In her book Drink Lightly, Natasha David describes the Highball to Heaven as an “ultra-luxe highball that feels part sophisticated screen siren and part off-duty club kid.” Citric and lactic acids, the latter in an orange juice–spiked simple syrup, amp up the flavor.
Highball to Heaven
Adapted from Drink Lightly by Natasha David

Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 2 ounces clove white port (see Editor’s Note)
- 1 1/2 ounces orange cream syrup (see Editor’s Note)
- 1 dash citric acid solution (see Editor’s Note)
- bubbly water, to top
Garnish: clove-studded orange crescent
Directions
- Whip-shake the first three ingredients with ice.
- Pour into a highball glass over crushed ice.
- Top with bubbly water, and stir to incorporate all ingredients.
- Garnish with a clove-studded orange crescent. Serve with a straw.
Editor's Note
Clove White Port
750ml bottle white port, preferably Quinta do Infantado
8 grams whole cloves
Combine the white port with the cloves, then cover and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Strain through a chinois, discarding the cloves. Bottle and refrigerate.
Orange Cream Syrup
200 grams vanilla lactic syrup
100 grams orange juice
Combine
vanilla lactic syrup
with orange juice in a medium bowl, and mix.
Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week. Makes about 3 cups.
Citric Acid Solution
100 grams filtered water
10 grams citric acid powder
Combine water and citric acid powder in a bowl, whisking until the citric acid powder has dissolved. Store, refrigerated, for up to 1 month. Transfer to a bitters dasher bottle when ready to use. Makes approximately 1/2 cup.