Revisiting the Gin Rickey

July is Rickey month. Most cocktailians are thinking about the DC Craft Bartender's Guild's 5th annual Rickey Competition. Every year, competing barmen and barwomen buzz with excitement over the ingenious variations that they've come up with.

I, on the other hand, have decided to revisit the original for this blog post.

Many people know this simple cocktail as a glass filled with gin or bourbon, lime juice and soda water. Yet, lots of people don't know that the Rickey was originally crafted with sparkling mineral water. According to 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."

Celebrity craft bartender and Rickey enthusiast Derek Brown (a friend whom I believe is a supertaster) seems to prefer the mineral water in the Rickey over the more neutral club soda. 

Either way, the inclusion of this particular ingredient is fascinating in that it gives us just a little window into the sensibilities of the nineteenth century imbiber.

The Rickey

- 2 oz gin or bourbon (I like Old Tom Gin or Bulliet Borbon)
- sparkling mineral water
- juice from 1/2 lime

Add the spirit into a glass with ice. Squeeze half a lime into the glass, leaving in the shell. Add sparkling mineral water and stir a few times.

For this post, I chose a mineral water that has just hit the Washington D.C. market called American Summits. They generate a really refreshing product.

A little about American Summits: until now, fine bottled table water has been more-or-less led by European companies, as explained in detail by Eat The District. 

When I met the owner, Philippe Lajaunie, at this year's RAMMY awards, he essentially told me it never made sense to him that we imported so much bottled water into the United States from Europe.

It especially didn't make sense when we have perfectly good water coming from (according to BevNet) the 12,000 foot snowy peaks of Northern Wyoming.

Oh, and by the way, you might know Lajaunie from the famed Brasserie Les Halles.

Anyway, enjoy Rickey month and take the opportunity to sip some "air conditioning in a glass" during these sweltering days in the District.

And don't forget to check out the winner of this year's Rickey Competition toward the end of July.

Note: This post has been revised since its original publication

The DC Craft Bartender's Guild Presents The 4th Annual Rickey Competition at Jack's Rose: "Don't Drink Too Many..."

Image: David Wondrich via Twitter

Jack's Rose in Adam's Morgan hosted this year's DC Craft Bartender's Guild's Rickey Competition. Each drink from each competitor could have been the winner and the finale took place in one beautiful saloon. Last year, Alex Bookless became the district's queen of the Rickey. This year, Gina Chesevani went home the champion.

A couple of personal favorites for me were Julia Hurst's Rubarbra Streisand and Alexandra Nichols' Riquitita. 

Congratulations to Gina for her winning drink, Rapture of the Rickey! She had a wonderful cocktail and continues to churn out delicious tipples.

Everybody Loves Rickey

Tomorrow night they announce the winner for the DC Craft Bartenders Guild's annual Rickey Competition. The party is at Jack Rose on 18th street in northwest at the edge of Adam's Morgan and it starts at 6:00 pm. I'll be very excited to try some of the new approaches to DC's native cocktail. I'll also be interested in checking out Jack Rose which has gained a healthy buzz in the city lately. 

The DCist posted the finalists which I've reposted below.

- Riquitita, Alexandra Nichols (Estadio)
- Rapture of the Rickey, Gina Chersevani (PS7's)
- Plum Rickey, Jason Strich (Rasika)
- August Rickey, Chantal Tseng (Tabard Inn)
- Rhubarbra Streisand, Julia Hurst (The Passenger)
- Summer Lovin' Rickey, David Fritzler (Tryst)

Congratulations to all of the finalists and good luck.

Readers can look for my report on this event in the coming days.

The DC Craft Bartenders Guild Presents The 3rd Annual Rickey Month Contest

With a reluctant backward glance the well-disciplined child held to her nurse’s hand and was pulled out the door, just as Tom came back, preceding four gin rickeys that clicked full of ice.  

Gatsby took up his drink.

“They certainly look cool,” he said, with visible tension.

We drank in long, greedy swallows.

When looking at the lime I can't wait to ravage it. Letting a knife strike through the middle of this produce with citrus juices spilling about is unfettered happiness. The Rickey is an excuse for happiness and The Third Annual Rickey Month Contest by the DC Craft Bartenders Guild was last Monday. 

We may have been present at The Passenger approximately fifty seconds when suddenly we had two of Gina Chersevani's Rickey Ricardo cocktail in our clutches.  Frankie of PS7s was the mixologist fashioning this beauty.  For me, the coconut soda was really a highlight of that drink, and really glided onto one's taste buds.   
 

Jay Gatsby could have been seen at this soirée.  And the old sport would have instantly felt relief, however brief, from the torture in his life.  Instead, the distinguished guest seemed to be "Eric On A Stick," and he did not drink much.
 

Derek Brown served as the host for the suspiciously terse awards ceremony (a party thrown by bartenders values time spent with one's drink).  The second place honors went to Dan Searing of Room 11 with his Lemon Balm Rickey.  Tragically, I was not able to delight in this cocktail's instance.  But I will surely and suddenly be found at Room 11 one day for a chance at the experience.  

The finalist was the lovely Alex Bookless of The Passenger for her iteration called The Root of All Rickey.  Alex has been my bartender on several occasions and there was a tickle of gratification knowing she was receiving some recognition for results to which I have been accustomed.  I'm sure that satisfaction amplified for Derek and his Passengers.  

My own honorable mention rests on Adam Bernbach of Proof for the Salty Limey Ginny Thing.  Saltiness has never occurred to me to be so refreshing.  Bravo Zulu to Alex and Dan for their accomplishments!