Japanese Highball and Chuhai: The Drinks Culture Behind Japanese Izakaya Nights

In a Japanese izakaya, the first thing a server asks after you sit down is usually "お飲み物は?" ("What are you drinking?"). The most common answer is one of three:

• Nama biru (生ビール, draft beer)
• Haibōru (ハイボール, whisky highball)
• Remon sawa (レモンサワー, lemon sour)

The Japanese highball is not a cocktail in the sense of multiple-ingredient complexity — it is whisky and carbonated water, served over ice, in a ratio and with a preparation technique that most Japanese bar and izakaya staff have been trained to follow precisely. The simplicity is not laziness; it reflects a Japanese approach to the drink as something that should be consistent, well-made, and appropriate for long meals.

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The Japanese Highball (Haibōru)

The Standard

The Japanese highball is almost universally made with:

• Suntory Kakubin (角瓶, "square bottle") blended Japanese whisky — the affordable Suntory blended whisky that has been marketed for highballs since the 1950s
• Wilkinson brand sparkling water (Tansansuī, 炭酸水) — a strongly carbonated mineral water that maintains its bubble structure better than less carbonated brands
• Ice — typically a single large piece or several full ice cubes (the aim is maximum cold, minimum dilution from melting)

The ratio: Approximately 1:4 or 1:5 (whisky to soda). Japanese highballs are intentionally weak — the drink is designed to accompany a full meal, not to get you drunk quickly. The lightness allows multiple glasses over several hours.

The Preparation Technique

The precise technique matters in Japan — served incorrectly, a highball loses the carbonation that defines it:

1. Chill the glass: Place the empty glass in the freezer briefly, or fill with ice and stir to cool, then discard that water
2. Add ice: Fill the glass completely with ice (more ice = slower dilution = better drink throughout the meal)
3. Add whisky: Pour whisky directly over the ice — approximately 40ml (a standard Japanese shot)
4. Stir the whisky: Stir gently 2–3 times with a long spoon to chill the whisky against the ice
5. Add soda, gently: Pour the soda water slowly down the side of the glass or over the back of the spoon to preserve carbonation
6. Do not stir: After adding soda, stir only once or twice (if at all) to prevent breaking bubbles
7. Garnish: Some versions add a slice of lemon

The key: Cold glass, lots of ice, good carbonation preserved by gentle pouring.

Why Kakubin?

Suntory's Kakubin was deliberately repositioned for the highball format starting in 2008 when Suntory launched a major marketing campaign encouraging izakayas to serve the drink. Before 2008, Japanese whisky consumption had been declining for decades; the highball campaign reversed this trend. Kakubin's character — mild, slightly sweet, with grain-forward flavors that don't fight the soda — is specifically suited to the highball format.

Premium Suntory products (Toki, Hibiki, Hakushu) are also sometimes ordered as highballs, though at higher price points. In practice, Kakubin accounts for the majority of Japanese highballs served.

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Chuhai (チューハイ) — The Shochu Highball

Chuhai is a contraction of shochu highball (チューハイ) — shochu (焼酎, Japanese distilled spirit) mixed with carbonated water and typically a fruit component. Chuhai is the beer-adjacent everyday drinking choice at izakayas and convenience stores.

Standard chuhai format:

• Shochu (typically white koji korui, a neutral-flavored column-distilled shochu)
• Carbonated water
• A citrus or fruit element

The major chuhai varieties:

Remon Sawa (レモンサワー, Lemon Sour)

The single most popular chuhai in Japan. Shochu + soda + fresh lemon juice (squeezed at the table or pre-added). Some versions include a small amount of lemon liqueur or lemon syrup; the highest quality izakayas squeeze fresh lemon to order.

Lemon sawa is acidic, refreshing, low-alcohol compared to beer, and ideal for greasy izakaya food — the acidity cuts fat in a way that beer doesn't. The surge in popularity of remon sawa senmon-ten (lemon sour specialist bars) in Tokyo starting around 2016 established it as a cultural phenomenon.

Remon sawa preparation (home):

• 50ml shochu (neutral flavor, like mugi barley or kome rice shochu at 25%)
• 150ml strongly carbonated water
• Juice of ½ fresh lemon (approximately 20ml)
• Option: a small amount of simple syrup for sweetness

Mix shochu and lemon juice first; pour over ice; top with soda water; stir once gently.

Grapefruit Sour (グレープフルーツサワー)

Same format as lemon sawa but with grapefruit juice. More bitter, less acidic than lemon. Common at izakayas that squeeze fresh fruit to order.

Oolong Hai (ウーロンハイ)

Shochu + oolong tea (no carbonated water in some versions; others use carbonated oolong). The tannins of the oolong combine with shochu to create an earthy, mildly bitter drink. The standard non-citrus chuhai; popular with older customers.

Cassis Orange (カシスオレンジ)

Cassis (black currant) liqueur + orange juice — not strictly shochu-based but served in the same context at izakayas; popular with younger customers new to bar drinking.

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Canned Chuhai

Japan's convenience store and supermarket canned chuhai is one of the most elaborate categories of packaged alcohol globally. Kirin Hyoketsu, Suntory Strong Zero, Asahi SLAT, and dozens of regional brands produce canned chuhai at 3–9% ABV with dozens of fruit flavor variations.

Suntory Strong Zero (ストロングゼロ): The notorious convenience store canned chuhai at 9% ABV — inexpensive, extremely popular, and infamous for its effectiveness. A single 500ml can at 9% is approximately 3.5 standard drinks. Japanese internet culture has many stories about the Strong Zero.

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The Izakaya Drink Order

At a Japanese izakaya, the drink ordering sequence follows a rough cultural pattern:

First order: Almost always a beer (toriaezu biru, "beer for now" — the Japanese phrase meaning "I don't know yet but I'll start with a beer")

Through the meal: Highball or lemon sawa — appropriate for long meals, food-friendly, not too strong

Late in the evening: Shochu straight (mizu wari, diluted with water, or oyuwari, diluted with hot water) — the more serious drinking option for late-session conversation

End of meal: Sometimes a final beer or a non-alcoholic option (oolong tea, barley tea)

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Making a Japanese Highball at Home

You don't need Kakubin specifically — any mild blended Japanese whisky works. The critical element is the soda water: use the most strongly carbonated sparkling water you can find (Topo Chico, San Pellegrino, Fever Tree) poured gently. The carbonation is half of what makes a highball a highball rather than whisky that's been diluted.

The ratio to remember: One part whisky; four to five parts soda. Ice in a chilled glass. Stir the whisky before adding soda; don't stir after. Done.

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Related reading: Japanese Whisky Guide | Shochu Guide | What Is an Izakaya: Japanese Pub Food Guide