Long drinks are the everyday side of cocktails: tall, cold drinks built for refreshment rather than ceremony. A whisky highball, gin and tonic, Tom Collins, Paloma, Moscow Mule, Aperol Spritz, Mojito, Pina Colada, Bloody Mary, and even a good alcohol-free ginger-lime soda all belong to the same broad family.

The idea is simple: take a concentrated base and lengthen it with something cold, wet, sparkling, juicy, bitter, creamy, savory, or aromatic. That can mean soda water, tonic, ginger beer, cola, sparkling wine, fruit juice, tea, coffee, coconut cream, tomato juice, or a non-alcoholic mixer.

Long drinks are a good place to start for the home bartender. They are forgiving, easy to adjust, and do not need a large bar cabinet. Learn the main templates and you can make hundreds of drinks without memorizing hundreds of recipes.

---

What Is a Long Drink?

A long drink is a mixed drink with a relatively large finished volume, usually served in a tall glass with ice. It normally contains one alcoholic base, or a non-alcoholic equivalent, lengthened with a larger amount of mixer.

A rough guide:

Drink type	Typical volume	Typical glass
Short cocktail	75-120 ml	coupe, Nick & Nora, rocks glass
Long drink	160-400 ml	highball, Collins, sling, hurricane, wine glass, tumbler
Punch or pitcher drink	variable	bowl, jug, pitcher

The key point is not only size. A long drink is usually meant to be cold, diluted, refreshing, and slower to drink than a short cocktail.

A short Daiquiri is sharp and concentrated. A Mojito is longer, colder, minty, bubbly, and slower. A Negroni is dense and spirit-forward. An Americano uses similar bitter-red flavors, but lengthens them with soda and ice.

Long drink vs. highball

The words are often used loosely, but they are not identical.

A highball is usually one spirit plus a larger amount of mixer, often carbonated.

Examples:

• whisky and soda
• gin and tonic
• rum and Coke
• vodka tonic
• tequila and grapefruit soda

A long drink is broader. It includes highballs, Collins drinks, fizzes, bucks, mules, spritzes, coolers, slings, cobblers, juleps, tiki drinks, juice drinks, savory drinks, hot drinks, and alcohol-free tall drinks.

So: every highball is a long drink. Not every long drink is a highball.

The Finnish long drink

In Finland, long drink or lonkero usually means a specific drink: gin and grapefruit soda, first created for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics as a fast premixed serve. It is part of the long-drink family, but in Finland the name has a special meaning.

---

The Basic Structure

Most long drinks are built from a few parts.

Part	What it does	Examples
Base	Main flavor and alcohol, or non-alcoholic backbone	gin, rum, whisky, tequila, vodka, sherry, vermouth, tea, coffee, kombucha
Sharpness	Keeps the drink from tasting flat	lemon, lime, grapefruit, vinegar shrub, verjus
Sweetness	Balances acid and bitterness	syrup, honey, liqueur, fruit juice, cola, ginger beer, tonic
Lengthener	Adds volume and dilution	soda, tonic, ginger beer, juice, sparkling wine, tea, tomato juice
Aroma	Makes the drink smell alive	citrus peel, mint, basil, cucumber, rosemary, nutmeg, bitters
Texture	Changes how the drink feels	carbonation, crushed ice, cream, coconut, pineapple foam, egg white, aquafaba

Not every drink has all parts. A whisky highball is just whisky, soda, ice, and maybe lemon peel. A Singapore Sling has gin, cherry liqueur, Cointreau, Benedictine, pineapple, lime, grenadine, and bitters. Both are long drinks.

---

The Rules That Matter

Long drinks are simple, so basic technique matters.

1. Use enough ice

A tall drink with too little ice warms quickly and becomes watery. Fill the glass with ice. More ice keeps the drink colder and usually slows dilution.

2. Chill the mixer

Warm tonic, soda, ginger beer, or sparkling wine goes flat quickly. Keep carbonated mixers in the refrigerator.

3. Add bubbles last

Do not shake carbonated ingredients. Build the still ingredients first, then add soda, tonic, ginger beer, or sparkling wine at the end.

4. Stir gently

Carbonation is easy to lose. Stir once or twice, not like soup.

5. Measure at first

Long drinks are forgiving, but only if you know where you started. Use a jigger until you understand the ratios.

