ETHANOL

VODKA SODA

1970s onwards.

HIGHBALL
ETHANOL 19 G131 KCAL FROM ETHANOL7.36 OZ SERVED

SPEC

2 oz · 60 mlVODKA40 %
5 oz · 150 mlSODA WATER
¼ oz · 8 mlLIME JUICE

1 oz taken as 30 ml in the metric column.

METHOD

  1. 01FILL HIGHBALL WITH ICE
  2. 02ADD VODKA, TOP WITH SODA WATER
  3. 03GARNISH WITH LIME WEDGE

1 oz taken as 30 ml in the metric column.

STRENGTH // WORKED

Pre-batch2.25 oz mixed with ice, 0.8 oz of it pure alcohol
MeltBuilt in the glass: +5 % of the pre-batch, +0.11 oz of water
ToppedPoured after the melt, kept whole: soda water 5 oz, no alcohol
Served2.25 + 0.11 + 5 = 7.36 oz in the glass, 0.8 oz of it alcohol
Strength0.8 ÷ 7.36 = 10.9 % ABV as served
Ethanol0.8 oz × 29.57 ml × 0.789 g/ml = 19 g · about 131 kcal from the alcohol alone

IN THE GLASS

FURFURAL

FROM VODKA GRAIN TRACE · the toasted/caramel note

Formula
C₅H₄O₂
Mass
96.08 g/mol
IUPAC
furan-2-carbaldehyde

The toasted-almond / caramel note in aged port, madeira, and amontillado sherry, formed when sugars in the wine slowly oxidize during long oxidative cask aging. Also in roasted coffee, baked bread, and any food that's been browned through Maillard chemistry. The deeper the toast on a bourbon barrel, the more furfural extracts into the spirit; the longer the madeira sits in the estufa, the more accumulates.

PUBCHEM ↗

ALSO IN Vodka Cranberry · Screwdriver · Bloody Mary · Bloody Caesar · Black Russian · White Russian · Lemon Drop · Kamikaze

CITRAL

FROM LIME · the lemon aroma

Formula
C₁₀H₁₆O
Mass
152.24 g/mol
IUPAC
(2E)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienal

Lemon's defining note: technically a mix of two geometric isomers (geranial and neral) that read as the same aroma to the nose. Lemon peel, lemongrass, lemon verbena, and Indian chai all carry it. In cocktails it's what a lemon twist contributes that lemon juice can't: the volatile expressed from the oil glands, not the acid from the pulp.

PUBCHEM ↗

ALSO IN Margarita · Mojito · Daiquiri · Whiskey Sour · Gimlet · Moscow Mule · Paper Plane · Aviation

CHEMISTRY

Vodka, soda and lime. Near-zero congeners and no sugar. The leanest highball.

PROVENANCE

No single inventor; emerged as American vodka consumption surged through the 1970s and 80s. The diet-conscious 1990s solidified its position as the default low-calorie bar order. Vodka and soda contribute almost no flavor; the drink is the absence of flavor as a feature.

VODKA // NEARBY

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