Highball

Gin Rickey

3 min.Gin

Chill a fizz or small highball glass.
1
Squeeze the juice from the lime into the glass, reserving the spent shell if using it as garnish.
2
Add a small lump of ice to the glass.
3
Add the gin to the glass.
4
Top up with cold soda water.
5
Give the drink a brief stir with a bar spoon to integrate.
6
Place the squeezed lime shell into the drink as garnish and serve with the bar spoon in the glass.
7

United States
Origin
The Gin Rickey evolved from the original whiskey-based Rickey created in the early 1880s at Shoomaker’s bar in Washington, D.C., by bartender George A. Williamson for lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey. The earliest clearly documented recipe under the title “GIN RICKEY” appears in Tim Daly’s Daly’s Bartenders’ Encyclopedia (1903), specifying Plymouth gin, juice of one lime, seltzer, and a lump of ice in a sour glass. Historically, Rickeys were defined by gin (or another spirit), fresh lime, and soda water, with no sugar, making them lean, dry highballs distinct from Collins-style drinks.
History
The original Rickey was made with bourbon or rye, lime, and sparkling mineral water (Apollinaris), but gin versions soon became the most popular by the 1890s. Early commentary stressed that Rickeys were traditionally served without sugar, or with “little or no sugar,” giving the Gin Rickey its famously dry, brisk character. The drink is closely associated with American literary culture and is noted as a favored drink of F. Scott Fitzgerald, appearing as a Rickey in The Great Gatsby (1925). In 2011, Washington, D.C. officially recognized the Rickey as the city’s native cocktail, honoring its origins at Shoomaker’s bar.
Trivia
Raw oysters, Light salads, Fried chicken, Salted nuts
Pairings
Daly's Bartenders' Encyclopedia
Source