6. Balance sweet with acid

Most bad long drinks are either too sweet or too flat. Lemon and lime fix more drinks than extra alcohol does.

7. Use garnish for aroma

A garnish is not just decoration. Mint, citrus peel, cucumber, orange, grapefruit, rosemary, nutmeg, and bitters change the first smell of the drink.

---

Core Ratios

Use these as starting points.

Highball

• 1 part spirit
• 2-4 parts mixer
• ice

Examples: whisky soda, gin and tonic, rum and Coke, vodka tonic.

• Strong: 1:2
• Standard: 1:3
• Light: 1:4

Collins

• 45-60 ml spirit
• 20-30 ml lemon or lime juice
• 10-20 ml simple syrup
• 60-120 ml soda water
• ice

A Collins is basically a sour lengthened with soda.

Fizz

• 45-60 ml spirit
• 20-30 ml citrus
• 10-20 ml syrup
• shake with ice
• strain
• top with soda

A fizz is close to a Collins, but usually shaken and often served without ice.

Rickey

• 45-60 ml spirit
• lime
• soda water
• ice
• no sugar

A Rickey is dry, sharp, and simple.

Buck or Mule

• 45-60 ml spirit
• 10-20 ml lime or lemon juice
• ginger beer or ginger ale
• ice

A Moscow Mule is a vodka buck. A Dark ’n Stormy is a rum-and-ginger version, though the name has trademark issues in some markets.

Spritz

• 3 parts sparkling wine
• 2 parts bitter aperitif or liqueur
• 1 part soda water
• ice

Aperol Spritz is the common version.

Juice highball

• 45-60 ml spirit
• 90-150 ml juice or juice blend
• optional citrus, syrup, bitters, soda
• ice

Examples: Screwdriver, Greyhound, Sea Breeze, Tequila Sunrise.

Tropical blended drink

• 45-60 ml rum or other spirit
• 60-120 ml fruit/coconut base
• acid if needed
• ice
• shake or blend

Examples: Pina Colada, Painkiller, Chi Chi.

---

How to Mix Long Drinks

Build in the Glass

This is the default method for simple long drinks.

Use it for:

• whisky highball
• gin and tonic
• rum and Coke
• Paloma
• Aperol Spritz
• Americano
• Cuba Libre
• vodka soda

Method:

1. Fill the glass with ice.
2. Add spirit and any still ingredients.
3. Add carbonated mixer last.
4. Stir gently once or twice.
5. Garnish.

For very fizzy drinks, pour the soda down the side of the glass or along a spoon.

Shake, Then Lengthen

Use this when the drink contains citrus, syrup, egg white, cream, pineapple juice, or other ingredients that need mixing.

Use it for:

• Gin Fizz
• Ramos Gin Fizz
• Singapore Sling
• some Collins drinks
• Russian Spring Punch
• pineapple-based drinks

Method:

1. Shake everything except carbonated ingredients with ice.
2. Strain into a glass, usually over fresh ice.
3. Top with soda, ginger beer, or sparkling wine.
4. Stir gently if needed.

Muddle, Then Build

Use this when herbs or fruit need to release aroma.

Use it for:

• Mojito
• Mint Julep
• Whiskey Smash
• Caipirinha-style long variations

Important: do not grind mint into paste. Press gently. Over-muddled mint tastes grassy and bitter.

Blend

Use this for frozen or creamy tropical drinks.

Use it for:

• Pina Colada
• frozen Daiquiri variants
• frozen Margarita variants
• Chi Chi

Blended drinks need enough sweetness and acid. Cold dulls flavor, so a frozen drink that tastes balanced at room temperature may taste weak once blended.

Churn or Swizzle

Use this with crushed ice.

Use it for:

• juleps
• cobblers
• swizzles
• some tiki drinks

Add ingredients and crushed ice, then churn with a spoon or swizzle stick until the glass frosts. Top with more crushed ice.

---

The Main Long Drink Families

1. Highballs

A highball is the cleanest long drink: spirit plus mixer over ice.

