"These drinks go back to the 1800s," says Mark Parash, owner of Southampton Village's Sip 'n Soda, of the cherry-lime rickey that's been the eatery’s signature seasonal drink for three generations.
If Wölffer Estate hadn’t claimed the name “Summer in a Bottle” for its iconic rosé, the cherry-lime rickey would surely be the first-place contender for that title. We just can’t get enough of that sweet-tart flavor and the way it bites our tongues — in the best kind of way — served with a lime wedge over crushed ice with a heaping helping of nostalgia mixed in. That’s why we were pleased to learn that Sip ’n Soda has begun selling its cherry-lime rickey mix in a bottle — year round, to boot.
Here’s a little history lesson: The drink was popularized first as a highball-style cocktail called the gin rickey, containing bourbon at first, before the addition of gin, until Prohibition nixed anything alcoholic (officially, anyway). In theory, one could still add a little liquor for a wilder take on the cherry-lime rickey. The food magazine Epicurious recommends adding a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream to turn it into a float; good thing you can get ice cream at Sip ’n Soda, too.
Sip ’n Soda sells the bottled rickey mix for $16, enough for eight 16-ounce servings; for $30, you can get a complete kit that includes fresh-squeezed lime juice (you’re still on the hook for the ice and soda water, though). “It’s really refreshing,” Parash promises. We concur.