This Clementine Rickey cocktail goes down smooth! Fresh squeezed clementine and lemon juice provide the bright sunny flavor which is cut with soda water. Invest in a good botanical gin for this cocktail – you won’t regret it! The perfect Spring drink!
Spring is officially here! I don’t care what anyone says about the continued chilly temps or snow that can’t seem to melt.
IT’S HERE.
And along with the change of the season, comes a fresh approach and new seasonal ingredients to work with. No longer do I crave the warm beverages, the cozy pasta dishes, and the indulgent sweet treats.
Well, ok. Maybe every once in a while still.
But the foods and drinks I crave shift with the seasons.
I want light,crunchy, veg forward salads.
Creamy and herby dips and dressings.
And bright, citrusy EVERYTHING.
Read: this Clementine Rickey.
My goal on So Happy You Like It is to highlight fresh and seasonal ingredients whenever possible. This cocktail recipe is a great example of that.
Citrus season is still in full force, with the availability of a wide array of the neon-hued fruit abundant.
- Grapefruit.
- Lemon.
- Orange.
- Pomelo.
- Lime.
- Blood Orange.
- And everything in between.
This cocktail feels so special with the small extra effort of fresh-squeezing your citrus juice. It’s a step that is absolutely worth the trouble (even though the “trouble” is minimal). I absolutely love using my citrus juicer for recipes like this. It’s a relatively inexpensive (that one is only $15!) kitchen tool that you’ll use time and time again.
Take my advice: BUY ONE.
A cocktail that is this citrus forward just SCREAMS for a light and effervescent splash of soda water.
I also wanted this drink to have an herbaceous flavor to it, and I thought thyme would be the right, delicious choice.
Spoiler: I was right.
This cocktail can be scaled to need – meaning if you’re serving a crowd, I got your back.
Need 1 cocktail? Cheers to you!
Need 30 cocktails? We can do that!
Check out the little servings indicator in the recipe below.
Whether you ARE serving a crowd at a springtime soirée, or simply having a lazy evening in – this cocktail will go down v smooth.
Better make a few extra, just to be sure.
Clementine Rickey
Ingredients
- 3 oz Botanical gin
- 4 oz freshly squeezed clementine juice
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2-4 oz chilled club soda (flavored or regular)
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add fresh thyme. Brusie slightly with a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon. Add ice.
- Add gin, clementine juice, and lemon juice. Shake vigorously to combine.
- Strain cocktail in to two low ball glasses filled with ice. Top with chilled club soda.
- Garnish with a fresh sprig of thyme, and toast to a fresh new season.
Notes
- Citrus Juicer - my FAVORITE kitchen tool that I use way more than I thought I would!
- Lowball Glasses - similar found here and here.
- Juice Carafe