Drink	Base	Mixer	Note
Whisky Highball	whisky	soda water	Dry, clean, good with food.
Scotch and Soda	Scotch	soda water	Early classic highball.
Gin and Tonic	gin	tonic	Bitter and aromatic.
Vodka Soda	vodka	soda	Dry; depends on garnish.
Vodka Tonic	vodka	tonic	Simple and bitter.
Rum and Coke	rum	cola	Lime improves it.
Cuba Libre	rum	cola + lime	More balanced than plain rum Coke.
Paloma	tequila	grapefruit soda	Good warm-weather drink.
Ranch Water	tequila	lime + soda	Dry tequila highball.
Fernet con Coca	Fernet	cola	Bitter cola highball, strongly associated with Argentina.
Lonkero	gin	grapefruit soda	Finnish long drink.

Japanese whisky highball

The Japanese whisky highball shows how much technique can matter in a two-ingredient drink.

Basic method:

1. Fill a tall glass with ice.
2. Stir the ice to chill the glass.
3. Pour off excess meltwater.
4. Add whisky.
5. Stir briefly to chill the whisky.
6. Add very cold soda water.
7. Stir once gently.
8. Garnish with lemon peel if wanted.

Ratio: start with 1 part whisky to 3 parts soda. Go to 1:4 for a lighter drink or 1:2 for a stronger one.

---

2. Collins Drinks

A Collins is spirit, citrus, sugar, soda, and ice. It is a useful template to learn because it teaches balance.

Drink	Base	Citrus	Sweetener	Lengthener
Tom Collins	Old Tom gin	lemon	syrup	soda
John Collins	gin or whiskey, depending tradition	lemon	syrup	soda
Vodka Collins	vodka	lemon	syrup	soda
Rum Collins	rum	lime or lemon	syrup	soda
Elderflower Collins	gin	lemon	elderflower	soda

A good starting recipe:

• 50 ml gin
• 25 ml lemon juice
• 15 ml simple syrup
• 90 ml soda water
• ice
• lemon slice

If it tastes too sharp, add syrup. If it tastes too sweet, add lemon. If it tastes heavy, add soda. If it tastes watery, reduce soda or increase the base.

---

3. Fizzes

Fizzes are shaken, bright, and often lighter in texture than Collins drinks.

Drink	Base	Feature
Gin Fizz	gin	lemon, sugar, soda
Silver Fizz	gin	egg white
Sloe Gin Fizz	sloe gin	fruitier, often lower proof
Ramos Gin Fizz	gin	cream, egg white, citrus, orange flower water

Gin Fizz:

• 45 ml gin
• 30 ml lemon juice
• 10-15 ml simple syrup
• shake with ice
• strain into glass
• top with soda

Ramos Gin Fizz is well known, but not a beginner drink. It needs a long shake and careful texture.

---

4. Rickeys

A Rickey is spirit, lime, and soda. No sugar.

Drink	Base	Note
Gin Rickey	gin	Dry, sharp, clean.
Bourbon Rickey	bourbon	Drier than whiskey ginger.
Lime Rickey	none or spirit	Soda fountain classic.

Rickeys are good when you want a dry drink. They do not hide poor ingredients.

---

5. Bucks and Mules

A buck is spirit, citrus, and ginger beer or ginger ale. A mule is the common modern name for the vodka version.

Drink	Base	Mixer	Note
Moscow Mule	vodka	ginger beer	Lime, often copper mug.
Gin Buck	gin	ginger ale/beer	Older form.
Kentucky Mule	bourbon	ginger beer	Good with mint.
Irish Buck	Irish whiskey	ginger ale/beer	Easy and approachable.
Mamie Taylor	Scotch	ginger ale/beer	Older Scotch version.
Dark ’n Stormy	dark rum	ginger beer	Lime; name associated with Goslings.
El Diablo	tequila	ginger beer	Lime and creme de cassis.

Ginger beer matters a lot in these drinks. Taste the mixer before building the drink. Some are hot and dry, others are basically ginger soda.

---

6. Spritzes and Aperitivo Long Drinks

Spritzes are bitter, sparkling, and usually lower in alcohol. They work well with snacks.

