Highball
10-14 ozTall, straight-sided glass built for spirit-and-mixer drinks where carbonation and ice are the point.
History
Origin
The highball glass takes its name from the highball cocktail, which originated in the late 19th century. The term "highball" itself likely comes from railroad signal terminology — a raised ball on a signal pole meant "proceed at full speed." The drink (spirit + carbonated mixer + ice in a tall glass) became an American bar staple by the 1890s. The glass was simply the vessel that made sense for the proportions.
Evolution
Japanese highball culture, particularly the Suntory Whisky Highball popularized by Suntory in the 1950s, refined the glass into a precise instrument. Japanese bars serve highballs in thin-walled, straight-sided glasses that are pre-chilled, with precisely measured ratios and directionally stirred carbonation. This tradition influenced the global resurgence of highball culture in the 2010s.
Why This Shape
The tall, narrow cylinder preserves carbonation by minimizing the liquid surface area exposed to air. The straight sides allow ice to stack vertically, keeping the drink cold from top to bottom. The height creates visual appeal — the column of bubbles rising through the drink is part of the presentation. Narrower than a Collins, the highball concentrates flavor.
Fun Fact
At Suntory's Yamazaki distillery bar, highball glasses are stored in the freezer at -2°C. The glass is so cold that condensation freezes on contact, creating a frost layer. They stir exactly 13.5 times — always in one direction — to avoid breaking the carbonation.
Best For
Substitutes
Bartender's Tip
Narrower than a Collins and shorter — keeps the drink colder by reducing surface area. If a recipe says Collins, a highball works and vice versa.
Drinks Served in This Glass(236)
110 in the shade
Built · Tequila
1941
Built · Bourbon, Gin
1941 (Suffering Bastard)
Shaken · Gin, Brandy
3-Mile Long Island Iced Tea
Shaken · Gin, Rum, Tequila, Triple Sec, Vodka
A Day at the Beach
Shaken · Amaretto, Rum
A Gilligan's Island
Shaken · Vodka
A Night In Old Mandalay
Shaken · Rum, Tequila
A Splash of Nash
Shaken · Bourbon
Abilene
Built · Rum
Absolut Evergreen
Shaken · Midori, Vodka
Absolut limousine
Built · Vodka
Absolut Sex
Shaken · Midori, Vodka
Absolut Summertime
Built · Vodka
Absolutely Cranberry Smash
Shaken · Vodka
Absolutly Screwed Up
Shaken · Triple Sec, Vodka
Adam Sunrise
Built · Vodka
Addington
Built · Dry Vermouth, Sweet Vermouth
Aegean Symphony
Built · Vodka
Affair
Shaken · None (NA)
After sex
Shaken · Vodka
Afterglow
Shaken · None (NA)
Alabama Slammer
Shaken · Amaretto, Gin
Amaretto fizz
Shaken · Amaretto
Amaretto Rose
Built · Amaretto
Amaretto Sunrise
Built · Amaretto
Amaretto Sunset
Built · Amaretto
Apello
Shaken · None (NA)
Apple Grande
Shaken · Vodka
Apple Highball
Built · Bourbon
Apple Karate
Built · Vodka
Apricot punch
Built · Brandy
Archbishop
Shaken · Gin
Arnold Palmer
Shaken · None (NA)
AT&T
Built · Gin, Vodka
Atlantic Sun
Shaken · Vodka
Atomic Lokade
Built · Triple Sec, Vodka
Autumn Garibaldi
Built · Campari
Avalon
Shaken · Vodka
Aztec Punch
Built · Tequila
Batanga
Built · Tequila
