Julie Andrews' Favorite Drink Is A 2-Ingredient Highball

After decades of entertaining the masses, Dame Julie Andrews deserves a drink or three whenever she wants. On "The Kelly Clarkson Show," Andrews' daughter Emma Walton Hamilton revealed to host Kelly Clarkson that her mother is known to enjoy brandy and soda. While Andrews admitted to also appreciating martinis, she confessed that a classic brandy highball has remained her go-to drink over the years. "I love martinis too, but it's the drink that I always go back to," she explained. "Especially when I'm weary, tired, something like that." 

Highballs are known for their simple formulaic recipes, as highballs are traditionally made with a spirit and mixer poured into a Collins glass filled with ice. Think Tom Collins, Dark and Stormy, and whiskey highballs — all pour-and-serve drinks that don't call for fancy showmanship or shenanigans. Brandy and soda packs just the right amount of sweetness to be refreshingly enjoyable without requiring any shaking, stirring, or reaching for a variety of ingredients before you can start sipping, which is ideal for a long day spent on a movie set or running down hills singing show tunes.

Serving up brandy and soda doesn't take any professional bartending capacity, making the cocktail perfect for nights when you're running low on energy or catering to many guests. While brandy can be enjoyed with other drinks like amaretto, coffee, or Champagne, pouring brandy with soda offers a fresh beverage. The carbonation lightens the booze to create a drinking experience that delivers a gentler wallop than brandy served straight up. Plus, mixers like club soda and seltzer won't dramatically alter the flavor of the brandy, letting unique tasting profiles of brandy shine and take center stage. Since brandy is distilled from fermented fruit, just like whiskey, distillers have choices when it comes to distilling fruits in copper pots or column stills, and true connoisseurs will notice the nuances that different brandy bottles can present.

If you're not sure how to start pouring ratios of alcohol and mixers, measure out one part brandy for two parts soda water or club soda, and pour both into a highball glass with ice. Play some classic tunes, and you'll have a pleasant evening you can thank Andrews for.