as the pioneer of whisky on the continent, and when many said that producing an exceptional whisky here in South Africa was not possible – with whisky traditionally coming from the cooler Northern Hemisphere countries – he refused to believe it. He knew that with enough determination, anything is possible – and went on to prove that we can be the exception. He believes that the great spirit of South Africa and all that she represents is what keeps our whisky flowing.

Just one more reason to support local.

Three Ships Whisky supports responsible drinking.  Alcohol Not for sale to Persons under the age of 18 years.