cocktail review no. 72 - Gin Rickey

Okay, let's step away from vodka for a moment. I'll use the last of that godawful cheap bottle from Bucheon in my special penne-with-tomato-and-vodka sauce later this week. Then it'll be gone and I'll just have the lovely, quality Parliament-brand vodka that I got in the Russian quarter near Dongdaemun. I have nearly a full bottle of Gordon's, so it's time for some gin recipes.

The rickey was wildly popular back in the day, you know. It was invented in the 1880s, reached the height of its popularity just after the turn of the century, and remained prevalent enough into the 1920s that it was mentioned in several prominent works of literature, most notably The Great Gatsby. That means that F. Scott Fitzgerald knew about this drink, and likely drank a few. Awesomeness by association? Here you are.

But let's talk about the drink itself. Where'd the name "rickey" come from? And why are there so many variations?

Well, I'll tell you: drinks with names like "rickey," "flip," "crusta," and "sour" are actually written in code. "Rickey" is a codeword for a specific cocktail recipe, where the only variation is the spirit. The rest is just stock ingredients. There are gin rickeys, whiskey rickeys, rum rickeys, vodka rickeys, and bourbon rickeys.

In fact, the original rickey was made with bourbon: the Joe Rickey.

From Wikipedia:

In 1883, Colonel Joe Rickey was purported to have invented the "Joe Rickey," after a bartender at Shoomaker's in Washington, D.C. added a lime to his "mornin's morning," a daily dose of Bourbon with lump ice and Apollinaris sparkling mineral water. Some stories place the exact day as a Monday after Col. Joe Rickey celebrated his wager with a Philadelphian on the successful ascension of John G. Carlisle to Speaker of the House. Col. Joe Rickey was known as a "gentleman gambler" and placed many bets on the outcome of various political contests.

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Now, the gin rickey:

• 2 ounces desired liquor (in this case, gin)
• 5 ounces club soda (or mineral water, if you so desire)
• 1 lime wedge

Pour the liquor and club soda into a highball glass almost filled with ice cubes. Stir well and garnish with the lime wedge.

A few quick things before I get to my review.

Firstly, don't mix up highball glasses and rocks glasses (also called lowball glasses or old fashioned glasses). Capisce?

Second, if you live in a benighted, uncivilized country like South Korea that hasn't the faintest clue what a lime is, then you can just do like me and squirt some lime juice into the drink and call it even.

My diagnosis:

My goodness, I thought gin-and-tonics were refreshing and summery! The gin rickey blows every light, fizzy highball I've ever had right out of the water. It's easily the most cool, frosty, smooth and stomach-settling cocktail I've ever had.The mineral water does wonders for indigestion, the gin gives your head that pleasant, warm, humming feeling, and the hint of lime rounds the whole effect out. If you need to cool off, cool down, kick back or chill out, this here's your drink. And it takes roughly ten seconds to make.

You're welcome.