Beetroot Sumac Swizzle
Built · Gin
Bermuda Highball
Built · Brandy, Dry Vermouth, Gin
Black & Tan
Built · None (NA)
Black and Brown
Built · Kahlúa
Bleeding Surgeon
Built · Bourbon, Vodka
Bloody Maria
Built · Tequila
Blue Lagoon
Built · Vodka
Blueberry Mojito
Built · Rum
Botanical Greyhound
Shaken · Gin
Bourbon Rickey
Built · Bourbon
Bourbon Sling
Built · Bourbon
Brandon and Will's Coke Float
Built · Bourbon
Buccaneer
Built · Rum
California Lemonade
Shaken · Vodka
California Root Beer
Built · Galliano, Kahlúa
Campari Beer
Built · Campari
Cape Cod
Shaken · Vodka
Caribbean Boilermaker
Built · Rum
Cherry Electric Lemonade
Built · Triple Sec, Vodka
Chicago Fizz
Shaken · Rum, Sherry
Chilcano
Shaken · Pisco
Chocolate Milk
Built · None (NA)
Citrus Coke
Built · None (NA)
Cocktail Horse’s Neck
Built · Brandy
Coke and Drops
Built · None (NA)
Cranberry Punch
Built · None (NA)
Cream Soda
Built · None (NA)
Cuba Libre
Built · Rum
Dark 'n Stormy
Built · Rum
Day Old Blues
Built · Triple Sec, Vodka
Diesel
Built · None (NA)
Dirty Shirley
Shaken · Vodka
Downshift
Built · None (NA)
Dragonfly
Built · Gin
Egg Cream
Built · None (NA)
El Diablo
Shaken · Tequila
English Highball
Built · Brandy, Gin, Sweet Vermouth
Espresso Tonic
Built · None (NA)
Fernet & Coke
Shaken · None (NA)
Flaming Dr. Pepper
Built · Amaretto, Rum
Flander's Flake-Out
Built · None (NA)
Fluffy Duck
Shaken · Vodka
Fluffy Garibaldi
Built · None (NA)
Fruit Cooler
Built · None (NA)
Fruit Flip-Flop
Shaken · None (NA)
Garden & Tonic
Built · Gin
Garibaldi
Built · None (NA)
GG
Built · Galliano
Gideon's Green Dinosaur
Shaken · Gin, Midori, Rum, Tequila, Triple Sec, Vodka
Gin & Tonic
Built · Gin
Gin and Soda
Built · Gin
Gin And Tonic
Built · Gin
Gin Cooler
Built · Gin
Gin Daisy
Shaken · Gin
Gin Fizz
Shaken · Gin
Gin Lemon
Built · Gin
Gin Rickey
Built · Gin
Gin Sling
Shaken · Gin, Sweet Vermouth
Gin Squirt
Built · Gin
Gin Swizzle
Built · Gin
Gin-Gin Mule
Shaken · Gin
Green Go-Go
Shaken · Midori, Vodka
Green Goblin
Built · Triple Sec
Greyhound
Built · Vodka
Gunner
Built · None (NA)
Halloween Punch
Built · Vodka
Happy Skipper
Built · Rum
Harvey Wallbanger
Shaken · Vodka
Highball (Whiskey)
Built · Bourbon
Holy Basil & Salt Highball
Built · Gin
Horse's Neck
Built · Bourbon
Hunter's Moon
Shaken · Campari, Vodka
Ice Pick
Built · Vodka
Iced Coffee
Built · None (NA)
Iced Coffee Fillip
Built · Kahlúa
Imperial Fizz
Shaken · Rum, Rye
Ipamena
Built · None (NA)
Irish Curdling Cow
Built · Baileys, Vodka
Irish Russian
Built · Kahlúa, Vodka
Jack's Vanilla Coke
Built · None (NA)
Jamaican Rum Punch
Built · Rum
Japanese Fizz
Shaken · Bourbon, Sherry
Jitterbug
Shaken · Gin, Vodka
Kalimotxo
Shaken · None (NA)
Kentucky Buck
Shaken · Bourbon
Kiss me Quick
Built · Cointreau
Kiwi Lemon
Built · None (NA)
L-Theanine Zen Fizz
Shaken · Gin
Lady Love Fizz
Shaken · Gin
Lazy Coconut Paloma
Shaken · Tequila
Lemon, Lime & Bitters
Shaken · None (NA)
Lemouroudji
Built · None (NA)
Limeade
Built · None (NA)
Limona Corona
Built · None (NA)
Long Island Tea
Shaken · Gin, Rum, Tequila, Triple Sec, Vodka
Long vodka
Built · Vodka
Lunch Box
Built · Amaretto
Madras
Shaken · Vodka
Malibu Twister
Shaken · Rum