Drink	Main ingredients	Note
Aperol Spritz	Aperol, prosecco, soda	Light bitter orange.
Campari Spritz	Campari, prosecco, soda	More bitter.
Select Spritz	Select, prosecco, soda	Venetian style.
Hugo Spritz	elderflower, prosecco, soda, mint	Floral and lighter.
Americano	Campari, sweet vermouth, soda	Lower-alcohol cousin of the Negroni.
Bicicletta	Campari, white wine, soda	Light Italian long drink.
Wine Spritzer	wine, soda	Very simple low-alcohol option.
Tinto de Verano	red wine, lemon soda	Spanish summer drink.
Kalimotxo	red wine, cola	Basque/Spanish, easy and informal.

Aperol Spritz starting recipe:

• 90 ml prosecco
• 60 ml Aperol
• splash soda
• orange slice
• ice

Build in a wine glass over ice. Stir gently.

Americano:

• 30 ml Campari
• 30 ml sweet vermouth
• soda water
• orange slice
• ice

---

7. Sparkling Wine Long Drinks

These are built around sparkling wine rather than soda.

Drink	Ingredients	Note
Mimosa	sparkling wine + orange juice	Brunch standard.
Buck’s Fizz	sparkling wine + orange juice	Similar, often more wine-heavy.
Bellini	prosecco + peach puree	Venetian classic.
Kir Royale	sparkling wine + creme de cassis	Simple aperitif.
French 75	gin, lemon, sugar, Champagne	More like a sparkling sour.
Champagne Cocktail	sugar, bitters, Champagne	Old classic.
Russian Spring Punch	vodka, lemon, cassis, syrup, sparkling wine	Shaken base, topped with sparkling wine.

Do not shake sparkling wine. Add it last.

---

8. Juice-Based Long Drinks

These are common because they are easy. They are also easy to make badly.

Drink	Base	Juice/mixer	Note
Screwdriver	vodka	orange juice	Add lemon or bitters if flat.
Harvey Wallbanger	vodka + Galliano	orange juice	Retro, herbal vanilla note.
Greyhound	gin or vodka	grapefruit juice	Better with fresh grapefruit.
Salty Dog	gin or vodka	grapefruit + salt rim	Salt changes the whole drink.
Sea Breeze	vodka	cranberry + grapefruit	Tart and simple.
Bay Breeze	vodka	cranberry + pineapple	Sweeter.
Madras	vodka	cranberry + orange	Simple juice highball.
Tequila Sunrise	tequila	orange + grenadine	Built for the color gradient.
Sex on the Beach	vodka + peach schnapps	orange + cranberry	Sweet, popular, not subtle.

Orange juice often needs help. If a juice drink tastes flat, add one of these:

• 10 ml lemon or lime juice
• a few drops of saline
• 1-2 dashes Angostura bitters
• a splash of soda water
• a bitter liqueur

---

9. Tropical and Blended Long Drinks

These drinks are about fruit, ice, rum, and texture.

Drink	Base	Main flavor	Note
Pina Colada	rum	pineapple + coconut	Blended or shaken.
Painkiller	rum	pineapple, orange, coconut, nutmeg	Richer than Pina Colada.
Chi Chi	vodka	pineapple + coconut	Vodka Pina Colada cousin.
Blue Hawaiian	rum/vodka	pineapple, coconut, blue curacao	Visual tropical drink.
Hurricane	rum	passion fruit/citrus	New Orleans tropical drink.
Planter’s Punch	rum	citrus, sugar, spice	More a template than one recipe.
Singapore Sling	gin	pineapple, cherry, herbs, citrus	Complex long classic.

Pina Colada starting recipe:

• 50 ml white rum
• 30 ml coconut cream
• 50-90 ml pineapple juice
• 10-15 ml lime juice, optional but useful
• ice
• blend or shake hard

Singapore Sling, IBA-style:

• 30 ml gin
• 15 ml cherry liqueur
• 7.5 ml Cointreau
• 7.5 ml Benedictine
• 120 ml pineapple juice
• 15 ml lime juice
• 10 ml grenadine
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• shake with ice
• strain into hurricane or tall glass

Tropical drinks often need more acid than the recipe suggests. Pineapple and coconut can become heavy without lime.

---

10. Juleps, Smashes, Cobblers, and Swizzles

These drinks are defined by fresh aromatics and ice texture.

