Riff on a Classic - The Mexican Highball

The Mexican Highball

Beverage Director Maxwell Reis Uses the Japanese Highball Philosophy with Agave Spirits

Maxwell Reis of SoCal’s Gracias Madre has a deep-rooted love for agave spirits—building his drink program around agave and actively supporting its ethical harvesting practices. His innovative beverage program includes using a Japanese Highball Machine to create a unique spin on this popular drink typically made with whiskey.

For those who might not be familiar with the Japanese Highball philosophy, it’s a technique that focuses on lengthening a spirit by precisely building and pairing carbonated water and aromatics. This allows the spirit to be lengthened, exposing its nuances, and creating a deeper exploration into its complexities.

“The whole Japanese Highball thing is very ritualistic. Stirring the alcohol on ice exactly 13 times clockwise before building the rest of the drink.”

-MAXWELL REIS

The bar team at Gracias Madre uses the Highball Machine to chill and mix alcohol and soda concoctions at set proportions. Then they elevate the flavor of the cocktail further by curating garnishes and custom pairings. For instance, their traditional Highball custom pairing includes a Mezcal Highball garnished with cucumber ribbon, or a Reposado Highball garnished with floating coffee beans.

“Highballs exist in many forms,” explains Reis. “Essentially, you’re lengthening a spirit by adding other liquid, lowering the ABV. Then by pairing it with complementing aromatics, you experience subtle nuances without a high alcohol content obscuring them. The whole Japanese Highball thing is very ritualistic. Stirring the alcohol on ice exactly 13 times clockwise before building the rest of the drink. We are implementing this same philosophy to high-end agave spirits. Lengthening them and pairing them with garnishes, we think, accentuate their finer qualities.”