Patrick (Paddy) Moore This tasty mocktail comes from Amy Traynor’s very good book, Essential 3-Ingredient Cocktails and is a summer favorite.
Just three simple ingredients make this refreshing non-alcoholic cocktail, and it’s perfect when you’re underage, like many graduates or just not drinking alcohol.
This Raspberry Rickey is cool and crisp, and it also happens to be the ultimate low calorie, no sugar-added summer mocktail.
What is a Rickey?
The Rickey is a classic cocktail that was first invented in the southern US during the late 1880s.
While it was first a bourbon-based cocktail, it later became even more popular when made with gin.
The classic Gin Rickey is made with gin, a squeeze of lime juice, and a generous pour of sparkling water.
The lack of sugar, liqueurs, or syrups is really what differentiates the Rickey from other classics like the Tom Collins.
SAD GRADS of The Pandemic
Graduations are very different this year, and sadly subdued.
The Classes of 2020 and 2021 have become The Class of Covid-19.
On college and university campuses, students were suddenly sent home last spring and told they would finish their semesters on-line. Some didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to friends, teachers or classmates. No final parties or pranks. No well-wishing or sharing excitement about future careers.
Forget about grad dances and fancy gowns, this was a year of reduced expectations and diminished dreams.
Schools did their best of course, replacing the traditional cap and gown, pomp and circumstance with virtual ceremonies.
Valedictorians and guest speakers zoomed into dormitories across the country.
In some cases, distant relatives were able to join in a ceremony that otherwise would have been inaccessible.
And proud parents everywhere soothed their baby’s disappointment one more time and congratulated their fledglings before they left the nest.
You can still fly high, graduates! Congratulations.
The Recipe
What you need
- 8-10 raspberries
- 1 ½ oz fresh lime juice
- 1 oz water
- Sparkling water
- Fresh mint for garnish
What you do
Toss some berries in a shaker and muddle them with lime juice.
Add an oz of water and fill the shaker about ¾ with ice.
Shake until things frosty, then fine strain the liquid into a tall glass filled with ice.
Top it off with sparkling water, and garnish with berries and a fresh sprig of mint. It adds a cool aroma that intensifies the crispness of the mocktail.
You could exchange the raspberries with a handful of just about any ripe summer fruit and have a delicious drink.
And bonus – you can modify this recipe easily to make it an adult cocktail with vodka, bourbon, or gin.
