Gin Rickey: Best Cocktail Recipe + 5 Delicious Variations

Jacqueline Eisenbraun (Senior Editor)

If you love a cocktail but don’t like the kind that comes in a hurricane glass with straws, a cocktail umbrella, and masses of sugar and cherries, we have just the thing for you: introducing the Gin Rickey. Here you will find the best recipe and delicious variations.

Once upon a time, one Colonel Joe Rickey favored sugar-free cocktails and soda water. The rest, as they say, is history. The Gin Rickey is a classic, laid-back drink that can be enjoyed at both backyard BBQs and big events.

They’re easy to make and can be altered to suit your tastes by playing with additional ingredients and different types of gin. In short, the Gin Rickey is the perfect drink if you want something light, refreshing, and with plenty of potential to experiment.

Gin Rickeys have been around for decades and are as tasty as they are refreshing. If you’ve never tried one before, you’ll have to give our easy recipe a go. Then move on to experimenting with variations and similar cocktails.

What a Gin Rickey Is

What a Gin Rickey Is

A Gin Rickey is a gin-based cocktail with soda water and lime. It’s served in a highball glass and looks both sophisticated and simple at the same time.

Gin Rickeys are great on hot days and go with a large variety of foods. Experiment by making your Gin Rickey with different kinds of gin or try one of our delicious variations below.

Brief History / Origin

Brief History / Origin

There’s no big myth surrounding the origins of the Gin Rickey, nor is there a hazy bar story from long ago. The Gin Rickey was simply named after Democratic lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey in 1883.

He favored a drink of bourbon with ice and sparkling water, to which a bartender added lime. Later on the cocktail was made with gin instead of bourbon, and thus the Gin Rickey was born.

Ingredients: What’s in a Gin Rickey

Ingredients: What’s in a Gin Rickey

Gin Rickeys are made rather simply and only feature a few ingredients. The secret to a great Gin Rickey is the quality of the gin used. We’ll get into the best gin brands to explore in a moment. Before we do, here are the ingredients to make your own Gin Rickey:

• 2 oz gin
• 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
• Sparkling water or club soda to top up
• A slice of lime to garnish

Best Gin Brands for a Gin Rickey

Best Gin Brands for a Gin Rickey

Since a Gin Rickey only features a select few ingredients, it’s vital to choose a base that truly makes it shine. Good gins tend to be finely crafted and feature subtle differences depending on which botanicals they were infused with.

Some will turn your Gin Rickey into a slightly sweeter cocktail, while others will give it a dry kick with extra zesty lime.

Hendricks Gin

Hendricks Gin

Hendricks is one of the most popular gins available across the globe. It was first introduced by William Grant & Sons in Scotland in 1999.

Hendricks features an unusual combination of eleven botanicals, including cucumber and rose. Using Hendricks Gin in your Gin Rickey will give you a smoother drinking experience with a softly floral finish.

Portobello Road No.171 Gin

Portobello Road No.171 Gin

Portobello Road Gin is a relatively new gin that is best for a mid-range budget and those who love a traditional gin. It starts with a hefty amount of juniper, followed by lemon, coriander, and bitter orange.

The finish is peppery with a hint of nutmeg and liquorice. If you particularly enjoy the traditional gin-taste of juniper, this one’s for you. The hit of citrus works very well with the lime in the Gin Rickey.

Bombay Sapphire

Bombay Sapphire

Arguably one of the best-known gins around, Bombay Sapphire is best known for its distinct blue bottle. It was created in England in 1986 and still remains a popular choice today, particularly for mixing cocktails.

It’s a relatively mellow gin with predominant notes of citrus, juniper, and pepper. It’s a budget-friendly gin that’s easy to drink. Bombay Sapphire doesn’t impart any flavors that are too strong for those who usually prefer vodka.

Aviation American Gin

Aviation American Gin

Aviation American Gin is an unusual gin co-owned by actor Ryan Reynolds. It’s made by infusing grain spirit with a mix of specially-selected botanicals for 18 hours.

