Beverages: From Japanese Classic to Gen Z's Go-To: The Highball's Modern Comeback

InsightTrendsWorld
Sep 18
8 min read

What is the "New Highball" Trend?

The "New Highball" trend is a modern reinterpretation of a classic, simple cocktail that is gaining significant popularity among Gen Z. While the highball is traditionally a basic mix of whisky and soda water, this trend is defined by bartenders and drink makers who are experimenting with the recipe to create more intricate, elegant, and playful versions. This is a direct response to Gen Z's unique drinking habits, which favor low-ABV (alcohol by volume), low-sugar, and refreshing options.

Modern Twist on a Classic: Bartenders are moving beyond the basic whisky and soda to incorporate new ingredients like fruit infusions, liqueurs, and even other spirits, creating a more complex and engaging flavor profile.
A "Long Drink" for Moderation: The highball's long, refreshing nature and lower alcohol content make it a perfect fit for a generation that is drinking less and is more focused on moderation.
Purposeful and Approachable: The highball's simple structure makes it an approachable canvas for creative cocktails, inviting consumers to experiment with new flavors in a comfortable and familiar format.

Why it is the Topic Trending: The Generation-Specific Drinking Shift

The popularity of the highball is a manifestation of several key consumer and cultural shifts, primarily driven by Gen Z's unique attitudes toward alcohol.

Lower Alcohol Consumption: Gen Z is drinking less than previous generations, with a growing interest in mocktails and low-ABV spirits. The highball perfectly aligns with this trend, as it offers a pleasant social experience without the high alcohol content.
Focus on Wellness: This generation is highly focused on wellness, and low-sugar, refreshing drinks fit into a lifestyle that values health and feeling good.
Quest for Authenticity and Experience: Gen Z seeks authenticity and unique experiences. The highball's Japanese origins and presence in "listening bars" provide a story and a sense of cultural depth that appeals to this generation's desire for genuine, curated experiences.
Approachability and Comfort: For consumers who are less familiar with classic cocktails, the highball's simple structure offers a comfortable and familiar starting point for exploration, reducing the intimidation factor of a complex cocktail menu.

Overview: The Highball as a Cultural Bridge

The "New Highball" is more than just a cocktail; it's a cultural bridge between traditional drinking habits and a new generation's values. It takes a historical drink and infuses it with modern relevance, proving that classic recipes can be reinvented to meet contemporary demands for moderation, flavor, and experience. For bartenders and brands, the highball is a strategic vehicle for attracting and engaging with younger consumers, providing them with a drink that is both stylish and sensible.

Detailed Findings: The Recipe for Success

Gen Z's Drinking Habits: Gallup data confirms that young adults are drinking less than prior generations, and the market for low-ABV and non-alcoholic drinks is growing, primarily due to younger consumers.
Highball's Adaptability: Bartenders at acclaimed bars like Katana Kitten and Apartment 5 in New York City and Bar Next Door in Los Angeles are successfully experimenting with the highball's basic 1:2 ratio to create innovative new recipes.
The Power of Simplicity: The drink's "simple, long, and refreshing" nature is a key draw, allowing patrons to "enjoy a few of them without getting too tipsy."
Creative Twists: The article provides specific examples of creative highballs, such as the Melon-Lime Soda with matcha, the Aperol spritz-inspired Luck Be a Lady, and the tequila-based Hollywood Hustler. These recipes showcase the trend's emphasis on fresh, creative, and approachable flavor profiles.

Key Success Factors of the "New Highball" Trend

Purposeful Adaptation: Bartenders are not just changing the highball for the sake of it. Their innovations are purposeful, designed to meet the specific demands of younger consumers for low-ABV, less aggressive flavors, and unique experiences.
Storytelling and Authenticity: Brands and bars are leveraging the highball's historical roots and cultural associations (particularly with Japanese drinking culture) to add a layer of authenticity and narrative to the drink.
Flavor Innovation: The trend is fueled by the creative use of fresh ingredients, infused syrups, and modern spirits that elevate the highball from a simple mixer to a complex, nuanced cocktail.

Key Takeaway: The Elegance of Moderation

The core takeaway is that moderation and elegance are the new drivers of cocktail culture for Gen Z. The highball's comeback is not a fleeting fad, but a sign that the future of drinking is focused on quality over quantity, flavor over potency, and experience over excess.

Core Trend: Purposeful Imbibing

The core consumer trend is a move toward Purposeful Imbibing. Unlike previous generations that may have drunk to excess, Gen Z is approaching alcohol with more intention. Their choices are a reflection of their health-conscious, moderate lifestyle, where a drink is an enhancement to a social experience, not the central focus of it.

Description of the Trend: The Long and Refreshing Canvas

The trend is about a new approach to cocktail making and consumption, where the highball serves as a long and refreshing canvas for creativity. It's a shift from the short, strong, and sugary cocktails of the past to a more elegant, diluted, and flavorful drink that is designed to be savored over time in a social setting.

Key Characteristics of the Core Trend: Light, Nuanced, and Shareable

Lower Alcohol Content: The highball’s typically lower ABV (Alcohol By Volume) allows for responsible, prolonged consumption.
Flavor-First: The focus is on delicate, nuanced flavors rather than big, bold, or rich ones. This allows for a deeper appreciation of the ingredients.
Refreshing and "Crushable": The use of soda water and fresh ingredients makes the drink highly refreshing and "crushable," appealing to a generation that values light and clean tastes.
Social and Aesthetic: The drink is designed for social settings and is visually appealing, fitting into the aesthetic-driven, shared-experience culture of Gen Z.

