What ingredients are in a Gin Rickey?

2 oz Gin, 1 tsp Grenadine, Juice of 1/2 Lemon, Top up with Soda Water, Garnish Lime

What glass do you use for a Gin Rickey?

A Gin Rickey is traditionally served in a Highball glass.

How strong is a Gin Rickey?

A Gin Rickey has an estimated ABV of 17.83%.

How many calories are in a Gin Rickey?

A Gin Rickey contains approximately 162 calories per serving.

What makes a Gin Rickey different from other Rickeys?

The Gin Rickey substitutes gin for the bourbon used in the original Joe Rickey, combining gin with grenadine, fresh lemon or lime juice, and club soda in a tall glass over ice. The gin's botanical character — particularly its juniper and citrus notes — creates a more aromatic and complex Rickey compared to the bourbon version, making it a popular summer cocktail in its own right.

What is the history of the Rickey cocktail family?

The Rickey was created in Washington D.C. in the 1880s and named after lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey, who is said to have favored whiskey, lime juice, and carbonated water at Shoomaker's bar. The Gin Rickey became perhaps the most popular variant, and F. Scott Fitzgerald famously featured gin rickeys in The Great Gatsby, cementing the drink's association with 1920s American culture and the Jazz Age.

How is a Gin Rickey served and garnished?

The Gin Rickey is built directly in a highball glass over ice — pour the gin and grenadine first, add the lemon or lime juice, then top with club soda and stir gently. A wedge or wheel of lime is the classic garnish, and some recipes add a few dashes of bitters for additional complexity. The drink should be made to order and consumed quickly while the carbonation is at its peak.

Gin, grenadine, fresh lemon juice, and a top of soda water over ice make the Gin Rickey, a member of the Rickey family of drinks lifted with a lime garnish. The traditional Rickey consists of spirit, lime juice, and soda water without sweetener, and this version departs slightly by adding grenadine for color and a touch of sweetness. Built in a tall glass half-filled with ice and finished with citrus slices, the drink is light, citrusy, and highly sessionable at around 18 percent alcohol by volume, its refreshment owed to the carbonation and the sour edge.

Gin Rickey

Glass Highball glass

Difficulty Medium

Calories ~162 kcal

ABV 17.83%

Ingredients

Gin 2 oz
Grenadine 1 tsp
Lemon Juice of 1/2
Soda Water Top up with
Lime Garnish

Instructions

Half-fill a tall glass with ice. Mix the gin and Grenadine together and pour over the ice. Add the lime or lemon juice and top off with soda water. Decorate the glass with lime and/or lemon slices.

Refreshing Citrus

The Gin Rickey is a refreshing highball combining gin with grenadine, fresh lemon juice, and soda water, served over ice with a lime garnish. It belongs to the Rickey family of drinks, which traditionally consist of spirit, lime juice, and soda water without sweetener — this version adds grenadine for a touch of color and sweetness. The drink is light, citrusy, and highly sessionable.

History & Origins

The original Rickey was created in Washington D.C. in the 1880s, reportedly for Democratic lobbyist Colonel Joseph Rickey at Shoomaker's Bar, and was made with bourbon. The gin variation quickly became popular and is now the most recognized Rickey. The original formula used lime rather than lemon; this recipe's use of lemon represents a common modern variation.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: gin botanicals and juniper with fresh lemon citrus and a faint floral pomegranate note from the grenadine. Palate: tart and refreshing with lemon acidity and the gin's botanical complexity, softened slightly by the grenadine's sweetness and extended by the soda water's effervescence. Finish: dry, citrusy, and clean with a lingering botanical note.

lemon juniper citrus refreshing effervescent

Pro Tip

Half-fill the glass with ice before pouring the gin and grenadine, then add the citrus juice and top gently with soda water to minimize carbonation loss.

Techniques Used

Building

Data verified September 2017

Nutrition Facts →

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