Drink	Base	Ice	Note
Mint Julep	bourbon	crushed ice	Strong but diluted slowly.
Whiskey Smash	whiskey	cubed/crushed	Lemon, mint, sugar.
Bramble	gin	crushed ice	Gin sour with blackberry liqueur.
Sherry Cobbler	sherry	crushed ice	Historic low-ABV long drink.
Queen’s Park Swizzle	rum	crushed ice	Mint, lime, bitters.

Sherry Cobbler is worth knowing because it is a well-structured low-alcohol long drink:

• 90 ml dry or medium sherry
• 10-15 ml simple syrup
• orange slices or small amount orange juice
• crushed ice
• seasonal fruit garnish

Shake or churn, then serve with crushed ice and a straw.

---

11. Savory Long Drinks

Savory long drinks are closer to cold soup than lemonade. They rely on acid, salt, umami, and spice.

Drink	Base	Mixer	Note
Bloody Mary	vodka	tomato juice	Lemon, Worcestershire, hot sauce, celery salt.
Red Snapper	gin	tomato juice	More aromatic.
Bloody Maria	tequila	tomato juice	Earthier, good with chili.
Caesar	vodka	Clamato	Canadian classic.
Bull Shot	vodka	beef bouillon	Old savory drink.
Michelada	beer	lime, chili, sauces	Good with food.
Chelada	beer	lime and salt	Simpler beer long drink.

Bloody Mary starting recipe:

• 50 ml vodka
• 120-150 ml tomato juice
• 15 ml lemon juice
• 2-4 dashes Worcestershire
• hot sauce
• pinch celery salt
• black pepper
• ice

Stir or roll gently. Do not shake tomato juice hard unless you want a foamy, aerated texture.

---

12. Coffee, Tea, and Hot Long Drinks

Drink	Base	Lengthener	Note
Irish Coffee	Irish whiskey	hot coffee + cream	Hot long drink.
Espresso Tonic	none, or spirit optional	tonic	Bitter and refreshing.
Cold Brew Highball	whisky/rum optional	cold brew + soda	Dry, bitter, structured.
Hard Iced Tea	vodka/rum/whiskey	tea + lemon	Good batch drink.
Arnold Palmer Highball	optional vodka/bourbon	iced tea + lemonade	Also works alcohol-free.

Tea is especially useful in alcohol-free drinks because tannin gives dryness and structure.

---

Classic Long Drinks

Here is a practical index of important long drinks. Learn the families, not just the names.

Drink	Family	Base	Mixer/lengthener	Why it matters
Whisky Highball	highball	whisky	soda	Pure highball technique.
Gin and Tonic	highball	gin	tonic	Core bitter long drink.
Rum and Coke	highball	rum	cola	Common, easy.
Cuba Libre	highball	rum	cola + lime	Better balanced rum Coke.
Vodka Soda	highball	vodka	soda	Dry, minimal.
Paloma	highball	tequila	grapefruit soda	A useful tequila long drink.
Ranch Water	highball	tequila	lime + soda	Dry tequila template.
Tom Collins	Collins	gin	lemon, sugar, soda	Core template.
Gin Fizz	fizz	gin	lemon, sugar, soda	Shake + top technique.
Gin Rickey	Rickey	gin	lime + soda	Dry citrus highball.
Moscow Mule	buck	vodka	ginger beer	Ginger template.
Dark ’n Stormy	buck-like	dark rum	ginger beer	Rum and ginger.
Aperol Spritz	spritz	Aperol	prosecco + soda	Common low-ABV drink.
Americano	aperitivo	Campari/vermouth	soda	Bitter, lower-alcohol.
Hugo Spritz	spritz	elderflower	prosecco + soda	Floral spritz.
Mimosa	sparkling	sparkling wine	orange juice	Brunch drink.
Bellini	sparkling	prosecco	peach	Seasonal classic.
Kir Royale	sparkling	sparkling wine	cassis	Simple aperitif.
French 75	sparkling sour	gin	Champagne	Stronger sparkling drink.
Screwdriver	juice	vodka	orange juice	Basic juice highball.
Greyhound	juice	gin/vodka	grapefruit	Dry/tart juice drink.
Salty Dog	juice	gin/vodka	grapefruit + salt	Shows what salt does.
Sea Breeze	juice	vodka	cranberry + grapefruit	Tart long drink.
Tequila Sunrise	juice	tequila	orange + grenadine	Visual drink.
Mojito	muddled highball	rum	lime, mint, soda	Core mint drink.
Pina Colada	tropical	rum	pineapple + coconut	Core tropical drink.
Painkiller	tropical	rum	pineapple, orange, coconut	Rich tropical long drink.
Singapore Sling	sling	gin	pineapple, lime, liqueurs	Complex classic.
Mint Julep	julep	bourbon	crushed ice, mint	Strong but long.
Sherry Cobbler	cobbler	sherry	fruit, sugar, crushed ice	Low-ABV classic.
Pimm’s Cup	cup	Pimm’s	lemonade/ginger, fruit	Easy party drink.
Bloody Mary	savory	vodka	tomato juice	Main savory drink.
Michelada	savory beer	beer	lime, chili, sauces	Low-ABV food drink.
Irish Coffee	hot	Irish whiskey	coffee + cream	Hot long drink.
Long Island Iced Tea	multi-spirit	vodka/gin/rum/tequila	cola/lemon	Tall but strong; caution.

