The Story Behind The Johnnie Walker Harvest Highball

Light, refreshing, and as sessionable as it gets when drinking spirits, the classic highball offers a great way to savor whisky during the warmer months. It’s also a surprisingly complex-tasting cocktail, with the fizzy water amplifying the spirit’s aromas and coaxing out fresh fruit flavors.

But the highball needn’t be reserved only for summer. As the seasons start to turn, consider a twist that also celebrates nature’s bounty: the Harvest Apple Highball.

By adding a homemade Granny Smith apple syrup — or a splash of apple cider in a pinch — this seasonal twist honors fall and harvest season while boosting the cocktail’s flavor. Of course, you’ll want a whisky that’s also fit for the occasion. With green apple one of the foundational flavors and aromas found in Johnnie Walker Black, the two are a natural fit.

Find out how to make the Harvest Apple Highball in the video below.

This article is part of a series, Art of the Riff, sponsored by Johnnie Walker. Discover more about Scotch cocktails here!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces Johnnie Walker Black
  • 1 ounce Granny Smith apple syrup or make your own (recipe below)
  • Top with soda water
  • Garnish: green apple slice

Directions

  1. In a highball glass add Scotch and Granny Smith Apple syrup.
  2. Add ice and stir.
  3. Top with soda water.
  4. Garnish with a thin slice of Granny Smith apple.

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Yield: 1
Updated: 2024-09-19

Granny Smith Apple Syrup Ingredients

  • 2 Granny Smith apples
  • 1/2 cup simple syrup

Granny Smith Apple Syrup Directions

  1. Slice two Granny Smith apples, peels on.
  2. Add to a food processor and puree with half a cup of simple syrup.
  3. Let sit for 15 minutes.
  4. Strain the solids from the liquid.
  5. This will keep in the fridge for up to one week.

Johnnie Walker Harvest Highball Recipe Video