Although the time for sipping drinks out of tall straws at local soda-fountain counters has long passed, the vintage charm of these refreshing beverages like the lime rickey hasn't gone away. Thankfully, with a few ingredients, you can bring your kitchen counter back into the 1950s by following one of these lighting fast lime rickey recipes.
Classic Lime Rickey
A popular option for summertime soda-fountain adventures, the classic lime rickey is incredibly easy to make from home because it involves so few ingredients. Simply mix club soda with simple syrup, lime juice, and ice and you have yourself a refreshingly tart concoction. Now, adults can liven up this recipe by adding two ounces of gin or vodka to their mixture.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- Club soda
- Lime wedge for garnish
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine lime juice and simple syrup. Add ice and shake well.
- Pour into a Collins glass filled with ice and add club soda to top.
- Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy.
Flavorful Variations
If you're interested in having a fruitier experience with your lime rickey, try adding different syrups and fresh fruits to deepen its flavor. Here are a few ways to put a quick spin on this soda-fountain staple.
Cherry Lime Rickey
For those who love the tartness of limes, look no further than this quick recipe for a cherry lime rickey, which focuses on bringing those punchy notes to the forefront.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- 6-8 fresh cherries, pitted
- Club soda
- Ice
- Lemon wedge and cherry for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle lime juice, simple syrup, and cherries. Add ice and shake well.
- Strain into a collins glass full of ice and top off with club soda.
- Garnish with a lemon wedge and a cherry.
Grape Lime Rickey
A childhood favorite, the grape lime rickey puts a refined spin on people's nostalgia for the pitchers of grape Kool-aid that literred suburban pool parties in the early 2000s while leaving the heaps of sugar at the door.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce grape syrup
- Club Soda
- Ice
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, combine lime juice and grape syrup. Stir.
- In a collins glass full of ice, pour the mixture.
- Top with club soda, and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Raspberry Lime Rickey
For a full-flavored drink, turn to this raspberry lime rickey recipe which intensifies the raspberry flavor by adding fresh fruit and syrup.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce raspberry syrup
- Club soda
- Ice
- Raspberries and lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice and raspberry syrup. Add ice and shake.
- Strain into a collins glass full of ice and top off with club soda.
- Garnish with raspberries and a lime wedge and serve.
Frozen Cherry/Grape/Raspberry Lime Rickey
For those particularly hot days, there's nothing quite as refreshing as a frozen lime rickey which adds the sweetness of ice cream to combat the tartness of the fruits.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1½ ounces fruit juice of choice
- 3 ounces club soda
- 3 cups vanilla ice cream
- Ice
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a blender, combine all of the ingredients making sure to layer the ice throughout. Blend until smooth.
- Pour into a collins glass.
- Garnish with a lime wedge and serve with a large straw or spoon.
Blue Raspberry Lime Rickey
If you want to relieve your childhood days spent eating sugary candy that turned your tongue bright shades of red, green, and blue, then look no further than this blue raspberry lime rickey.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce raspberry syrup
- ½ ounce non alcoholic blue curaçao
- Club soda
- Ice
- Raspberries and lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, raspberry syrup, and blue curacao. Add ice and shake.
- Strain into a collins glass full of ice and top off with club soda.
- Garnish with raspberries and a lime wedge.
Become Your Own Soda Jerk
Delightfully easy, the lime rickey can entertain the wild crowds of children's birthday parties with ease; and, for those late-night friendly get-togethers, it can be dressed up or dressed down, and it can even transformed into the life of the party by adding a splash of your favorite gin or vodka. However, these simple recipes all have one thing in common - theyr'e perfect in a pinch.