---

How to Build a Home Long-Drink Bar

You do not need a full cocktail bar to make good long drinks.

Basic tools

Tool	Use
Jigger	Measuring.
Citrus press	Fresh lemon and lime.
Shaker	Citrus, syrup, pineapple, cream, egg.
Strainer	Shaken drinks.
Bar spoon	Gentle mixing.
Muddler	Mint, fruit, sugar.
Ice trays	Long drinks use a lot of ice.

Useful glasses

Glass	Use
Highball or Collins	Most long drinks.
Rocks glass	Americano, shorter highballs, juleps if needed.
Wine glass	Spritzes and wine drinks.
Mug or heatproof glass	Irish coffee, hot toddy.

Useful first bottles

If the goal is long drinks, start here:

Bottle	Drinks it unlocks
Gin	G&T, Collins, Fizz, Rickey, Singapore Sling.
White rum	Mojito, Cuba Libre, Pina Colada, punch.
Tequila blanco	Paloma, Ranch Water, Tequila Sunrise, Bloody Maria.
Bourbon or blended whisky	Highball, Mule, Julep, Irish Coffee.
Vodka	Mule, Bloody Mary, juice drinks.
Campari or Aperol	Americano, Spritz, bitter highballs.
Sweet vermouth	Americano, lighter aperitivo drinks.

If buying fewer: gin, rum, tequila, Campari/Aperol.

Mixers to keep cold

• soda water
• tonic water
• ginger beer
• cola
• grapefruit soda
• sparkling wine for spritzes
• tomato juice if making Bloody Marys

Fresh ingredients

• lemons
• limes
• mint
• oranges or grapefruit
• cucumber
• seasonal fruit

Pantry ingredients

• sugar for simple syrup
• honey
• salt or saline solution
• Angostura bitters
• orange bitters
• grenadine or pomegranate syrup
• coconut cream
• pineapple juice

Ten drinks to learn first

These cover most techniques:

1. Gin and Tonic - highball
2. Whisky Highball - carbonation and dilution
3. Paloma - tequila and grapefruit
4. Moscow Mule - ginger beer template
5. Tom Collins - sour lengthened with soda
6. Mojito - muddled mint highball
7. Aperol Spritz - sparkling aperitivo
8. Americano - bitter low-ABV long drink
9. Pina Colada - tropical/blended
10. Bloody Mary - savory long drink

---

Alcohol-Free Long Drinks

Alcohol-free long drinks should not be treated as cocktails with the alcohol removed. Alcohol gives heat, aroma, bitterness, dryness, and body. Without it, a drink can become sweet juice unless you replace structure.

The good news: long drinks are a practical place to make good alcohol-free drinks because carbonation, tea, citrus, herbs, spice, bitterness, salt, and ice can do a lot of work.

What alcohol normally does

Alcohol gives	Alcohol-free replacements
Heat	ginger, chili, black pepper, strong carbonation
Dryness	tea tannin, verjus, vinegar shrub, tonic, NA bitters
Aroma lift	citrus peel, herbs, spices, botanical NA spirits
Body	syrup, honey, fruit puree, aquafaba, coconut, gomme
Bitterness	tonic, coffee, tea, grapefruit, NA aperitif
Complexity	kombucha, shrubs, fermented drinks, spice infusions

Rules for alcohol-free long drinks

1. Do not make it only sweet.
2. Add acid: lemon, lime, grapefruit, verjus, or vinegar.
3. Add bitterness or tannin: tonic, tea, coffee, bitters, grapefruit.
4. Use bubbles where possible.
5. Use a tiny amount of salt.
6. Garnish for aroma.
7. Serve very cold.

