Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink
  3. Features

We Think You’ll Need These Rickey Cocktails Tomorrow

By

No matter what side of the aisle you fall on, tomorrow is inauguration day and we think you’ll need some drinks.

Perhaps in celebration, perhaps in utter sadness—either way, we’re not judging. We’re merely here to give you something to drink. On the occasion of a presidential inauguration, then, it seems fitting that we offer up these four versions of Washington D.C.’s official cocktail, the Rickey.

Recommended Videos

The Rickey dates back to the 1880s, where George A. Williamson of Shoomaker’s bar was said to have created the highball drink made with bourbon, carbonated water, and lime. After his original creation, some people added sugar. It is alleged that the name comes from Democratic lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey and the drink itself soared in popularity when, a few years later, it was remade with gin.

Now, with the history lesson out of the way, it’s time to get your drink on. All of the cocktails below were created at The Rickey in New York, made by all-star bartender Johnny Swet.

Colonel Joe Rickey

  • 2 oz Woodford Reserve Bourbon
  • .75 oz lime juice
  • .75 oz honey
  • Grilled Lime
  • Splash of Ginger ale
  • Honey cracked peppercorns

Method: Mix all ingredients together. Top with a grilled wedge of lime and four mint sprigs. Top with Ginger ale. Serve in a tall glass.

The Pomegranate Rickey

Method: Mix all ingredients together. Top with ice cube and lime wedge.

Pomegranate Ice Cube: Take an ice mold and fill with water, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, and freeze. Use as a substitute for regular ice cubes.

The Cartel Rickey

  • 1.5 oz Sailor Jerry rum
  • 1.5 oz Fresh pineapple juice
  • .25 oz Agave
  • .25 oz Lime juice
  • 6 Colombian coffee beans
  • Coconut water (for ice cubes)

Method: Muddle three of the Colombian coffee beans. Add rum, pineapple juice, agave and lime juice. Shake and fine strain into rocks glass with the coconut water ice cube.

Coconut Water Ice Cube: take an ice mold and fill with coconut water, sprinkle with coffee beans, and freeze. Use as a substitute for regular ice cubes.

Gin Rickey at The Rickey

Method: Top with soda. Add Lime wedge.

Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ready-to-drink cocktails to bring the bar experience home
These ready-to-serve drinks will make you feel like you're at a bar instead of your home
Post Meridien

I love a good cocktail bar. The type of place with a mix of classic and contemporary drinks. The kind of establishment where the bartenders are allowed to let their creativity flow, adding different flavors to elevate well-known mixed drinks. But I’m pretty busy with everyday life and don’t always have time to spend an evening drinking contemporary takes on the Old Fashioned or Negroni at a cocktail bar. This is where ready-to-drink cocktails come in. And while there are many overly sugary, low-alcohol options available, some brands make RTDs that taste like my favorite drinks and have the same (or similar alcohol content).

I’ve spent years sampling ready-to-drink cocktails (especially as the category has expanded in recent years), and I’ve found quite a few that you can crack open, pour into a glass, and feel as close to your local cocktail bar as possible without actually leaving the friendly confines of your home.

Read more
This new coffee and hydration bundle gives back to Brazilian farmers
This $50 coffee & hydration bundle is your new summer essential
Equator Coffee

We're right in the heart of the summer -- and this fun seasonal collab from Equator Coffees makes the perfect pairing for those who love coffee (and hydration) as much as I do. The new Golden Hour x Buoy Hydration Bundle, (priced at $50), pairs Equator's Golden Hour blend (bright, fruity notes of orange creamsicle and Rainier cherry) with Buoy's unsweetened hydration drops and a 32oz water bottle featuring original artwork from local SF muralist Rymie. As you build a nice war-weather routine, this bundle helps emphasize the importance of staying hydrated (and caffeinated) all summer long. Even better, 5% of collection sales support youth agricultural education at the farm behind the blend in Brazil.

“Golden Hour is summer in a cup. It’s bright, vibrant, and the kind of coffee I reach for when the days get longer. Pairing it with Buoy hydration drops and a custom Nalgene just made sense to us—great coffee to start your day, hydration to keep you feeling your best, and a bottle you’ll actually want to bring everywhere this summer," says Helen Russell, Co-Founder and Executive Chair.

Read more
The best value single malt whisky from every region of Scotland
Take a tour of Scotland with these gateway whiskies
Aberlour

If you’re new to the world of Scotch whisky, you might just assume that it all tastes the same. Well, not only are there major differences in aroma and flavor between many well-known whiskies, but there are also five distinct regions, and each has its own unique flavor profile. Each region is also home to many value whiskies. Today, I’m going to highlight one from each. But before I get into that, I need to start at the beginning.

When I first started writing about alcohol, Scotch whisky seemed a little overwhelming to me. When I first tasted it, I thought they all tasted the same. That changed when I was given a dram of single malt whisky from The Macallan alongside a dram of single malt whisky from Laphroaig. Boy, was my mind blown.

Read more