By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026

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Pumpernickel Highball

Serves 1

118 cal · 15 min

Pumpernickel Highball

Recipe GLPR6116b1afa22377

3.8(1)
Beverage
15 min
118 cal
Servings: 1
Stovetop

A sophisticated rye whiskey cocktail infused with caraway seed syrup and topped with crisp club soda. The caraway simple syrup adds a subtle spiced note reminiscent of pumpernickel bread, while the cucumber garnish provides a fresh, aromatic finish. This refreshing highball is perfect as an aperitif or evening cocktail.

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Ingredients

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons caraway seed

ice

2 ounces rye whiskey

¼ teaspoon caraway simple syrup

4 ounces club soda

1 cucumber slice

Directions

  1. Prepare the caraway simple syrup by combining water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.

  2. Add the caraway seeds to the simmering sugar solution and stir gently. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. The caraway seeds will infuse the syrup with their distinctive spiced flavor.

  3. Fill a highball glass with ice cubes.

  4. Pour the rye whiskey over the ice.

  5. Add one quarter teaspoon of the cooled caraway simple syrup to the whiskey and stir well to combine.

  6. Top the cocktail with club soda and stir gently to blend all ingredients.

  7. Garnish with a fresh cucumber slice placed on the rim or floating in the drink.

  8. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff3.75

This is a single-serving cocktail, not a meal or dish that suits Grocery List Plus's meal-planning focus. The caraway simple syrup requires advance prep—you'll need to infuse caraway seed in sugar syrup, which means the actual first-time preparation is closer to 30 minutes plus cooling time, not the stated 15. Caraway seed is available at major Charlotte chains but quality varies; you may need to stop at Harris Teeter for reliability. The ingredient list is short and the execution is straightforward once syrup is ready, making it fine for a home bartender, but it's outside the meal-planning use case and asks for honesty about the prep timeline.

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