What makes this gin special is the use of ingredients such as French lavender and cardamom. As a result, it has subtle floral notes and a slightly spicy finish. This lends an unusual, almost sweet flavor to your Gin Rickeys.

Ableforth’s Bathtub Gin

Ableforth’s Bathtub Gin

This unusual gin is crafted by the Langley Distillery in the West Midlands. It’s won over 40 awards since its inception, making it one of the most highly lauded gins you can buy. Ableforth’s Bathtub Gin isn’t the cheapest gin money can buy, but it’s worth it.

It’s distilled in a traditional copper-pot still before being infused with orange peel and spices. There are strong notes of orange peel and juniper, giving it a citrusy edge that goes great with your favorite cocktail.

Recipe – How to Make a Gin Rickey

Recipe – How to Make a Gin Rickey

Gin Rickeys are somewhat unique in being totally sugar free. Their popularity largely comes down to this. They’re refreshing and relatively light without the headache-inducing sweetness of some similar cocktails.

Making a Gin Rickey couldn’t be easier: mix 2 oz gin with 0.5 oz fresh lime juice in a glass and top with chilled club soda. Garnish with two slices of lime.

How to Serve and Drink a Gin Rickey

How to Serve and Drink a Gin Rickey

Gin Rickeys are best served in a highball glass with plenty of ice. They’re not shaken as this wouldn’t work with the club soda. Gin Rickey cocktails are generally served with a simple garnish of two slices of lime, so they’re quick and easy to make.

Time & Occasions for Drinking a Gin Rickey

Time & Occasions for Drinking a Gin Rickey

Gin Rickeys are light and sugar-free, making them the perfect pre-dinner aperitif. They’re great at summer parties as they’re refreshing and reasonably hydrating. You can picture yourself sipping a Gin Rickey at both the beach and at home while preparing a special meal. They’re fuss-free and elegant all at once.

Perfect Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Gin Rickeys are predominantly flavored by the gin and added slices of lime. Due to their simplicity they go with a large variety of dishes.

If you’re looking for perfectly paired appetizers, we recommend seafood dishes such as salmon blinis and prawn cocktail. Lime always readily complements seafood, as do the botanicals in the gin. Gin Rickeys would also be the perfect cocktail choice for a delicious seafood BBQ.

The juniper flavors in gin also make it an excellent accompaniment to pork dishes. Richer dishes such as roasted pork belly will benefit from the lightness of the Gin Rickey. If you really want to go the extra mile, adding gin to the marinade or sauce as well is delicious.

If you’re looking for desserts to pair with a Gin Rickey, fruit is the first choice. A wide selection of fruit will complement this cocktail, including berries and citrus fruit. Pears, figs, and apricots are a great choice as part of a cheese platter.

Best Glass to Serve a Gin Rickey

Best Glass to Serve a Gin Rickey

The glass really does make the cocktail at times. Gin Rickeys are light, refreshing drinks with little extra fuss.

They don’t benefit from the likes of a martini glass as it would limit the addition of the club soda and there are no added botanicals to smell. They wouldn’t look great in a hurricane glass and a straw and cocktail umbrella would look misplaced.

The perfect glass for a Gin Rickey is a highball tumbler. These simple, tall glasses are perfect for maximizing the addition of ice and soda water. They also perfectly display the added lime slices, giving the impression of a modern, sophisticated drink.

Variations of the Gin Rickey

Variations of the Gin Rickey

What sets the Gin Rickey apart from other cocktails is its simplicity and lack of sweetness. It’s a tasty and refreshing drink that really highlights the flavors in the gin.

It’s light enough to not feel overpowering. With that said, it’s easy to add other subtle flavors to this drink and experiment. Below are some of our favorites.

Bourbon Rickey

Bourbon Rickey

As far as cocktail history goes, the Bourbon Rickey actually predates the Gin Rickey. It’s the original drink Colonel Joe Rickey favored all those years ago.

To make a Bourbon Rickey, simply replace the gin with your favorite bourbon. Wild Turkey and Jim Beam are frequently used, though you should feel free to experiment.

