Vodka Rickey
Vodka, fresh lime, and soda with no sweetener — the Rickey (Shoomaker's D.C., 1880s), vodka's neutrality amplifying the format's deliberate dryness.
- 2 ozvodka
- ¾ ozfresh lime juice(freshly squeezed)
- 4 ozclub soda(to top)
- lime wedgegarnish
- 1Fill a highball glass with ice.
- 2Add vodka and lime juice.
- 3Top with club soda.
- 4Stir gently to combine.
- 5Squeeze a lime wedge over the drink and drop it in.
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The Vodka Rickey applies the classic Rickey framework to vodka. The original Rickey — gin, lime juice, and soda water with no sweetener whatsoever — was created at Shoomaker's bar in Washington, D.C. in the 1880s and named after Democratic lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey, who was said to prefer his drinks completely unsweetened. The Rickey is distinguished from other highballs by the absolute absence of sweetener, making it one of the driest, most austere cocktails in the American canon. The Vodka Rickey preserves this defining dryness while substituting the neutral vodka for the botanical gin, creating an even cleaner, crisper version of the format that appeals to drinkers who find gin's complexity distracting. Fresh lime rather than preserved lime juice is essential to the authentic Rickey character.
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