The Quiet Art of Elevation: Introducing Woven Highball Drops

THE QUIET ART OF ELEVATION

INTRODUCING WOVEN HIGHBALL DROPS

The beauty of the highball lies in its paradox: a simple serve that reveals surprising complexity. It’s a drink built on a balance between spirit and mixer, strength and dilution. Simplicity and depth.

Over the years, the highball has travelled. From their invention in England, Highballs hit their stride in American bar culture - think Whisky and Soda Mamie Taylor, or the ever-enduring Jack and Coke… to its refined evolution in Japan, where bars redefined it with obsessive clarity and minimalism. Now, the highball is in a new chapter: shaped by modern bartenders, enriched by global techniques, and alive with possibility.

We believe that great bars are modern-day theatres. That the anticipation of a drink - the clink, the pour, the silence before the sip- matters. And we believe the highball deserves to be treated with the same attention as any other classic.

That’s why we made Woven Highball Drops.

WHAT ARE HIGHBALL DROPS?

Woven Highball Drops are a quiet tool for bartenders. Developed in collaboration with our friends at Crucible, they’re blends of specific sugars, acids and minerals designed to fine-tune highballs.

They don’t add flavour in the traditional sense. Instead, they work with the drink—subtly lifting, rounding, or brightening what’s already there. Like an Instagram filter for flavour. Their purpose is simple: to help balance a highball and give it that extra 5% clarity. Nothing more. Nothing flashy.

Each blend is tailored to a different style of highball. Think of them as silent partners: invisible but impactful.

WHY DROPS? WHY NOW?

We’ve watched as bars have pushed classics into new territory. Syrups, tinctures, bitters, ferments, clarified juices - the skill level behind modern bars is remarkable.

At the same time, the at-home drinks boom has made it easier than ever to serve decent drinks outside the trade. We call it the Fever-Tree Effect - when even the average G&T at home rivals what you'd once expect in a pub.

So how do bars continue to raise the bar? The answer, we believe, is detail.

And Woven Highball Drops are just one small contribution toward that pursuit. A nod to the quiet work bartenders do every day to lift the expected into something memorable.

THE BLENDS

Each of the three Highball Drops blends is designed to amplify a style of highball, without overwhelming the serve. Use them sparingly. Let them whisper, not shout.

#1: CITRUS LIFT

Adds fresh lift and brightness. Enhances zestiness.

Best for:
• Highballs with citrus or floral notes
• Elderflower, grapefruit, yuzu, tropical pairings

Too much?
• You’ll get metallic notes or an overly sharp finish.

What’s inside?
• Water, Sucrose, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Minerals, Neutral Grain Spirit
16.26% ABV

#2: FRUIT FORWARD

Adds ripe, rounded sweetness. Enhances juiciness and mouthfeel.

Best for:
•Stone fruits, berries, orchard fruits
•Juicy whisky profiles

Too much?
•The whisky might disappear under cloying sweetness.

What’s inside?
 •Water, Fructose, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Minerals, Neutral Grain Spirit
16.26% ABV

#3: MELLOW

Adds creamy depth. Smooths sharp edges and rounds the mouthfeel.

Best for:
• Nutty, malty, or herbal profiles
• Textural serves with grain or malt focus

Too much?
• You’ll start to lose liveliness or introduce a dull, yeasty note.

What’s inside?
 • Water, Maltose, Lactic Acid, Potassium Tartrates, Minerals, Neutral Grain Spirit
16.22% ABV

NOT A SHORTCUT. NOT A HEADLINE. 

Highball Drops aren’t a cheat code. They don’t replace proper technique, good ingredients, or thoughtful execution. They’re a quiet tool to add to your arsenal. A way to nudge a serve forward.

We’ve always said flavour follows texture. That’s as true in blending whisky as it is behind the bar. These drops are built on that principle - the idea that the physical structure of a drink can shape the way it tastes.

We’ve been on the receiving end of countless incredible serves, in venues small and grand, from drinks that felt simple but tasted unforgettable. Our hope is that these drops might help our Highball partner bars create more of those moments. 

HOW TO USE

Dosage:
For a standard 1:3 highball (40ml spirit / 120ml mixer):
Use ~2.5ml of drops (about two half-pipettes) directly into the drink before stirring.

Best Practices:
✓ Stir gently after adding
✓ Use chilled glassware and fresh ice
  ✓ Taste-test - Subtlety is key
✓ Store sealed and upright in a cool, dark place

Fancy a Highball Drop Kit of your own?

If you're one of our bar partners, we’d be happy to send one your way.

Thinking they should be available online too? Let us know. Email at hello@wovenwhisky.com or drop us a DM on Instagram @wovenwhisky.