Rickey (cocktail)

Rickey
Cocktail
Type	Cocktail
Base spirit	Gin; Bourbon whiskey; Rye whiskey;
Served	On the rocks: poured over ice
Standard garnish	lime half shell
Standard drinkware	Highball glass
Commonly used ingredients	2 oz bourbon, rye whiskey, or gin; Half of a lime squeezed and dropped in the glass; Sparkling mineral water;
Preparation	Combine spirit, lime, and shell in a highball or wine glass. Add ice, stir and then add sparkling mineral water.

The rickey is a highball made from gin or bourbon, lime juice, and carbonated water. Little or no sugar is added to the rickey. It was created with bourbon in Washington, D.C., at Shoomaker's bar by bartender George A. Williamson in the 1880s, purportedly in collaboration with Democratic lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey. Its popularity increased when made with gin a decade later. A non-alcoholic version is a lime rickey.

A recipe for the rickey appeared as early as 1903 in Daly's Bartenders' Encyclopedia by Tim Daly (p. 57):

GIN RICKEY. Use a sour glass. Squeeze the juice of one lime into it. One small lump of ice. One wine glass of Plymouth gin. Fill the glass with syphon seltzer, and serve with a small bar spoon.