Lime Rickey – Soda, Lime and Bitters

I’ve been a teetotaler for many years so I’ve drunk a lot of  soda, lime and bitters when out at night at pubs as my party drink of choice. The pub version of this classic teetotaler’s drink usually uses a commercial lime cordial, making it too sweet to have more then one or two for a big night out, but the fancier bars and pubs are beginning to use fresh lime and which makes it much more sophisticated and refreshing drink.

When I make soda, lime and bitters at home I usually simply squeeze a quarter of a lime into some soda and add some bitters. But if you want to make a true Lime Rickey, make some sugar syrup, add freshly squeezed lime juice and bitters to soda and you have one of the best mocktails out there. If you’ve got some left over syrup from poaching peaches you can use that instead of sugar syrup and make one of the most deadly delicious Lime Rickeys ever.

It’s February in Sydney which meets we are moving into the peak, heat and humidity of the summer.  Because it’s been a very wet January, it’s going to be a hot and sweaty February. The mosquitos are biting and some days the only thing to do is sit in front of a fan, drink lime rickeys and dream of cooler times to come.

Note: There are teetotalers out there who would eschew even homeopathic amounts of alcohol in the few drops of Angostura bitters.  I simply don’t like to drink and don’t mind the tiny amount of alcohol in things like bitters or vanilla extract, if you are extremely wary of any alcohol  Fee Brothers make some very good non-alcoholic bitters.

Lime Rickey

• 50 grams sugar
• 50 mls water
• 100 mls of freshly squeezed lime juice
• Bitters
• Soda water
• 4 slices of lime
• Ice

1. To make sugar syrup, heat water and sugar in small saucepan until dissolved.
2. Divide sugar syrup, lime juice between 4 highball glasses, add ice, soda water and 4-6 drops of bitters and a slice of lime to each glass.  Stir to mix and enjoy.