All cultures have their go-to drinks for any occasion: a martini waiting at home, Brits heading to the pub after work, or the Japanese having a highball with dinner. The latter is a more nuanced, interesting trend just coming to the states now, with a lot of buzz pushing it forward. Japanese Whisky for the past few years has become more and more popular, with brands like Suntory at the forefront of the best blends in the spirit. Now though, with Suntory already well established and embarking on new takes on their spirit like the new Suntory Toki, for instance, the brand is making an even bigger move, going past what we drink, to how we drink in America.
Just like beer taps line nearly every Irish bar in America, a new wave already popular in Japan of highball machines is making its way to the US with a lot of great drinking to come from it. While it may look similar to a beer tap, the Suntory Toki highball machine perfectly blends club soda and the whisky in a ration that’s perfectly tuned to perfection that drinking one feels light and fun like a beer while still getting that warming, full bodied taste of whisky letting honey, green apple, and basil notes poke through in every sip. Restaurants are already grabbing the trend by the horns and bringing the machines, which keep both the whisky and soda perfectly chilled so there’s never a mountain of foam like with beer taps. New York’s top ramen outposts, Ippudo, are installing machines into their new location in Midtown, with the hopes of streamlining it throughout future Ippudo locations worldwide.
Between he golden color of the whisky and the attention to detail that these bars and restaurants have put into making a Suntory Toki highball as much as they would any cocktail is a great showing for the whisky being brought to the main stage in our liquor cabinets and bar shelves. Suntory has already become a great stalwart of whisky in the US the past few years, but between its newest release Toki offering a great flavor and the highball machine concepts offering a wider reach into simple, delicious delivery, it’s a great way to add to any meal.
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