Sharp, fizzy and barely sweet, the Lime Rickey is what lemonade would be if it grew up tart. Squeeze the limes fresh, keep the soda ice cold and you have one of the most refreshing alcohol-free drinks there is.
1 oz
lime juice
¾ oz
simple syrup
5 oz
soda water well chilled
1 wedge
lime
Garnish: Lime wedge · Ice: Ice cubes
Lime Rickey
Very tart and zesty with just enough sweetness and plenty of sparkle. Light and thirst-quenching.
The Rickey began as an alcoholic drink. It is linked to Colonel Joe Rickey, a Democratic lobbyist in Washington, D.C., and to Shoomaker's bar, where a mix of spirit, lime and soda water without sugar was named after him in the 1880s. Gin soon became the usual base, and the Gin Rickey is still a classic.
Around the turn of the 20th century, American soda fountains adopted the idea and dropped the alcohol, adding sweet syrup instead. The alcohol-free Lime Rickey became a soda fountain staple, and in New England the raspberry version remains especially popular. Unlike the original bar Rickey, this version is sweetened to taste.
This soda fountain version is alcohol-free. The bar version, the Gin Rickey, contains gin.
A Rickey uses lime and traditionally no sugar, while a Collins uses lemon and sugar.
Yes, but a neutral soda water keeps the lime flavor cleaner than salty mineral water.
The perfect sound
A fizzy soda fountain afternoon.
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