Mojito
50 ml White rum, 25 ml Lime juice, 15 ml Simple syrup, 8 leaves Mint, 50 ml Soda water, 1 Mint sprig
The highball
The tall, narrow tumbler that made the long drink possible.
About 250 ml, with a Collins glass nearer 350 to 400 ml
35 cocktails here
Where it comes from
The drink name is documented from the 1890s - a play in 1894, a recipe in 1895 - and where the word came from is not settled. The explanation everybody repeats is the railway one: a signal ball raised high meaning clear track, by analogy a tall glass and a train of refreshment. It is a good story and it is still only a story; no source has pinned it down. Treat it as the sort of thing a bar tells you.
The shape's job, on the other hand, is not in doubt. A tall, narrow glass holds a great deal of ice with comparatively little drink touching it, so the drink stays cold and the bubbles stay in it, and the length of it is what makes a spirit and a mixer into something you can drink for an hour. A Collins glass is the same idea with more room, and most bars use the two interchangeably.
What to look for
Straight sides and no taper, so a spoon or a straw reaches the bottom. The base is worth paying for if the drink is built in the glass.
Served in a highball
All cocktails →
Paloma
50 ml Tequila blanco, 60 ml Grapefruit juice, 15 ml Lime juice, 10 ml Simple syrup, 60 ml Soda water, 1 pinch Salt
Espresso Tonic
30 ml Espresso, 150 ml Tonic water, 10 ml Simple syrup, 1 Orange twist
Virgin Mojito
25 ml Lime juice, 20 ml Simple syrup, 10 leaves Mint, 140 ml Soda water, 1 Mint sprig
Dark 'n' Stormy
60 ml Dark rum, 100 ml Ginger beer, 10 ml Lime juice, 1 Lime wedge
Peach Iced Tea
120 ml Iced tea, 40 ml Peach purée, 10 ml Lemon juice, 10 ml Simple syrup, 1 slice Peach, 1 Mint sprig
Tom Collins
50 ml Gin, 25 ml Lemon juice, 15 ml Simple syrup, 100 ml Soda water, 1 Lemon twist
Dr Pimpers
50 ml Pimm's No. 1, 150 ml Dr Pepper, 5 ml Lime juice, 1 Cucumber ribbon, 1 Orange slice
Pimm's Cup
50 ml Pimm's No. 1, 150 ml Lemonade, 1 slice Cucumber, 1 Strawberry, 1 slice Orange, 1 Mint sprig
Lemon, Lime and Bitters
150 ml Lemonade, 20 ml Lime juice, 4 dashes Angostura bitters, 1 Lime wedge
Watermelon Cooler
200 g Watermelon, 20 ml Lime juice, 10 ml Simple syrup, 6 leaves Mint, 60 ml Soda water, 1 Lime wedge
Cucumber Cooler
4 slices Cucumber, 15 ml Lime juice, 25 ml Elderflower cordial, 120 ml Soda water, 1 Cucumber ribbon
Bloody Mary
50 ml Vodka, 120 ml Tomato juice, 15 ml Lemon juice, 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce, 2 dashes Tabasco, 1 pinch Celery salt, 1 pinch Black pepper, 1 Celery stick
Virgin Mary
150 ml Tomato juice, 15 ml Lemon juice, 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce, 2 dashes Tabasco, 1 pinch Celery salt, 1 pinch Black pepper, 1 Celery stick
Garibaldi
45 ml Campari, 120 ml Orange juice, 1 wedge Orange
Whiskey Highball
45 ml Scotch whisky, 135 ml Soda water, 1 Lemon twist
Cranberry Fizz
120 ml Cranberry juice, 15 ml Lemon juice, 10 ml Simple syrup, 80 ml Soda water, 1 wheel Lime
Planter's Punch
60 ml Dark rum, 30 ml Orange juice, 30 ml Pineapple juice, 15 ml Lemon juice, 10 ml Grenadine, 10 ml Simple syrup, 3 dashes Angostura bitters, 1 pinch Nutmeg
Apple Ginger Rickey
90 ml Apple juice, 90 ml Ginger beer, 20 ml Lime juice, 1 Lime wedge
Sex on the Beach
40 ml Vodka, 20 ml Peach schnapps, 40 ml Orange juice, 40 ml Cranberry juice, 1 Orange slice