[Report] "Not Strong, Just Tasty" The Unstoppable Popularity of 'Highball'

'Highball' Mixed My Way
Low Alcohol Content Perfect for Drinking with Friends
Soju Mixed 'Sotonic' Also Popular

"It's nice because it's not strong and tastes good."

The highball, a type of cocktail made by mixing whiskey with carbonated drinks, remains popular among the MZ generation (born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s). When the strong whiskey is mixed with fizzy carbonation, the alcohol content lowers. The most attractive point is that it can be enjoyed with friends. While middle-aged people in their 40s and 50s have 'somaek'?a mix of soju and beer?people in their 20s and 30s have the 'highball,' some say.

On the afternoon of the 10th, office worker Kim Yeon-jae (27), whom we met at the Namdaemun liquor market in Seoul, said, "The reason highballs remain popular is that (because the alcohol content is low) you can drink it with friends without feeling burdened." Another office worker, Kim Ji-won (34), said, "When you look at places that sell highballs, many are 'Instagrammable' spots, so I think that also influences why highballs are popular."

A whiskey seller in his 50s explained that although sales have somewhat decreased due to the increase in outing crowds, young people in their 20s and 30s still seek out Western liquors a lot. "It seems they look for highballs because there is a lot of content about them on the internet and SNS (Instagram)," he said. Another merchant in his 40s also said, "People look for highballs a lot, and also regular Western liquors that are not highballs."

A liquor store district in Namdaemun, Seoul. Photo by Han Seung-gon

The tonic water market rapidly grows alongside the popularity of 'highball'

Along with the rising popularity of highballs, the market for 'tonic water,' which is mixed with high-proof liquors like whiskey and soju, has also rapidly expanded. Last year, the domestic market size exceeded 100 billion KRW for the first time. According to market research firm Euromonitor on the 12th, the domestic tonic water market size last year (combined sales for household and commercial use) was 102.4 billion KRW, showing about 60% growth compared to the previous year (64.3 billion KRW), marking an all-time high.

The tonic water market, which was 46.4 billion KRW in 2018, grew to 60.5 billion KRW in 2019. However, it shrank to 53.4 billion KRW in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic fully took hold. Then it rebounded to 64.3 billion KRW in 2021, and last year, with the easing of social distancing, the increase was more pronounced. Industry insiders analyze that the highball culture, which became popular among the 20s and 30s 'home drinking' crowd during the COVID-19 spread period, continued into entertainment channels after the lifting of social distancing, leading to increased tonic water sales.

A citizen is looking at whiskey in a large supermarket. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Tonic water sales are expected to continue increasing in the future. This is because demand is rising not only for highballs mixed with Western high-proof liquors like whiskey but also for the so-called 'sotonic,' mixed with soju. According to a survey conducted by HiteJinro in April last year targeting 427 consumers aged 20 to 49 nationwide, among those who drank at least once a week within the last three months, 66.8% consumed mixed drinks.

Additionally, according to customs trade statistics, the import volume of whiskey types such as Scotch, Bourbon, and Rye in the first quarter of this year reached 8,443 tons, a 78.2% increase compared to the same period last year. This is the highest first-quarter figure since related statistics began in 2000. It was also the second-highest import volume on a quarterly basis, following the fourth quarter of last year (8,625 tons). Industry analysis points to the 20s and 30s as the driving force behind whiskey's growth. According to convenience store GS25, 43.3% of whiskey sales last year were purchased by people in their 30s, and 39.6% by those in their 20s. At convenience store CU, consumers in their 20s (25.3%) and 30s (28.0%) accounted for more than half of whiskey buyers.

Professor Myung Wook of the Barista & Sommelier Department at Sejong Cyber University explained, "First of all, the ability to drink at a lower alcohol content and the option to choose the alcohol level create versatility, which, combined with the curiosity of the MZ generation, sustains its popularity." Professor Myung added, "It continues the trend of 'somaek,' mixing soju and beer. Since highballs can be made not only with whiskey but also with tea as a base, the potential for expansion is limitless. It is highly likely to become a new trend in the liquor market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.