Gin Rickey

If you love zero sugar, refreshing cocktails than the Gin Rickey is one you have to try! It is the perfect combination of a little bit of fizz, a little bit of citrus, and gin.

What is a Gin Rickey?

This drink is a mix of gin, soda water and lime. You may have read about this cocktail in the classic novel, Great Gatsby.

There’s no sugar or other heavy liquors added to a Gin Rickey. So you really get to enjoy the citrusy lime flavors combined with the carbonated fizz of your soda water and of course your gin.

Gin has a heavy botanical flavor, with high notes of juniper in most brands. This smooth botanical flavor combined with the fizzy soda water is delicious. The lime added in creates a fresh citrus flavor.

It is similar to a Vodka soda, a Gin and Tonic and a Bourbon Rickey.

History of Rickey cocktails

The first Rickey cocktail was actually a Bourbon Rickey. Gin rickeys are very similar with the obvious exception of being made with gin instead of bourbon.

The first Rickey cocktail was created in the 1800’s by a bartender in Washington DC for a lobbyist with the last name Rickey. Rickey cocktails are simple mixture of three ingredients: gin or bourbon (or liquor of your choice), lime juice, and soda water.

Why and When You Should Make One

Gin Rickeys are the perfect summer sipping drink. They’re incredibly refreshing and light. They’re low calorie and low carb. They’re similar in taste to a gin and tonic. And the refreshing in the same way that a vodka soda is of course with an emphasis on gin instead of vodka.

How many calories?

One bonus of this drink is it is low in calories. Soda water does not have any calories associated. Gin tends to be around 70 to 75 calories per ounce. So, if you use 2 oz of gin you’re looking at about a 140 to 150 calories per serving.

What is the best gin to use?

I really enjoy Bombay Sapphire Gin. It is a high-quality full flavor gin, but a little bit lighter on the botanical flavors than some other gins. If you really enjoy the botanical flavor of gin, I might suggest Tanqueray or Hendricks.

How to make this drink:

This is one of the easiest cocktails to make. No shaking or glass rimming involved. You don’t have to layer ingredients or do anything fancy. Just pour your ingredients together, give a stir and drink up!

Step One

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