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Johnny Rickey

Name: Classic Rickey (Johnny Rickey) Cocktail
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 1 cocktail
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 60 ml (2 fl oz) white rum; 22 ml (¾ fl oz) fresh lime juice; 5 g (1 tsp) superfine sugar; 120 ml (4 fl oz) club soda; 1 whole lime wedge

★ 4.5

Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Rooted in the United States, Johnny Rickey is a cocktail enjoyed for generations.

About Johnny Rickey

Rooted in the United States, Johnny Rickey is a cocktail enjoyed for generations. The dish is built around lime and rum.

🏛️ History & Culture

The Johnny Rickey belongs to the Rickey family of cocktails, which originated in Washington, D.C., during the 1880s, when the original gin-and-lime version was created and named after a local lobbyist, Colonel Joe Rickey. The Johnny Rickey swaps gin for rum, a variation whose specific origins are debated, as no single inventor or debut date is firmly established in historical records.

Regional variations reflect the rum's coastal and Caribbean associations, offering a sweeter, more tropical contrast to the Washington classic's sharp gin character. Culturally, the Rickey's enduring appeal lies in its simplicity—lime, spirit, and soda—embodying an American preference for refreshing, low-sugar drinks that has kept the Johnny Rickey a modest but persistent favorite in cocktail guides.

🍳 How to make Johnny Rickey

AI-assisted, not kitchen-tested

Classic Rickey (Johnny Rickey) Cocktail

A classic American cocktail attributed to Colonel Joe Rickey of Washington, D.C. The 'Johnny' version subscribes rum for the traditional bourbon, with crisp lime and sparkling soda building a refreshing, bracing drink built around rum and lime.

Prep: 3 min
Total: 3 min
Serves: 1 cocktail
Difficulty: Easy

Recipe ingredients

60 ml (2 fl oz) white rum, Cuban-style or any dry light rum; use bourbon for an authentic Rickey
22 ml (¾ fl oz) fresh lime juice, from 1 large or 2 small limes; do not substitute bottled
5 g (1 tsp) superfine sugar, or 1 bar spoon simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water)
120 ml (4 fl oz) club soda, chilled, for topping
1 whole lime wedge, for garnish and squeezing into the glass

Steps

1 Add the superfine sugar to a chilled highball or Collins glass.
2 Pour in the fresh lime juice and stir briefly to dissolve the sugar.
3 Add the white rum and stir once to combine.
4 Fill the glass three-quarters full with large ice cubes (do not use crushed ice, which dilutes too fast).
5 Top with chilled club soda, pouring slowly to preserve carbonation. Give one gentle stir.
6 Squeeze the lime wedge over the top of the drink, drop it into the glass, and serve immediately.

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🧺 Key ingredients

lime
rum

🍴 Where to eat it

In the old bars of Washington, D.C., locals sip this lime and rum highball during sweltering summer afternoons as a cooling break from the humid sidewalks.

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