Tag: angostura bitters

mocktail

Tonic Rickey | An Effortless Alcohol-Free Cocktail Option You Can Make in 2 Minutes

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This Tonic Rickey mocktail is the perfect drink to make when you don't feel like imbibing but still want to sip on something special. It requires minimal effort, won't leave you hungover tomorrow, and you probably already have the ingredients at home. That's a win-win-win.

This Tonic Rickey mocktail is the perfect drink to make when you don’t feel like imbibing but still want to sip on something special. It requires minimal effort, won’t leave you hungover tomorrow, and you probably already have the ingredients at home. That’s a win-win-win.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

I originally saw this Tonic Rickey mocktail recipe on my friend Camille’s Instagram. I’ve followed Camille long enough to know that anything she posts is gonna be good. You can find her original blog post here.

The Tonic Rickey is Camille’s version of a booze-less Gin Rickey, a classic cocktail made using gin, lime, and club soda or seltzer. It’s very similar to a classic Gin & Tonic so if you’re a fan of one, you’ll probably like the other, too.

A quick FYI in case you’re unaware (as I was at one point in life): tonic water and club soda are not the same. And while you can sometimes get away with using one in place of the other, there is a major taste difference between the two. I broke down the differences between all the clear sparkling liquids out there in my Americano cocktail post, but here’s a brief overview:

  • Club soda = water infused with carbon dioxide and minerals like salt
  • Tonic water = carbonated water with minerals and also quinine, a bitter essence derived from the cinchona tree; it’s got a distinct taste
  • Seltzer = carbonated water that usually does not contain any minerals
  • Sparkling mineral water = typically naturally carbonated and has naturally-present minerals
  • Sparkling water = carbonated water that can be flavored and sometimes sweetened

In my opinion, club soda, seltzer, mineral water, and sparkling water can all be used interchangeably. Tonic stands apart from them.

This Tonic Rickey mocktail is the perfect drink to make when you don't feel like imbibing but still want to sip on something special. It requires minimal effort, won't leave you hungover tomorrow, and you probably already have the ingredients at home. That's a win-win-win.

I really like Camille’s use of both club soda and tonic water. The reason being is that after the countless Gin & Tonic’s I’ve consumed over the years, my tastebuds now equate the taste of tonic with the taste of gin. And since this recipe is alcohol-free, it gives the drink some needed kick and flair.

Perhaps the best thing about this mocktail recipe is that if you typically keep a semi-well-stocked bar, you’ll always have the ingredients on hand. If you’re new to home bartending and what to know that products I recommend keeping on hand at all times, check out my Cocktails 101 article.

Another great thing about this recipe is that you could easily add some extra pizazz to it by adding a flavored simple syrup or a different variety of bitters. I think using lavender simple syrup with cardamom bitters would make for a killer Lavender & Cardamom Tonic Rickey.

If you make this Tonic Rickey mocktail recipe, be sure to tag both me (@girlandtonic_) and Camille (@thecocktailsnob_)!

Ingredients for a Tonic Rickey Mocktail

  • 1/2 oz fresh, fresh, fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup (click here to learn how to make your own)
  • 1 1/2 oz tonic water
  • 1 1/2 oz seltzer or club soda
  • 3 dashes of Angostura aromatic bitters

How to Make a Tonic Rickey Mocktail

Fill a Collins or highball glass allllll the way up with ice. Add the freshly-squeezed lime juice and simple syrup. Stir with a bar spoon. Pour in the tonic water and club soda, stirring gently to combine. Add the bitters to the top of the glass. You can choose to stir them in or let them settle on their own in the drink. Garnish with a lime wheel or fresh herb.

Tonic Rickey Mocktail

This Tonic Rickey mocktail is the perfect drink to make when you don't feel like imbibing but still want to sip on something special. It requires minimal effort, won't leave you hungover tomorrow, and you probably already have the ingredients at home.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Fill a Collins or highball glass all the way up with ice.
  • Add the freshly-squeezed lime juice and simple syrup. Stir with a bar spoon.
  • Pour in the tonic water and club soda, stirring gently to combine.
  • Add the bitters to the top of the glass. You can choose to stir them in or let them settle on their own in the drink.
  • Garnish with a lime wheel or fresh herb.

