Balance!

I'm learning so much from doing this blog. For instance, I thought daiquiris were those slushy, stupidly strong beverages you get on Fremont Street and at New Orleans drive-thrus and movie theaters. I didn't know it was actually a cocktail. And I had no idea what a fuzzy navel was, or that it could throw me for such a loop.

So we come to the highball. I thought highball was just a generic term for a mixed drink, but lo and behold, it's a tasty bourbon beverage! It's also a delicate drink, requiring both good ingredients and good mixology.

I used Vernon's ginger ale, mostly because the bottles made it look fancy. After some experimentation, I worked out a formula — three cubes of ice, one shot of bourbon, pour ginger ale over the rest. This produced a very tasty highball where the ale and the bourbon set each other off perfectly. It also, though, sometimes produced a weak, sugary drink. The ginger ale measurement needs to be more precise. At least I won't mind practicing on this one.

Manly or girly? Not quite manly. It's a guy's drink.
Appearance: Slightly darker than a bourbon and seven
Consistency: Fizzy
Taste: When done right, the ginger ale takes off just a bit of the bourbon bite
Stomach acceptance: No problemo
Good drink for: Mingling on the veranda, wedding receptions
Hangover factor: Moderate
Would I actually order this in public? I don't know. I'd feel a little funny ordering anything with ginger ale in it.