The Rapscallion Highball
LET'S START WITH A SNEAKY DROP OF BACKGROUND
There are people that say you should drink your whisky neat. Start experimenting with whisky and you'll very quickly get all sorts of opinions thrown at you about what you can and can not do in your bid to enjoy your drop.
There are a myriad of opinions out there... and gatekeepers aiming to prevent you from 'wasting' liquid gold by enjoying it the 'wrong way'.
IS IT OKAY TO ADD SOMETHING TO YOUR WHISKY?
We probably won’t have much luck convincing those people to add a little bit of this or that to their dram - and that’s okay. Who are we to dictate how people drink?! But that’s the point - lots of people think they’re not doing it right if they don’t drink it neat - and that’s what we need to fix. Equally- if people want to drink their whisky neat - that's fine too! We're not advocating one way or another - we're advocating freedom, and a culture of open mindedness.
So we'll say it once...
There are no rules - drink your whisky however you like it. It’s your experience to create.
MIXING IT UP
We're fortunate to have spent some years travelling the world drinking whisky in a variety of places. And one thing we learnt in that time was that being open minded to enjoying whisky in unfamiliar or new ways invariably leads to good experiences. Some of them were the experiences engaging in someone else's culture created outside the glass - others were positive surprises within the glass. That, in our opinion is the magic of whisky - the balance of those two connected worlds. Neither in isolation.
THE JOYS OF COMPLEXITY
Whisky is a complex drink, which means it’s got a lot to offer a mixed drinks. Opening up a range of flavours and textures via mixers, rituals or serve ideas is an incredibly useful way to discover new flavours and experience within even the most familiar of whiskies.
The global success of the G&T shows the world is thirsty for taller, lighter and brighter drinks. Progressive whisky brands have embraced the highball once more. Adding soda, or other mixers allow whiskies complexity to shine through in a different way. When you play with the variables available within highballs there’s no limit to creativity.
WOVEN X RAPSCALLION: THE RAPSCALLION HIGHBALL #1
Rapscallion started punting handmade soft drinks down an alleyway in Glasgow back in 2016. Their goal was simple: make the best tasting drinks possible without using artificial ingredients. From a railway arch in Glasgow (more reminiscent of a scientific lab than a brewery) they’re changing the face of Soda’s in Scotland meeting the emerging needs of a new generation of soda drinker who is actively seeking out low-sugar, well-crafted, alternatives to mass-produced sugar-laden brands.
Who better then for us to partner with around a highball serve?
This serve came about as we were road testing the whiskies that comprised Collection #2.
Experience N.8 Pete vs Peat is a smoky gem of a blend. Layers of smokiness drifting together to create an overall profile that is obviously peat smoke, but a subtle, welcoming and measured approach. When paired with the Burnt lemon soda from Rapscallion - the experience is a bright, lively, delicious affair. Feels naughty, but it's not. we assure you.
We love this soda - and when you read the lengths they go to to produce it using raw ingredients, blowtorches and a whole lot of passion squeezed into every can - you can see that this highball quickly becomes more than the sum of its parts.
RECIPE
50ml Woven Experience N.8
150ml Rapscallion Burnt Lemon Soda
METHOD
In a highball glass filled with ice, combine ingredients, give a quick churn to mix -and garnish with a slice of lemon if you have it - no worries if not. Rapscallion uses fresh ingredients so doesn’t need the lift a garnish normally gives.
Enjoy!