Tuesday, February 15

Applejack Rickey


The Rickey is a great drink family that has a long history and has, with some slight variations, spawned drinks such as the Tom Collins and the Mojito. It was invented in Washington D.C. during one of the many hot summers of the 1880's when the politicians required a drink to refresh and reinvigorate them. It's an extremely simple drink, originally made with bourbon, the juice of half of a lime, and club soda. So, here's a variation:

Applejack Rickey:
  • 1 1/2 oz. Applejack
  • juice of 1/2 of a lime (about 3/4 oz.)
  • 1 lump of ice
Pour in 8 oz. highball glass, and top with club soda. Garnish with spent lime hull.

This drink is super refreshing. Some of the modern versions of the Rickey will add some sugar or a sweetener to adapt it to modern palates, but with Applejack having some inherent sweetness, it's absolutely not necessary in this drink. The apple and the lime mix well, though the lime hull in the glass adds tons of the more...earthyness? that can come with limes. Not bad, just different. It's also possible that the club soda I used wasn't entirely fresh, so it's not as effervescent as it should have been, which probably would have lightened things up a bit.

I will say, with a drink as delicate as this one, where there really aren't many ingredients that add flavor, quality really, really counts. Use the best quality you can, and you'll get rewarded with a great drink.

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