ROSEWATER RICKEY

When the sun is able to push the rain clouds away for periods of time that can be measured in days, and not minutes or hours, I know that spring has finally arrived. With the arrival of warm spring air, fragrant blossoms and singing birds I know that it is time to put away that bottle of whiskey I normally go for in the winter and start reaching for the bottle of gin. While the warm weather may practically beg for a refreshing Collins, this time I thought we would go for the much lesser known “Rickey”.

A devout Democrat, Colonel Joe Rickey created his signature drink during the summer of the 1883 campaign. Although the original “Rickey” called for rye and not gin, today we know a Rickey to be a Collins without the sugar and with lime instead of lemon. The Rosewater Rickey below cheats a little by adding sugar to brulee the cherries, but I think that the good Colonel wouldn’t mind so much, as this cool libation will refresh even the most parched campaigner.

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ROSEWATER RICKEY

brulee in the bottom of a mixing glass:
5 pitted, brandied cherries
bar spoon of sugar
Angostura mist (see below)

fill with ice and add:
3 oz gin
1 bar spoon of rosewater
½ oz fresh lime juice

shake and strain into an iced Collins glass
top with soda water

*For Angostura mist, place equal portions of Angostura bitters and Lemonhart 151 rum into an oil mister/sprayer.
To brulee the cherries, place them in your mixing glass, add the sugar, and mist the Angostura mixture through a flame.
Flame until sugar caramelizes.

*This is fire and as such can cause harm to yourself and/or your surroundings.
Use extreme caution!
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Drink and photo by:
Jamie Boudreau
www.vesselseattle.com

 

~ by Jamie Boudreau on June 7, 2007.