The Gin Rickey is rumored to be named for a Colonel Joseph Kyle Rickey, an English officer once based in Washington, D.C., although others claim the seaside resort community of Wildwood, New Jersey is its true origin.
It's appallingly simple to fix:
• 2 oz. gin
• Juice of 1 lime
• Club soda
• Lime wedge for garnish
Fill a highball glass with ice, pour the gin and lime juice over the ice, top with club soda, and garnish with a lime wedge.
Esquire says, "Don't let anybody convince you to put sugar in this", but you know, a touch of simple syrup really can't hurt. It need not be mega-sweet and cloying like a Lemon Drop, but sometimes a Rickey can benefit from that slight accouplement avec du sucre.
And what kind of gin? Well, I prefer Hendrick's because of its complicated cucumberly nuances, but your results may vary.