Market and Cultural Signals Supporting the Trend: The Wellness Wave

Growing Health Consciousness: Gen Z's strong focus on health and wellness, which includes an awareness of the physical and mental effects of alcohol.
Rise of the "Experience" Economy: The younger generation is more interested in curated, social experiences, such as Japanese listening bars or bohemian-themed cocktail lounges, where the drink is part of a larger atmosphere.
The Mainstreaming of "Sober-Curious" Culture: The growth of mocktails and low-ABV spirits has created a consumer base that is open to alternatives and less bound by traditional drinking norms.

What is Consumer Motivation: The Desire for Balance

To Socialize Without Over-Consuming: The highball allows Gen Z to participate in social events and enjoy a cocktail without feeling pressured to get too tipsy.
To Prioritize Wellness: The low-sugar and low-ABV nature of the drink aligns with their health goals, making them feel good about their choice.
To Discover New Flavors: The highball’s simple structure makes it a gateway to exploring new ingredients and flavor combinations in a low-risk, enjoyable way.

What is Motivation Beyond the Trend: Building a Lifestyle Brand

The motivation beyond the trend is to build a lifestyle brand around moderation and authenticity. For cocktail bars and spirit brands, embracing the highball trend isn't just about selling a drink; it's about connecting with a new generation by validating their values and providing products that fit their desired lifestyle.

Descriptions of Consumers: The Mindful Socializer

Consumer Summary: This consumer is a Mindful Socializer. They are discerning and intentional about their choices, whether it's what they drink or where they go. They are highly social but do not equate a good time with heavy drinking. They are open to trying new things but are also comforted by a familiar structure. They seek out unique, aesthetic-driven venues and are motivated by a desire to balance fun with personal well-being.

Who are they?: Primarily Gen Z and younger millennials.
What is their age?: From their early 20s to early 30s.
What is their gender?: The trend is gender-neutral.
What is their income?: They are willing to pay for quality and experience, as shown by their patronage of high-acclaimed bars, even with their conscious spending habits.
What is their lifestyle?: They live a balanced, health-conscious lifestyle and are actively engaged in social activities that offer unique experiences.

How the Trend Is Changing Consumer Behavior: From Shots to Sips

Shift from Potent to Palatable: Consumer behavior is moving away from high-proof shots and strong cocktails toward more palatable, long-form drinks that can be savored.
Increased Openness to Low-ABV: This generation is more willing to try low-ABV drinks as a primary choice, not just a substitute.
Demand for Innovation: Their demand for creative highballs is pushing the beverage industry to innovate and be more experimental with flavors.

Implications of trend Across the Ecosystem

For Consumers: They can enjoy a wider range of low-ABV, refreshing, and delicious cocktail options that align with their health-conscious lifestyle.
For Brands and CPGs: This requires a strategic shift toward producing and marketing low-ABV spirits and versatile mixers that can be used in highballs and other long drinks.
For Retailers: Cocktail bars and restaurants are adapting their menus to feature more highball options, and beverage distributors are stocking more products that support the trend.

Strategic Forecast: The Future is "Long"

Innovation in Soda Water and Mixers: Expect to see a wave of new, premium sodas and mixers designed to complement a variety of spirits in highballs.
Spirits for Highballs: Spirit brands will continue to develop and market whiskies, tequilas, and vodkas that are specifically tailored to be light and nuanced in a highball.
The "Long Drink" as a Category: The "long drink" will become a recognized and prominent category on cocktail menus, alongside traditional sections like "martinis" and "sours."

Areas of Innovation: The Highball's Evolution

Infused Syrups: The use of unique, house-made infused syrups (like basil, cucumber, or ginger) to add a layer of complexity to the drink.
Alternative Bases: Experimenting with alternative spirits like mezcal, gin, or rum to create a wide variety of highball-style cocktails.
Functional Highballs: The creation of highballs with added functional ingredients like botanical extracts, adaptogens, or probiotics.
Pre-Batched Long Drinks: Companies will develop high-quality, pre-batched, ready-to-drink highballs that offer convenience without compromising on flavor.
Customizable Highball Menus: Bars will offer customizable highball menus where patrons can choose their spirit, soda, and flavor infusions to create their perfect drink.

Summary of Trends

Core Consumer Trend: Mindful Indulgence. Gen Z is defining a new cocktail culture centered on moderation, wellness, and flavorful, less potent drinks.
Core Social Trend: The Experience Over Excess. Social gatherings are no longer defined by heavy drinking; instead, the focus is on a unique, aesthetic, and meaningful experience, with the drink serving a supporting role.
Core Strategy: Reinvention for Relevance. The beverage industry is successfully reinventing classic cocktails to make them relevant and appealing to a new generation with different values and drinking habits.
Core Industry Trend: The Rise of the Long Drink. The "long drink" has emerged as a key category in the beverage market, pushing brands to innovate in a new, exciting direction.
Core Consumer Motivation: Balance and Exploration. Gen Z is motivated by a desire to balance their social life and personal well-being, while also being open to exploring new flavors in a comfortable, low-risk way.

Final Thought: A Toast to a New Era

The rise of the "New Highball" is more than just a passing trend; it's a profound cultural shift that signals a new era in how people drink. It shows that Gen Z is not rejecting alcohol entirely, but rather redefining their relationship with it on their own terms. By choosing the highball, they are toasting to a lifestyle that values authenticity, experience, and above all, the elegance of moderation.