Alcohol-free templates

NA Collins

• 30-60 ml strong tea or non-alcoholic spirit
• 25 ml lemon juice
• 15 ml simple syrup
• 2-3 drops saline
• 90-120 ml soda water
• ice

Good combinations:

• Earl Grey, lemon, honey, soda
• green tea, lime, mint, soda
• hibiscus, lemon, ginger syrup, soda

NA Paloma

• 60 ml grapefruit juice
• 15 ml lime juice
• 10 ml agave or simple syrup
• small pinch salt or 2-3 drops saline
• grapefruit soda or soda water
• ice

Add strong green tea or a non-alcoholic tequila alternative if you want more bitterness.

Nojito

• 8-10 mint leaves
• 20 ml lime juice
• 15 ml simple syrup
• soda water
• ice

Press the mint gently with the syrup and lime. Add ice and soda. Stir gently.

Ginger-Lime Highball

• 20 ml lime juice
• 10 ml syrup
• 120-150 ml ginger beer
• 2 dashes non-alcoholic bitters or tiny pinch salt
• ice

Add mint, cucumber, blackberry, or tea to vary it.

NA Spritz

• 60 ml non-alcoholic bitter aperitif
• 90 ml non-alcoholic sparkling wine or soda
• orange slice
• ice

If you do not have NA aperitif:

• 60 ml strong hibiscus tea
• 15 ml orange syrup or simple syrup
• 10 ml lemon juice
• 90 ml soda or NA sparkling wine
• ice

Shrub Soda

• 20-30 ml fruit shrub
• 120-180 ml soda water
• ice
• herb garnish

A basic shrub is fruit, sugar, and vinegar. Keep the vinegar controlled. It should give bite, not taste like salad dressing.

Virgin Mary

• 150 ml tomato juice
• 15 ml lemon juice
• 2-4 dashes Worcestershire or vegan alternative
• hot sauce
• pinch celery salt
• black pepper
• ice

Add horseradish, pickle brine, smoked paprika, or olive brine if wanted.

Not-a-Colada

• 90 ml pineapple juice
• 30 ml coconut cream or coconut milk
• 15 ml lime juice
• 5-10 ml syrup if needed
• small pinch salt
• ice
• shake or blend

For more structure, add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, strong black tea, or NA bitters.

Espresso Tonic

• 120-150 ml tonic water
• 1 espresso, cooled slightly
• ice
• orange peel

Build tonic over ice first. Pour espresso slowly. It foams, so leave space in the glass.

About bitters and alcohol

Traditional bitters contain alcohol, though they are used in very small amounts. If someone avoids alcohol completely, use alcohol-free bitters or skip them. If the goal is simply a drink under 0.5% ABV, a few dashes may still fit depending on the drink size and bitters strength, but be clear about it.

---

Batching for Guests

Long drinks are good party drinks if you batch correctly.

Batch these ahead

• spirits
• liqueurs
• syrups
• bitters
• tea
• water for dilution
• salt/saline
• same-day citrus or juice

Add these at the end

• soda water
• tonic
• ginger beer
• sparkling wine
• fresh herbs
• fragile garnishes

Simple party method

For sparkling drinks:

1. Make a still base: spirit, citrus, syrup, bitters.
2. Chill it.
3. Fill glasses with ice.
4. Pour measured base into each glass.
5. Top with cold bubbles.
6. Garnish.

Example: Collins batch base for 8 drinks:

• 400 ml gin
• 200 ml lemon juice
• 120 ml simple syrup

For each drink, pour 90 ml base over ice and top with soda.

For spritzes, do not premix prosecco hours ahead. Build as served.

