This summer, I’m basking in the daily slowness of life without school (even online school was an effort) and experiencing everything that we weren’t able to this past year. Seeing family, meeting friends for drinks, eating out, enjoying museums and parks; it all feels special. Though we’re still wearing masks and maintaining some sense of social distancing, this summer still feels so much different. I feel as if I have at least some of my life back.
To capture my summer mood, I needed a refreshing drink to sip on while enjoying the sunshine. My drink of choice couldn’t be easier: the Cherry Gin Rickey.
What is a Cherry Gin Rickey?
The Gin Rickey is a mixed drink that dates back to the early 19th century in Washington, D.C. It’s a combination of gin, lime juice, club soda, and ice for a tart, sparkling, and light drink. Sometimes simple syrup is added but my twist on this cocktail skips the syrup and uses a high quality maraschino cherry with a splash of cherry juice from the jar.
How to Make a Cherry Gin Rickey?
The Cherry Gin Rickey is made in this order: ice, gin, lime juice, club soda, maraschino cherry juice and finished with a maraschino cherry. It’s so incredibly balanced and refreshing. Perfectly chilled and sippable on a hot day.
Adding ice to the glass beforehand makes for a chilled drink that isn’t too watery. Trust me on this. I used to add the ice last and ended up using at least a quarter more club soda.
Best Ingredients for a Cherry Gin Rickey
Cherries & Cherry Juice – I do recommend buying a high quality maraschino cherry such as from Tillen Farms, which doesn’t include any artificial dyes or flavors. I find them to be perfectly plump, juicy, and fresh tasting. Just to be clear, this is not a sponsored post, I just really like these cherries!
Gin – I love Bombay for its floral notes but London Dry is also a great choice. Out of gin? It should be noted that the original Rickey was actually made with bourbon, so sometimes I replace the gin with an equal amount of Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
Lime juice – It’s best to use freshly squeezed! Lime is one of the main ingredients and there is a significant flavor difference between fresh squeezed and bottled lime juice. If out of fresh limes use lime LaCroix instead of club soda. The lime isn’t as strong but it still works in a pinch.
Club soda – Club soda is carbonated water with mineral additives included. The minerals make the drink slightly saltier than a straight carbonated water (such as LaCroix) that doesn’t include added minerals. I buy whatever I can find on the grocery shelves. Fever-Tree or Schweppes are good options for brand name club soda.
That’s it!
I hope you are out making memories and sipping cocktails in the sun. Cheers to summer!
Cherry Gin Rickey
- Ice
- 1 ½ ounces gin
- 1 lime, divided
- 4 ounces club soda
- 1 maraschino cherry
- 1 splash of cherry juice from the maraschino cherry jar
Directions:
Fill a rocks glass half full of ice. Cut the lime in half and squeeze one half over the ice. Add gin, club soda, and cherry juice over the ice and stir. Slice the other half lime into rounds for garnish Add the maraschino cherry and enjoy immediately.
Baking with Rachel 