Wenneker Swizzle Masters Japanese Whisky Highball finalists

This month’s Wenneker Swizzle Masters heat challenged bartenders from around the world to put their own twist on the classic Japanese Whisky Highball.

Bartender Alex Dos Santos was tasked with recreating each recipe to the letter

For round seven of The Wenneker Swizzle Masters, bartenders were tasked with using Japanese brand Nikka From The Barrel in their serves and to recreate the classic with their own signature twist – using at least a dash of Wenneker Liqueurs.

Judges gathered at East London haunt NT’s, where bartender Alex Dos Santos crafted the top selected recipes to the exact specifications. Ciaran Duffy, general manager at The Sun Tavern; Stuart Binks, owner of The Victory Mansion; Martine Chantiam, head of accounting at Background Bars; James Leggett, operations manager at Background Bars; and Kristiane Sherry, editor of The Spirits Business, were charged with tasting the shortlisted recipes.

The results of this heat will be published in the August 2016 edition of The Spirits Business magazine.

Think your cocktails are up to scratch? The deadline for the next heat, Art Deco Cognac, is on 18 August. Enter online now at www.swizzlemasters.com.

Click through the following pages to view finalists’ recipes in the Japanese Highball Twist heat of The Wenneker Swizzle Masters 2016. 

Mind Explosion

Ingredients
50ml Nikka From The Barrel, 20ml Wenneker Lychee, 10ml fresh lemon juice, dash of club soda
Garnish
Lychee
Method
Shake all the ingredients (except soda water) with lots of ice. Serve into the glass and top with soda water
Glassware
Chilled Martini glass

Lost Pagoda Highball

Ingredients
40ml Nikka From The Barrel, 15ml Wenneker Ginger, 15ml Wenneker Vanilla, 15ml Wenneker Elderflower, 20ml fresh lime juice, 40ml tonic, high quality club soda to top
Garnish
Three slices of lemon
Method
Incorporate all the ingredients except the tonic and soda water into a pre-chilled highball glass and slightly stir. Add 2-3 good quality ice cubes and stir ten times before adding more ice cubes. Pour the tonic water down the side of the glass and stir gently. Top with soda water. Once the soda water is added, there is no need to stir too much – a simple half turn with bar spoon is enough
Glassware
Highball

The Portfolio

Ingredients
50ml Nikka From The Barrel, 25ml Wenneker Caribbean Coconut, 100ml fresh grapefruit juice
Method
Shake well and serve

Karaoke Highball

Ingredients
45ml Nikka From The Barrel, 15ml Wenneker Apricot, 15ml Rose’s Lime Juice, barspoon Monin Vanilla, dash Bobs Orange and Mandarin Bitters
90ml Matcha soda (MOTTO Sparkling Matcha Tea)
Garnish
Ginger leaf, rose petal orange zest
Method
Muddle a slice of fresh ginger in a mixing glass. Then add all the ingredients with Matcha soda. Gently stir over carved ice for 5 seconds. Fine-strain the drink into a highball, served over carved ice. Serve accompanied with dried apricot and vanilla essence on the side

Lucky Blue Vanilla Pom Spiral

Ingredients
1.5oz Nikka From The Barrel, 10ml Wenneker Vanilla, 8 blueberries, 3 dashes pomegranate bitters, soda water to top
Garnish
3 fresh blueberries on a pick
Method
Lightly muddle blueberries with Wenneker Vanilla and bitters, then add whisky, with large cubes of ice in shaker and shake 8 times at a medium strength. Strain into chilled highball glass with 8 ice cubes, top with soda water, serve with stainless steel straw or copper straw
Glassware
Chilled highball glass

Sideball

Ingredients
40ml Nikka From The Barrel, 20ml Wenneker Triple Sec, 20ml freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, 1tsp sugar, 80ml Taittinger Reserve (or other Champagne)
Garnish
Grapefruit peel twist
Method
Stir the grapefruit juice and sugar together until dissolved. Add all the ingredients (except the Champagne) with ice cubes and shake with vigour until cold to touch. Strain into chilled highball glass and add fresh ice cubes. Add the Champagne, then twist some grapefruit peel over the top and use it to decorate. Resist the temptation to shove a straw down the side
Glassware
Chilled highball glass

Ginger Crunch

Ingredients
50ml Nikka From The Barrel, 15ml Wenneker Apricot, 25ml ginger ale, liquified green pepper, coriander, egg white
Garnish
Strip of green pepper
Method
Muddle over ice and serve

Adam’s House Highball

Ingredients
25ml Nikka From The Barrel, 20ml Amaro Montenegro, 5ml Wenneker Maraschino, 1 dash Angostura, 1 dash absinthe
Garnish
Mint sprig and an orange twist
Method
Build ingredients over large pieces of cracked ice in a highball. Stir down, add more ice, then top with ginger ale

Spiced Summer

Ingredients
50ml Nikka From The Barrel, 3 Algarve orange wedges, 10ml Wenneker Ginger, 100ml Fever-Tree Ginger Beer
Garnish
Orange zest and mint sprig
Method
In a tin shaker, add the ginger, oranges, whisky and then muddle. Add ice and shake vigorously. Double strain into a rocks glass aromatised with orange essential oils and add ice ball. Top with ginger beer and then garnish
Glassware
Rocks glass