---

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Drink is flat	Warm mixer, too much stirring, old soda	Chill mixer, open fresh bottle, stir gently.
Drink is watery	Too little ice, weak ratio	Fill glass with ice, reduce mixer, measure spirit.
Drink is too sweet	Too much syrup/juice/soda	Add citrus, soda, bitters, or salt.
Drink is too sour	Too much citrus	Add syrup or sweeter mixer.
Drink tastes like juice	Not enough acid/bitter/aroma	Add lemon/lime, bitters, peel, or saline.
Drink tastes harsh	Too strong, poor balance	Add mixer, sugar, citrus, or dilution.
Mint tastes bitter	Over-muddled	Press gently next time.
G&T tastes bad	Bad tonic or warm tonic	Use better cold tonic.
NA drink tastes like sweet soda	Only fruit and sugar	Add tea, bitter, salt, herb, carbonation.
Spritz is heavy	Too much aperitif, warm wine	Use more bubbles, chill everything.

---

History in Brief

Long drinks are not a modern invention. They come from several overlapping traditions.

Highballs

The highball became common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially as whisky and soda. The origin of the word is debated, with theories involving railroad signals, glass shape, and older drinking slang. Whatever the name means, the drink became a standard: spirit, ice, and a tall pour of carbonated water or mixer.

Collins, fizzes, and soda water

Once artificial carbonation became common, bartenders had a new tool. Sours could be lengthened with soda into Collins drinks and fizzes. These families are still clear examples of how citrus, sugar, spirit, and bubbles work together.

Cobblers and crushed ice

The Sherry Cobbler was an important 19th-century American drink: wine, sugar, fruit, and crushed ice. It helped popularize drinking through straws because the drink was served packed with ice and fruit.

IBA long drinks

The International Bartenders Association created its first official cocktail list in 1961. Older IBA groupings included a Long Drink / Collins Type category with drinks like Bellini, Bloody Mary, Gin Fizz, Harvey Wallbanger, Irish Coffee, Mimosa, Pina Colada, Planter’s Punch, Screwdriver, Singapore Sling, Tequila Sunrise, and Tom/John Collins. Modern IBA categories are different, but many of those drinks are still central to the long-drink world.

Japan and the whisky highball

Japan took the whisky highball seriously and turned it into a precise drink. The Japanese style emphasizes cold glass, good ice, very cold soda, careful pouring, and minimal stirring. Suntory helped popularize and later revive the drink, especially from the 1950s onward and again in the 2000s.

Finland and lonkero

The Finnish long drink was created for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics as a premixed gin and grapefruit soda drink that could be served quickly. It became a national staple and later fit naturally into the canned cocktail trend.

Alcohol-free long drinks

Alcohol-free long drinks also have deep roots: lemonade, lime rickey, shrubs, ginger beer, iced tea, soda fountain drinks, coffee tonics, and spiced punches. Modern alcohol-free cocktails borrow heavily from these older templates.

---

The Short Version

If you remember only this:

• A long drink is a tall, lengthened mixed drink.
• Start with the family templates, not individual recipes.
• Use enough ice.
• Keep mixers cold.
• Add bubbles last.
• Balance sweet with acid.
• Use bitterness, salt, herbs, and citrus peel to make drinks taste complete.
• For alcohol-free drinks, replace alcohol’s structure with tea, bitterness, acid, spice, salt, and carbonation.

Learn the highball, Collins, buck, spritz, Mojito, Pina Colada, Bloody Mary, and a good alcohol-free Collins. From there, most long drinks are just variations.

• Drinks
• Cocktails

See Also

April 9, 2010

Classic Gløgg

Classic Gløgg © kvalifood.com Classic Danish gløgg — red wine warmed with cardamom, cloves, ginger and cinnamon, served …

read more

January 13, 2022

Elderflower Cordial

Elderflower cordial © kvalifood.com Recipe with video - A classic every spring. Dark elderberry cordial is great, but …

read more

September 11, 2010

Ginger ale or other types of fizzy softdrink - with no machines

Ginger ale © kvalifood.com Recipe with video - Once in a while I felt the urge to make my own sodapop. I especially …

read more

December 31, 2019

Homemade rhubarb lemonade /juice

A really nice recipe for lemonade / juice. This recipe is at least in the top 2 of the most simple recipes I know with …

read more

November 19, 2011

Mulled wine - mulled wine extract - 'Mulled wine a la Gaarde' - Danish Gløgg

Mulled wine - mulled wine extract - “Mulled wine a la Gaarde” - Danish Gløgg © kvalifood.com One of my …

read more