Gin Rickey

The history of cocktails – and drinks in general – is amazingly rich. They wander in and out of all other threads of history, influencing them as well as being influenced by them. It’s enough fun that I’m tempted to go into much more depth for these classic items – but for now I’ll just give the overview, and the recipe!

Once upon a time (1883 to be exact), Colonel Joe Rickey went to Shoomaker’s in Washington, D.C. to have his “mornin’s morning,” which is to say, bourbon with mineral water and ice. His bartender added a lime to it and one of the colonel’s friends named the new combination after the him. Or that’s one version of the story; there are others.

What is certain is that a gin variation became very popular by the 1890’s, and remained so for a decade or more. It’s mentioned in The Great Gatsby, among other things. In 2011 it was declared D.C.’s official native cocktail, and the month of July as Rickey Month.

When you make it, it’s appropriate to drop the half lime’s “shell” into the drink after squeezing the juice. Other Rickeys can be made by switching out the liquor, such as the original Bourbon Rickey.

Gin Rickey
· collins, ice
2 gin
1/2 lime
fill sparkling mineral water (or club soda)
Build

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *