Summer’s perfect drink: Recipes for classic raspberry-lime rickey and variations

In our rush to overschedule our lives, it’s easy to overlook some of the simple summer traditions that make this season so wonderful.

When I was a child, twice a week my parents and I would load the car with 10-gallon glass bottles. The bottles and I would bounce around the back seat (Seatbelts? What seatbelts?) as we headed to the nearby Merrimack River. There, just across the street from the water, was an ice-cream shop that also sold spring water from a tap outside its back door.

There was always a crowd – lines for the water, lines for the ice cream. Big old classic banana boats. Frappes topped with whipped cream and plastic toy soldiers with “real” parachutes. Brownie sundaes that I craved but never tried because the brownies were jammed with walnuts (I still can’t abide nuts in baked goods).

In fact, I never got ice cream of any kind. Nor did my parents. Nor plenty of other people.

Back then, Heritage Farm Ice Cream (named for Heritage State Park that ran along the river in front of it) was known for its lime rickeys – ice-cold sweet-sour drinks that bear only a casual resemblance to the boozy cocktail with which they share a name.

Heavy hits of lime juice and sugar mixed with crushed ice and seltzer water so heavily carbonated the bubbles would come up the straw. It was pure summer.

My parents usually got the straight-up lime rickey. I preferred the even tangier raspberry-lime rickey.

Then I grew up and forgot about them. But this summer, while shuttling my son between karate and summer camp and park outings, I remembered. And I decided it was time to restart the tradition. Minus, that is, the bouncing around in the back seat with 10-gallon bottles of water.

Classic Raspberry-Lime Rickey

Start to finish: 10 minutes

250 ml (1 cup) sugar

75 ml (1/3 cup) water

5 ml (1 tsp) raspberry extract

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Ice

6 limes

Seltzer water

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and 75 ml (1/3 cup) water. Bring to a simmer, stirring just until sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for a minute or two. Stir in raspberry extract.

Fill 3 large glasses with ice. Squeeze juice of 2 limes into each glass. Add 75 ml (1/3 cup) of the sugar syrup, then fill glasses with seltzer water. Stir well.

Makes 3 servings.

Source: Recipe by AP Food Editor J.M. Hirsch.

—

Strawberry-Lemon Rickey

Start to finish: 5 minutes

125 ml (1/2 cup) frozen strawberries in sugar, thawed

50 ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice

30 ml (2 tbsp) sugar

Club soda or seltzer water

Ice

Fresh strawberry, to garnish

In a blender, combine strawberries, lemon juice and sugar. Blend until smooth. Pour into a highball glass filled with ice, then top with club soda and stir gently. Garnish with strawberry.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 200 calories; 0 calories from fat (0 per cent of total calories); 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 56 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 3 g fibre; 0 mg sodium.

Source: Recipe by Alison Ladman.

—

Blueberry-Basil Rickey

Make up a double batch of this one – one for your kid, and one for yourself (with the optional gin).

Start to finish: 5 minutes

1 sprig fresh basil

15 ml (1 tbsp) sugar

60 ml (2 oz) blueberry juice

15 ml (1/2 oz) lime juice

30 ml (1 oz) gin (optional)

Ice

Club soda or seltzer water

Handful of fresh blueberries

In the bottom of a highball glass, muddle basil with sugar. Pour in blueberry juice, lime juice and gin (if using) and stir to dissolve sugar. Add ice and club soda, stirring gently. Garnish with blueberries.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 150 calories; 0 calories from fat (0 per cent of total calories); 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 1 g fibre; 10 mg sodium.

Source: Recipe by Alison Ladman.

—

Three-Citrus Raspberry Rickey

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Handful fresh raspberries

15 ml (1/2 oz) agave nectar

15 ml (1/2 oz) lemon juice

15 ml (1/2 oz) lime juice

30 ml (1 oz) orange juice

30 ml (1 oz) vodka

30 ml (1 oz) raspberry liqueur

Ice

Club soda or seltzer water

In the bottom of a highball glass, gently crush half of the raspberries. Stir in agave nectar, lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, vodka and raspberry liqueur. Add ice, club soda and remaining raspberries. Stir gently.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 350 calories; 5 calories from fat (1 per cent of total calories); 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 2 g fibre; 0 mg sodium.

Source: Recipe by Alison Ladman.