Mamie Taylor
Shaken · Scotch
Mango Mojito
Built · Rum
Mauresque
Built · Absinthe
Michelada
Built · None (NA)
Mississippi Planters Punch
Shaken · Bourbon, Brandy, Rum
Mojito
Muddled · Rum
Mojito Extra
Built · Rum
Monkey Wrench
Built · Rum
National Aquarium
Shaken · Gin, Rum, Triple Sec, Vodka
New York Lemonade
Shaken · Grand Marnier, Vodka
Non-Alc G&T
Shaken · None (NA)
Orange Crush
Built · Triple Sec, Vodka
Orange Oasis
Built · Brandy, Gin
Orange Push-up
Shaken · Triple Sec, Vodka
Orange Rosemary Collins
Shaken · Gin
Orange Whip
Shaken · Rum, Vodka
Orangeade
Built · None (NA)
Owen's Grandmother's Revenge
Built · Kahlúa, Vodka
Paloma
Built · Tequila
Pimm's Cup
Shaken · None (NA)
Pineapple Paloma
Built · Tequila
Pineapple Turmeric Shrub
Built · None (NA)
Pink Panty Pulldowns
Built · Vodka
Pink Penocha
Built · Vodka
Popped cherry
Shaken · Vodka
Presbyterian
Built · Scotch
Pure Passion
Shaken · Vodka
Pysch Vitamin Light
Shaken · None (NA)
Quick-sand
Shaken · None (NA)
Radioactive Long Island Iced Tea
Shaken · Gin, Midori, Rum, Tequila, Triple Sec, Vodka
Radler
Built · None (NA)
Rail Splitter
Built · None (NA)
Ranch Water
Built · Tequila
Ranch Water (Authentic)
Built · Tequila
Raspberry Cooler
Built · Vodka
Rebujito
Shaken · None (NA)
Red Snapper
Built · Gin
Rickey (Gin/Lime)
Built · Gin
Roy Rogers
Shaken · None (NA)
Royal Gin Fizz
Shaken · Gin
Rum Cooler
Built · Rum
Rum Rickey
Built · Rum
Rum Screwdriver
Built · Rum
Salted Plum & Ginger Soda
Built · None (NA)
Salty Dog
Built · Vodka
San Francisco
Shaken · Vodka
Scarlet Collins
Shaken · Gin
Screwdriver
Built · Vodka
Sea Breeze
Built · Vodka
Sex On The Beach
Shaken · Vodka
Shark Attack
Built · Triple Sec, Vodka
Snake Bite (UK)
Built · None (NA)
Snakebite and Black
Built · None (NA)
Snowball
Built · None (NA)
Space Odyssey
Shaken · Rum, Vodka
Spiced Peach Punch
Built · Bourbon
Strawberry Lemonade
Blended · None (NA)
Strawberry Shivers
Blended · None (NA)
Suffering Bastard
Shaken · Bourbon, Gin
Sunny Holiday Punch
Built · None (NA)
Surf City Lifesaver
Shaken · Triple Sec, Vodka
Teal 13
Shaken · Rum, Triple Sec, Vodka
Tequila Fizz
Shaken · Tequila
Tequila Soda
Built · Tequila
Tequila Sunrise
Shaken · Tequila
Thai Iced Coffee
Built · None (NA)
Thai Iced Tea
Built · None (NA)
The Chilton
Built · Vodka
The Chilton (Lubbock/Austin)
Shaken · Vodka
The Laverstoke
Shaken · Gin
Tomato Tang
Built · None (NA)
Umami Mary
Built · Vodka
Vampiro
Shaken · Tequila
Vermouth & Soda
Built · None (NA)
Vermouth Cassis
Built · Dry Vermouth
Victory Collins
Shaken · Vodka
Vida Rica
Built · Tequila
Vodka And Tonic
Built · Vodka
Vodka Fizz
Shaken · Vodka
Vodka Lemon
Built · Vodka
Vodka Rickey
Built · Vodka
Vodka Russian
Built · Vodka
Vodka Slime
Built · Vodka
Vodka Soda
Built · Vodka
Vodka Tonic
Built · Vodka
Waikiki Beachcomber
Shaken · Triple Sec, Vodka
Whiskey Highball
Built · Bourbon
Wind
Shaken · Rum, Triple Sec, Vodka
Winter Paloma
Built · Tequila
Woo Woo
Shaken · Vodka
Zambeer
Built · None (NA)
Zenmeister
Built · None (NA)
Ziemes Martini Apfelsaft
Built · Dry Vermouth
Zinger
Built · Vodka
Zippy's Revenge
Shaken · Vodka
Zizi Coin-coin
Built · Cointreau
Zoksel
Built · None (NA)