Gin Rickey

One of the most refreshing drinks you’ll ever make is also the easiest. The classic gin rickey requires just three ingredients and basically zero prep time, coming together in less than five minutes.

The original rickey cocktail recipe is credited to a late-19th-century bartender in Washington, DC. As the story goes, a lobbyist named Colonel Joe Rickey frequented Shoomaker’s, a saloon in the city’s historic Rum Row. There, he would request a mixed drink without sugar. Bartender George Williamson crafted a simple cocktail using the gentleman’s preferred spirit, fresh lime juice, and soda water. And while the colonel is reported to have opted for bourbon, it wasn’t long until gin became the more popular base for the concoction. The gin drink even made a cameo in 1925’s The Great Gatsby, where the players are said to sip their cold drinks in “long greedy swallows.”

While London dry gin is the traditional spirit, modern styles of gin can be used to flavorful effect. If you prefer a sweeter gin cocktail, add a splash of simple syrup and serve it up to make a gimlet (if you then swap the lime juice for lemon and put it back on ice, it becomes a Tom Collins). You can also make an equally refreshing version without any gin—try a lime rickey seasoned with a touch of Angostura bitters for complexity.