Strawberry Rickey

Strawberry Rickey

Strawberry Rickeys are generally a touch sweeter than the original Gin Rickey, though there’s a trick to avoid this if you don’t like it.

To make a standard Strawberry Rickey, add 0.5 oz of strawberry syrup to your drink and stir. If you don’t want the sugar content, use strawberry juice instead and add extra strawberries to garnish your cocktail.

Top tip: use frozen strawberries to also keep your drink cool.

Johnny Rickey

Johnny Rickey

This variation has a somewhat murky history in Washington and appears to have been created in 2016. It replaces gin with dark rum, for a smokier, richer taste.

It’s a refreshing take on the more usual rum beverages and really emphasizes the flavors. If you have a favorite rum, this is a unique way to enjoy it for longer. We like Mount Gay Black Barrel rum, which features bold flavors of gingerbread, toffee, and lychee.

Cherry Gin Rickey

Cherry Gin Rickey

The Cherry Gin Rickey recipe we tried is somewhat of a cheat’s version you’ll be able to replicate with any other flavored gin. To make it, all you need to do is replace the gin with cherry gin.

Some add 0.5 oz of lime cordial to slightly sweeten the drink, but this is optional. Garnish with a few cocktail cherries for a delightful treat.

If flavored gins are your thing, you’ll also want to try Silent Pool’s Rare Citrus Gin and Sligsby’s Marmalade Gin. Both add a great citrus note that works well in a Gin Rickey.

Watermelon Gin Rickey

Watermelon Gin Rickey

This version of the Gin Rickey adds 1.5 oz of Tropicana watermelon juice to the mix. Fresh watermelon juice is even better if you get the chance to make it.

The watermelon imparts a subtle flavor without overpowering the drink or making it too sweet. You can get watermelon flavored gin as well. Verano’s Watermelon gin is infused with Spanish watermelon and gets excellent ratings.

Similar Cocktails You Will Enjoy

Similar Cocktails You Will Enjoy

If you like gin-based cocktails but don’t want them too sweet, here are a few others we think you’ll enjoy. Gin tends to impart quite a strong botanical flavor, particularly of juniper berries. Those who have a particular liking for it will love similar cocktails that also emphasize these flavors.

Tom Collins

Tom Collins

Essentially a Gin Rickey but with added sugar syrup. If you like the refreshing qualities of the Gin Rickey but want to sweeten it slightly, you’ll eventually get a Tom Collins.

To make one, you just add 1 oz of lemon juice and 1 oz of sugar syrup. If that sounds too sweet, you can try going in between and add half the sugar syrup for a burst of sweetness that doesn’t go overboard.

Gimlet

Gimlet

A Tom Collins without the soda water, so to speak. The Gimlet is made by shaking gin, lime juice and simple syrup over ice, then garnishing with a slice of lime. It’s best drunk from a martini glass and does look a little more cocktail-esque than the Gin Rickey.

If you like the flavors of the gin in your Gin Rickey and prefer a Gimlet more like that, simply add less syrup or more lime juice.

Gin Fizz

Gin Fizz

This drink might initially confuse you if you’ve had a Tom Collins, as the ingredients are nearly the same. A Gin Fizz is shaken over ice, while a Tom Collins is stirred.

But to make a true Tom Collins you’ll also want to use Old Tom Gin. A Gin Fizz uses reasonably standard London Dry Gin.

Gin Mojito

Gin Mojito

Gin Mojitos are delicious. They use many of the same ingredients as a Gin Rickey, but with the addition of fresh mint and a dash of simple syrup to sweeten your drink.

These are particularly refreshing and look great in a highball glass. Why not have a gin drinks bar at your next party, and let guests mix their own Gin Rickeys, Gin Mojitos, and more?

Bee’s Knees

Bee’s Knees

A Bee’s Knees is a lot sweeter than the other gin-based cocktails on our list of alternatives, but shouldn’t be missed. To make one, shake 2 oz of gin, ¾ oz of fresh lemon juice, and 0.5 oz of honey syrup over ice.

Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon peel twist. If you like you can make this your own by adding club soda and serving it in a highball glass, for what will essentially be a Honey Gin Rickey.

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