MANILA, Philippines — We Filipinos are the most merrymaking bunch during the holiday season. Christmas parties, holiday feasts, tree lightings, Secret Santas and every other version of gift exchanging—you name it, we’re doing it as soon as the ber months start.
All these occasions to gather and celebrate are also some of the best times to share a good, cold drink. One such drink that can take holiday celebrations to a whole ‘nother level among family and friends is the Jim Beam Highball.
The classic highball is made by mixing Jim Beam with soda water, ice, and lemon. The result is a light and refreshing drink that can be enjoyed by itself or paired with flavorful Filipino holiday dishes.
Making your own Jim Beam Highball is a cinch but if you want to stretch your options beyond the classic, here are other recipes you can try to switch things up this season:
1. Apple Cinnamon
The Apple Cinnamon Highball is one easy recipe that’s just a bit sweet, just a bit spicy but still has that distinct citrusy and bourbon-y taste of a highball.
To make it, chill your glass, soda water and Jim Beam. Then muddle four slices of red apple in the highball glass, pour 10ml lemon juice and 15 ml cinnamon syrup. Fill the glass with ice, add 30ml Jim Beam and top it up with 120ml soda water. Stir gently once and it’s ready for serving.
2. Frozen Fruit
While ice will dilute your drink, the frozen fruits will enhance its flavor. For this recipe, pour 10ml lemon juice into a chilled glass with six to eight ice cube-sized pieces of frozen fruits. Then add 1 part Jim Beam (30ml) and 4 parts soda water (120ml). Stir gently once, and sip away!
3. Matcha
For green tea lovers, the Matcha Highball just hits the spot perfectly. Combining flavorful tea with the taste of bourbon may be odd to some, but once you get a sip of this tried and tested concoction, you’ll definitely be asking for more.
Just pour 10ml lemon juice and 15ml matcha syrup into a chilled glass. Put ice, then add 30 ml Jim Beam and 120ml soda water. Stir once gently and you’re good to go. Matcha waiting for?
4. Mango Spice
The tropical flavor of mango combined with bourbon will definitely take your senses to the beach—perhaps in a luau party or an idyllic sunset of recent memory.
Pour 30ml mango puree, 10ml spice syrup and 10ml lemon juice into your chilled highball glass. Fill it with ice and add 30ml Jim Beam and 120 ml soda water. Stir once gently, get on a hammock and chill.
5. Calamansi Pandan
This highball recipe hits closest to home as Filipinos are avid fans of pandan and its aroma and the incomparable tanginess of calamansi.
To bring this recipe to life, pour 20ml of calamansi and 15ml of pandan syrup into a chilled glass and fill it with ice. Add 30ml Jim Beam and 120ml soda water. Don’t forget to stir the concoction gently. Then see how asim-ple recipe goes a long way!
The season of sharing
Sharing Jim Beam Highballs can make the holidays more festive, more fun, and more enjoyable—and just in time for the season, the brand is introducing a limited-edition Jim Beam tin pack. It’s perfect for mixing highballs for all your friends and family!
This package comes with two 1L bottles of Jim Beam, a tin that doubles as an ice bucket, and a lid that can be used as a garnish tray—ideal for all your get-togethers in the Yuletide and beyond.
Beam Suntory senior marketing manager for Southeast Asia Sally Lim expressed her excitement for Jim Beam being part of the holiday celebration in the country.
“We’re always excited to be part of the holiday celebration in Manila. It’s the most widely celebrated season of the year that starts as early as September and stretches to January of next year and we think that’s one of a kind! That’s why we brought here the perfect gift for your friends and family,” she said.
The limited-edition Jim Beam tin pack is available in all S&R stores for only P1,438. You can also get it online along with other Beam Suntory products via their official Lazada shop.
For more information, visit the official Jim Beam Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/jimbeamhighballph/ or follow them on Instagram: @jimbeamhighballph. — WITH GERALD DIZON