last summer, my husband and i attended the yarmouth clam festival and i talked about how the sight of beach chairs lined up on the side of main street left an impression on me. well, for my husband, the enduring legacy of the clam festival has been the lime rickey.
if clams were the main food staple, the lime rickey was definitely the beverage of the day. many of the little food stands were selling the usual bottled water and soda, plus freshly made lime rickeys in little plastic cups. perhaps it was the sight of ice cubes bobbing in the cup on a sweltering hot day or perhaps it’s because my husband has a taste for tangy, puckery drinks but whatever it was, he decided to try one. and he’s been making them at home ever since.
despite growing up in new england (aka (raspberry) lime rickey territory, not to be confused with cherry lime rickey territory/new york), i had never tried a lime rickey either. i do remember seeing a big raspberry lime rickey poster hanging in the window of the brigham’s ice cream shop in my hometown and despite trips there to get ice cream, i never branched out into ordering something i couldn’t put chocolate sprinkles on.
turns out the lime rickey is pretty refreshing, with the added bonus that there are no sprinkles to drip off your cone and fall between your toes in your flip-fops. and you can customize and tweak the recipe to get your preferred balance of tart lime to sweet simple syrup to refreshing sparkling water. my husband’s trick is to intentionally mix the drink strong so that as the ice cubes melt into it, it mellows from bracing to just right. anything that is calibrated to account for ice melting into it sounds pretty good to me right about now. enjoy friends!
thank you for the outpouring of support in response to my last post. i took comfort from your words, prayers, and intentions and i shared them with my friend, who appreciated your support. i wish there was a happy outcome but, sadly, her little boy didn’t recover.
amidst all of the sadness, i’ve been so grateful that i could travel to be with my friend for a week and a half and i appreciate your patience with the lack of activity here during that time. i’m grateful for you and the flexibility of this community and i’m sending good energy out to each of you. hugs!
lime rickey
Save to BigOven Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 5 limes
- 2 ½ cups (20 fl. oz. / 600 ml) sparkling water or seltzer (seltzer has more/stronger bubbles)
- ice cubes for 3 - 4 glasses
Instructions
- in a small sauce pan, combine the sugar and water and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved into the water. for this small volume, it only takes a minute or two. remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- juice the 5 limes into a large pitcher limes (you should have about ¾ cup / 6 fl. oz. / 180 ml of juice). add the simply syrup (sugar + water) and combine thoroughly. add the sparkling water/seltzer and stir gently to combine without losing the bubbles. when my husband does this, he mixes everything in an empty soda bottle and shakes the lime/simple syrup mixture to combine, then gently rolls the bottle once he adds the sparkling water so that it gets mixed in and stays bubbly.
- pour over a glass full of ice cubes. the lime rickey mixture is intentionally strong and meant to be served over ice that melts in and balances the flavors. leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge but will lose carbonation over time, like any soda.
Nutrition Facts
lime rickey
Serves: 3 - 4 glasses
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 35 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat | 0 | |
| Saturated Fat | 0 | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 | |
| Sodium | 0 | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 0 | |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 | |
| Sugars | ||
| Protein | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
tasty seasons
Yes, yes! These are as close to a cocktail you can get this side of 5 PM (if you hold to such conventions).
If you enjoy mojitos, or like your moscow mule with a little extra lime kick, you’ll enjoy these. Then when the clock strikes 5, you can add a shot of your favorite spirit (gin, light rum, and vodka all work to varying degrees, tequila should work, but I haven’t tried it) and you’ll instantly be wearing shorts and boat shoes on the deck, like magic!
ha, i love your enthusiasm! and i’m sure folks will appreciate your tips for transforming this into a cocktail. at the very least, the magical transformation will be fun. 🙂 xo!