The Gin Rickey is one of only two cocktails mentioned by name in the F. Scott Fizgerald’s alcohol drenched classic, The Great Gatsby, but what is it exactly?
In an early scene, Daisy asks her husband Tom to make Gatsby & the pair some drinks (so she can have privacy to profess her love to Gatsby). Tom returns,
“preceding four gin rickeys that clicked full of ice. Gatsby took up his drink. ‘They certainly look cool,’ [Gatsby] said with visible tension. We drank in long, greedy swallows.”
Dating back to the 1880s, Rickeys (there can be Whisky Rickeys, Rum Rickeys, etc.) aren’t commonly seen on today’s drink menus, but they’re one of the easiest drinks to make – no shaker needed!
[divider]The Recipe[/divider]
- 2 oz gin – we like Prairie Organic or Farmer’s Organic
- 1/2 lime
- soda water
In a highball glass over ice, add the juice and shell of your lime. Add the gin, and top with soda.
Note that adding the lime shell is not only part of the signature look of a Rickey, but adds to the flavor of the drink. The oils from the lime’s peel continue to permeate the recipe as one drinks it.
If you want to check out Gatsby’s other cocktail, the Mint Julep, click here.
Cheers!