Johnnie, ginger and good vibes: How a slow Sunday turned me into the cocktail king

Let me set the scene for you.

It was a lazy, breezy Sunday. The kind of Sunday where even your Wi-Fi is like, “We rest.” I’d just finished deep-cleaning my kitchen out of boredom and misplaced ambition, and I was about to settle down with a sad packet of peanuts and my equally sad thoughts when it hit me - why not call the gang over? Nothing fancy. Just vibes, some food, and if the gods allow, a drink or two that don’t come out of a plastic bottle with a broken seal.

The problem was, I didn’t know how to make cocktails. Heck, I barely know how to spell “mixologist” without help. But desperate times call for brave men with data bundles. So I texted my friend Kelvin, resident cocktail wizard, shaker of spirits, and gatekeeper of all things boozy and boujee.

“Bro,” I typed, “I want to make something light, something classy, but not too complicated. What do I serve that says ‘sophisticated’, but also ‘I’m not trying too hard’?”

Two minutes later, he sent me what can only be described as divine prophecy in recipe form. Two options. Both starring the mighty Johnnie Walker, either Red Label or Black Label (I had both, because I like to pretend I host more than I actually do).

The first recipe he sent was to make a cocktail named the Ginger Highball. It’s simple, apparently popular, and very refreshing. Kelvin said it was the perfect drink to introduce whisky to newbies. “Bro, if they don’t love whisky now, they’ll start asking for it after this,” he wrote.

The ingredients to make this, according to the wizard were; 50ml Johnnie Walker (Red or Black), 150ml ginger ale, and some lime wedge or slice (for garnish). And how you make it is you first fill a highball glass with ice cubes; pour in the Johnnie Walker; top with ginger ale; gently stir to combine; and then garnish with a lime wedge or slice.

“Don’t overthink it,” Kelvin said. “Just pour, stir, and pretend you’re Tom Cruise in ‘Cocktail’.”

The second recipe was called the Coca-Cola Highball. This one is crisp, clean, and just the right amount of classy. He said this one lets the whisky do the talking, while coca-cola plays smooth background vocals.

Its ingredients are 50ml Johnnie Walker (Red or Black), 125ml Coca-Cola, and a lime wedge or slice (for garnish). The method for making it is first fill a tall glass with ice cubes; pour in the Johnnie Walker, top with Coca-Cola, gently stir, and then garnish with a lime wedge or slice.

Armed with this sacred knowledge and a playlist full of nostalgic R&B bangers by DJ Grauchi, I began my mission.

My friends trickled in one by one  some bearing food, others bearing gossip, all bearing thirst. I greeted them like a man who had recently inherited a secret bar in Santorini. I pulled out the Johnnie bottles and lined up glasses like a pro. The moment I dropped that first lime wedge into a fizzing Ginger Highball, someone whispered, “Okay, who is this man?!”

Let me tell you - the cocktails (to borrow Gen Z lingo) slapped harder than Kidero. Even Brenda, who usually sips rosé like she owns shares in the vineyard, was like, “Can I have another one of those whisky things?” And this is Brenda. Brenda who once said, “Whisky is what my father drinks when he’s sad.” Look at God.

By the end of the afternoon, I had made at least four rounds of each cocktail. The Johnnie and Ginger was a crowd-favorite. Light, spicy, and refreshing. Like your crush finally texting you back. The Johnnie and coke came in close - familiar but elevated, like a remix that’s better than the original.

And me? I was basking in compliments like a man who’s just discovered fire and bottled it in glassware from Carrefour. I’d gone from “I don’t know how to make cocktails” to “Yo, you should open a place.”

Sometimes, all you need is a lazy Sunday, some good whisky, and a friend who knows their way around a bar to unlock your inner mixologist. And let’s be honest - everything tastes better when you’ve made it with your own two slightly shaky hands.

So here’s to Johnnie. And ginger. And coca-cola. And Sundays that start slow but end on a highball. You’re welcome for those recipes, by the way.

Also, Kelvin if you do get to read this - I owe you one. Preferably in a tall glass with ice and lime.