Bourbon Rickey
Bourbon Rickey garnished with lime.
The Bourbon Rickey: D.C.'s Original No-Sugar Cocktail
The Bourbon Rickey came out of Washington D.C. in the 1880s at a divey spot called Shoomaker's bar. Democratic lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey was a regular there, and his usual order was bourbon with sparkling mineral water and ice - no sugar, because he didn't like sweet drinks.
One day, bartender George Williamson decided to add half a lime to Rickey's usual order. That simple addition created the Bourbon Rickey, and people started ordering it by name. The drink caught on fast with politicians and lobbyists looking for something refreshing during those hot D.C. summers before air conditioning existed.
Interestingly, Colonel Rickey wasn't happy about having a drink named after him. He was more proud of his political work and hoped the cocktail would eventually fade away. It didn't - though by the 1890s, the gin version became more popular than the original bourbon recipe.
The recipe is as simple as it gets: bourbon, fresh lime juice, and club soda over ice. No sugar, no complicated ingredients. Most recipes call for two ounces of bourbon and three-quarters ounce of fresh lime juice, topped with club soda.
Any mid-shelf bourbon works great here - Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey, or Four Roses are solid choices. Fresh lime juice is mandatory - the bright citrus is what makes this drink work. Club soda adds fizz and lightens everything up without adding sweetness.
Making it takes about thirty seconds. Fill a highball glass with ice, add your bourbon and lime juice, top with club soda, give it a quick stir, and garnish with a lime wedge. That's it.
What makes the Bourbon Rickey special is how light and drinkable it is. There's no sugar weighing you down, so you can have a couple without feeling full or overly buzzed. The bourbon brings warmth and notes of caramel and vanilla, the lime adds brightness, and the soda water ties it together with effervescence.
The drink works perfectly for summer but honestly fits any time you want something refreshing that isn't sweet. It's also one of the few classic cocktails that's genuinely low in calories since there's zero added sugar.
The Bourbon Rickey might have lost the popularity contest to the Gin Rickey, but it's still the original and deserves more attention than it gets. Simple, refreshing, and proof that sometimes the best drinks don't need sugar to work.
RECIPE:
2 oz bourbon
Juice of ½ lime
Sparkling water
Lime shell (garnish)
Method:
Add bourbon and lime juice in a highball glass with ice.
Top with sparkling water.
Garnish with lime half shell.