Pink lime rickey recipe
A lime rickey is a fizzy, slightly tart non-alcoholic drink. The pink colour comes from the raspberries. You might be tempted to use bottles of lime juice for this – I tried it – but the flavour isn’t good (it makes the syrup taste like washing-up liquid). Fresh limes are best. As lime has a touch of bitterness, a rickey is considered to be an ‘adult’ drink, even without alcohol.
Timings
Prep time: 10 minutes, plus resting time
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves
4
Ingredients
220g granulated sugar
1 tbsp grated lime zest (about 4 unwaxed limes), plus 145ml lime juice
360g raspberries
70g caster sugar
To serve
soda water
freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes, or more to taste
raspberries and pieces of lime, to garnish
ice (crushed or cubed)
Method
Put the granulated sugar and 100ml water in a saucepan with the lime zest. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Add the lime juice, turn down to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has reduced by about half (you want to end up with about 220ml of syrup). Strain through a sieve.
Toss the raspberries with the caster sugar and leave for about 30 minutes. The juice in the raspberries will be drawn out and they will get really soft.
Add three tablespoons of boiling water to the raspberries and purée in a food processor. Push the mixture through a fine nylon sieve, pressing to get all the raspberry pulp through.
Split the raspberry purée and lime syrup between four highball or other tall glasses. Slowly add the soda water – it will froth a lot. You need at least 200ml per glass, but add it to taste. Add the fresh lime juice, then taste to see whether you might want a little more. Add ice, stir, then garnish with raspberries and lime pieces.