When it is hot outside, short and sweet it best. Just like this cool recipe. This is a crisp, tart, refreshing cocktail that tastes a bit like a honey-sweetened lemonade, but with a kick of gin to take the edge off. It’s exactly the kind of cocktail that calls for warm afternoons lazing in the sun, or summer evenings spent outside on the patio. The flavors are simple, but bold, with a little bit of a floral vibe thanks to the honey and gin, and a solid dose of lemon to zest things up. It’s not your froufrou kind of drink — expect a good buzz from the gin and that perfect lemon pucker — but it’s also light and bright to be classically summery.
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Refreshing Gin Rickey with Honey and Lemon
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
Description
A simple summer drink with a touch of floral sweetness and plenty of zest is all you need on a hot day. Inspired by Food52.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 1/4 ounces gin
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 3 ounces club soda
- lemon wedge (for garnish)
Instructions
- Combine lemon juice, gin, and honey in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice and top of with club soda. Garnish with a lemon wedge and enjoy!
- Category: Cocktail
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you shake the gin, lemon juice, and honey before adding the soda?
Shaking distributes the honey evenly and chills everything at once. If you add the soda before shaking, it goes flat immediately. Shake the 3 oz lemon juice, 2 1/4 oz gin, and 1 1/2 tbsp honey together, then strain over ice and pour the 3 oz club soda on top after.
Can I use a sweetener other than honey?
Honey is what gives this drink its floral edge, which is what sets it apart from a plain lemonade. A simple syrup works if that’s what you have, but you lose the floral note that plays off the botanicals in the gin. Keep the amount close to 1 1/2 tablespoons either way.
What style of gin works best here?
A classic London dry with citrus-forward botanicals works perfectly. The honey and fresh lemon are already assertive, so you want a gin with some backbone. A very light or floral gin can get a bit lost. Use whatever you have, but go classic over anything too sweet or aged.
This sounds so good right now! Love the flavor combinations!