The Great Gatsby, a famous 1925 novel by F.Scott Fitzgerald, is set in the golden era of cocktails and while one would expect all things sophisticated and romantic, most cocktails from this era simply mixed ice, citrus and soda with the alcohol of choice to combat the summer heat. The highball is one such cocktail. Simply fill a highball glass with ice, add spirit, soda and lemon juice and then toss the used leftover lemon into the glass as a casual garnish – very nonchalant.

Highball New York Sour 

Ingredients

60 ml whisky                  

20 ml simple syrup

30 ml lemon-juice

15 ml Leopard’s Leap Classic Merlot

Method

Pour all the ingredients, except the wine, into a shaker and fill with ice.

Shake well and strain into a highball glass filled with ice.

Carefully pour the wine over the back of a spoon to let it float on top of the drink.