With your highball glass with ice firmly in hand, pour one and a half ounces of liquor into the glass. There are three methods I have heard of for measuring your pour:

1. Measuring the quantity with a jigger
2. Measuring "two fingers" of alcohol
3. Using a speed-pourer and counting to three

All three of these techniques are explained in our article on measuring alcohol.

After pouring the alcohol, add the mixer to the drink. The mixer will usually be a carbonated drink but may be orange juice, water, or just about anything else.  If the base is carbonated, then the drink is done - the bubbles will mix the drink for you.  Indeed, mixing a carbonated drink will reduce the bubbles. If the mixer is not carbonated, it's your responsibility to either stir the drink with your bar spoon or to add a straw or stirrer to the drink for the drinker to use.

All that remains is the addition of the garnish.  Most highballs won't call for one, but you should feel welcome to add cherries to sweet drinks or lemon peels to drinks with a citrus base.  Click for more information on adding garnishes.

Want to know more?  See this page for the history of the highball and a few recipes that call for this tall glass.

Next steps:  

This article is the third article in a ten article series designed to transform people new to drink mixing into competent bartenders.  Click for the next article in the series, Preparing Garnishes.