Notes

*To learn how to make your own simple syrup (it’s SO easy, I promise!), click here. 
Keyword angostura bitters, bitters, club soda, lime, lime juice, mocktail, simple syrup, tonic, tonic rickey
This Tonic Rickey mocktail is the perfect drink to make when you don't feel like imbibing but still want to sip on something special. It requires minimal effort, won't leave you hungover tomorrow, and you probably already have the ingredients at home. That's a win-win-win.
gin

The Stork Club | A Simple 5 Ingredient Prohibition Era Citrus and Gin Cocktail

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The Stork Club is Prohibition-era classic cocktail made with citrus and gin. It's named after the infamous New York nightclub. I modified a couple of ingredients to make it alcohol-free which I included in the notes.

The Stork Club is a citrus and gin Prohibition-era cocktail named after the infamous New York nightclub. I modified a couple of ingredients to fit my current dietary restrictions but my altered version is still a great tribute to this Prohibition classic.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

I’ve been keeping a secret. For over 3 months now. But it’s time to spill the beans. I’m pregnant! My growing collection of mocktail recipes has raised a few eyebrows and now you know why. I think it goes without saying that you can expect a few more months worth of them. But don’t worry, I will always be giving you ideas for how to make my booze-free recipes booze-full. And I’ll also be posting many classic and modern craft cocktails, thanks to the new zero-proof spirit alternatives I’ve added to my bar cart.

Today’s cocktail recipe is The Stork Club. Quite apropos for a pregnancy announcement post, eh? I’ve got to thank my IG friend Risa of @risajamesphotography for the brilliant idea. The Stork Club is both a place and a drink. So we’ll talk about both.

The Stork Club is Prohibition-era classic cocktail made with citrus and gin. It's named after the infamous New York nightclub. I modified a couple of ingredients to make it alcohol-free which I included in the notes.

The Stork Club was the epitome of class, fame, and money. It was built by Sherman Billingsley and was open from 1929-1965, with a brief closure and relocation during 1931 after being raided by Prohibition agents. The Stork Club was most known for its many celebrity patrons, such as Ernest Hemingway, Walter Wenchell, the Roosevelt family, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, the Kennedy family, Bing Cosby, Judy Garland… I think you get the picture. It was the place to be.

It’s signature drink was probably enjoyed by most of those celebrities. The traditional Stork Club recipe utilized Old Tom Gin, a sweetened gin that’s harder to find these days, and orange juice. Gin was arguably the most popular spirit during the Prohibition era due to the fact that it requires no aging and can be produced rather quickly by bootleggers. However, this fast-tracked spirit, sometimes referred to as bathtub gin, varied widely in quality and taste. Orange juice did a great job of covering these wrongs.

When I was doing some research for this recipe, I was surprised to see that many recipes differed from one another. Some called for more orange juice, some called for less gin. As I mentioned earlier, I used a zero-proof gin alternative for my particular Stork Club recipe and subbed in orange cordial for Cointreau/orange liqueur. You may want to add more orange juice if you prefer sweeter drinks or increase the lime juice if you like a little more tartness.

The Stork Club is Prohibition-era classic cocktail made with citrus and gin. It's named after the infamous New York nightclub. I modified a couple of ingredients to make it alcohol-free which I included in the notes.

If you make The Stork Club, be sure to tag me on Instagram and comment below. Seeing your creations always makes my day!

Ingredients for The Stork Club

  • 1 1/2 oz gin*
  • 1/2 oz orange liqueur**
  • 3/4 oz fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 oz lime juice
  • dash of Angostura bitters

*since I’m preggo, I used a zero-proof gin alternative. There are several out there, but you can check on my Instagram to see which brand I use & love.

**again, pregnancy means I can’t use orange liqueur so I made an orange cordial instead. It makes the drink a tad sweeter than Cointreau or another orange liqueur would so you can use less if you’re going the alcohol-free route with me.

How to Make The Stork Club Cocktail

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist. Or, you know, a Mardi Gras king cake baby if you’re trying to announce to the internet that you’re pregnant.

The Stork Club

The Stork Club is Prohibition-era classic made with citrus and gin. It's named after the infamous New York nightclub. I modified a couple of ingredients to make it alcohol-free which I included in the notes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz gin*
  • ½ oz orange liqueur**
  • ¾ oz freshly-squeezed orange juice
  • ¼ oz fresh lime juice
  • 1 dash Angostura bitters

Instructions
 

Notes

*Since I’m pregnant, I used a zero-proof gin alternative. There are several out there, but you can check on my Instagram to see which brand I use & love.
**Again, pregnancy means I can’t use orange liqueur so I made an orange cordial instead. It makes the drink a tad sweeter than Cointreau or another orange liqueur would so you can use less if you’re going the alcohol-free route with me.
Keyword angostura bitters, blood orange juice, gin, lime juice, orange liqueur, stork club cocktail