Buck/Rickey

Ginger ale and ginger beer is the same thing. Ale is beer, as I’ve had to explain to a bartender at a bar in Cedar Rapids. Neither ginger ale nor ginger beer contains alcohol. These days, the ginger ale you get in the soda aisle is sweet and artificial, and companies call it ginger beer when they want to distance themselves from that variety. Most of it, including the somewhat popular Reed's brand, doesn’t taste much better. If you want a spicy carbonated beverage that burns up your nose when you drink it (and you do), buy an authentic Jamaican-style ginger beer. The brand most easily found is Goya; look for it in the Asian section next to the coconut drinks or in the Mexican section with the Jarritos. Once you find Goya Jamaican-style ginger beer or something similar, you can make a proper Buck, a classic British highball popular in the 20’s.

One peeve I’ve become sensitive to from reading too many ill-researched cocktail books is those who think lemons and limes are interchangeable. Absolutely untrue. In my ample drink mixing experience, I’ve had better luck substituting lemon juice for grapefruit juice than for lime juice. A buck must be made with a half a LIME. Adding lime juice to Jamaican-style ginger beer cuts the intense spice yet adds a zest that makes it delicious. Lemon juice essentially waters it down a bit. Many buck recipes incorrectly call for lemon, and the only excusable reason for this is that they're using weak ginger beer.

Another peeve I have is when recipes ask for half a fruit or vegetable without telling you whose garden they are using to determine the size of their fruits and vegetables. I need precision. An average-sized lime contains 1.5 ounces (1 jigger) of juice. A buck uses ¾ ounces of lime juice.

When purchasing citrus, look for smooth, round fruit that is slightly tender. Most store-bought citrus gets covered with a coat of wax. Because the lime shell is included in the drink, be sure to wash off the wax. Next, roll the lime between the counter and your palm to help separate the juice from the skin. Cut the lime in half, juice the half and pour the juice into an empty (10 ounce) old-fashioned aka rocks glass. Add the spent shell and 3 ice cubes. Proper ice cubes, not those worthless little things my brother’s refrigerator spits out.

If you want a virgin drink, simply fill the glass with the ginger beer and you’re done. If you want it spiked, first add a jigger of London dry gin and swish the glass around once or twice before adding the ginger beer. Resist the temptation to stir anything carbonated- it makes it goes flat. Instead, trust the fizzing-action of the bubbles to do the stirring for you. Tangueray perfectly compliments carbonated highballs, but it is generally over-priced, so I buy Boodles, which is smoother, cheaper and preferable to Tangueray in uncarbonated cocktails.

A rickey is exactly the same as a buck except you use soda water instead of ginger beer, which makes it boring; like a wanna-be gin and tonic. However, you can amp the drink up by making a Royal Rickey- a very refreshing, summery drink. All you do is add a ½ ounce each of sweet vermouth (Vya, Noilly Pratt or Dolin) and real grenadine (recipe below) and stirring before topping with soda. Or, top with Jamaican-style ginger beer to make a Royal Buck.


Buck/Rickey
1.5 oz London dry gin
¾ oz lime juice
Stir briefly w/ spent lime shell, 3 ice cubes in old fashioned glass
Top w/ ginger ale (for buck) or soda (for rickey)

Royal Buck/Rickey
1.5 oz London dry gin
¾ oz lime juice
½ oz sweet vermouth
½ oz grenadine
Stir briefly w/ spent lime shell, 3 ice cubes in old fashioned glass
Top w/ ginger ale (for buck) or soda (for rickey)

Grenadine
Combine 1.25 cups granulated sugar and 1 cup POM pomegranate juice in saucepan. Stir while bringing to just under boiling. Lightly simmer 7 minutes or until thick enough to coat back of spoon. Allow to cool and keep refrigerated.