FIRST JOURNEYS - 80 GINS AROUND THE WORLD - PIN 08 OF 80
RICKEY GIN, Philadelphia, USA
A collaboration between
That Boutique-Y Gin Company and New Columbia Distillers
AROUND THE WORLD, ONE BOTTLE AT A TIME,
PHILEAS FOGG WOULD SURELY APPROVE
What Do The Simpsons And The Great Gatsby Have In Common?
Today's stop on the Atlas takes me to Washington DC, with a gin that proves a cocktail can sometimes become just as famous as the people who drink it.
This is Rickey Gin, created by That Boutique-y Gin Company in partnership with New Columbia Distillers, the Washington DC distillery behind Green Hat Gin. Inspired by the city’s signature cocktail, the Gin Rickey, this is a bottle that brings together history, citrus and a little bit of cocktail folklore.
The Gin Rickey has a story that begins in late 19th-century Washington DC with Colonel Joe Rickey, a Democratic lobbyist known for preferring drinks without sugar. Legend has it that he asked his bartender at Shoomaker’s Bar to add lime to his favourite bourbon and soda, creating the Bourbon Rickey — the drink that would eventually evolve into the Gin Rickey we know today.
Shoomaker’s was one of Washington’s most famous watering holes, also known as Shoo’s or Cobweb Hall. It attracted politicians, writers and journalists, becoming a meeting place for the influential figures of the day before Prohibition forced it to close its doors in 1917.
The Gin Rickey became the more popular version of the cocktail, thanks to its refreshing combination of gin, fresh lime and soda water. It was simple, sharp and perfectly suited to a city built around politics and debate.
But what makes this cocktail even more fun is how far it travelled beyond Washington DC.
It appeared in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby in 1925, with the characters enjoying Rickeys during one of Gatsby’s famous gatherings.
Fast forward several decades and it even appeared in The Simpsons episode Burns, Baby Burns — proof that a good cocktail story never really disappears!
There is a little irony in Joe Rickey’s legacy. Apparently, he was not particularly thrilled at being remembered for a drink rather than his political influence. He believed cocktail fashions would come and go and that his reputation as a lobbyist would eventually take centre stage. More than a century later, it’s fair to say the Rickey had other plans!
In 2011, the Gin Rickey was officially recognised as Washington DC’s signature cocktail, and July is now celebrated as Rickey Month.
The gin itself is a perfect tribute to the drink that inspired it. Packed with lime peel, lime leaves and plenty of citrus character, Rickey Gin is bright, fresh and made for a refreshing long drink.
Another stop added to the Atlas — and another reminder that every bottle has a story waiting to be discovered. 🍸
“The cocktail that escaped the bar and conquered the world.”
I’ve kept today’s serve simple and let the cocktail do the talking:
Gin Rickey
50ml Rickey Gin
Fresh lime juice
Top with soda water
Serve over plenty of ice
"Show me a bottle
and I'll tell you a story."