New England has a knack for hanging on to regional traditions in a way other areas don’t, especially when it comes to regional cuisine. Whether it’s roast beef or a lobster roll, once we find something we like, we keep it on the menus of restaurants in Amherst and throughout NH and the region. While our most famous regional cuisine tends to be food, there are a few notable beverages as well. One of those beverages is the raspberry lime rickey. Although lime rickeys aren’t unique to New England, the addition of raspberry is a variation you really only find around here.

This summer, enjoy some nostalgia and a culinary history lesson while you sip on a raspberry lime rickey at restaurants in Amherst, NH.

The Legacy of Joe Rickey

As with many famous beverages, the rickey gets its name from the man credited with inventing it. The man in question here is Colonel Joseph Rickey, who moved to Washington, D.C., to become a lobbyist after the Civil War. We don’t know how he made out as a lobbyist, but he became well-known for holding up the bars around D.C. What also became well-known was his regular drink order: whiskey, seltzer water, lemon, and a chunk of ice. Soon, nearly every bartender in the area added the drink to their repertoire. In time, lime replaced the lemon, and gin was substituted for whiskey. It wasn’t uncommon to hear someone other than the colonel order a rickey.

Col. Rickey was uneasy about this newfound fame at first, fearing that his drink order would surpass his military career as his legacy. He soon got over those doubts, however. He bought the bar that played the largest role in popularizing his drink order. In the end, Col. Rickey made a tidy profit off his namesake.

Prohibition Ruins the Fun

Just as the lime rickey was poised to take the country by storm, prohibition crashed and disbanded the party. There wasn’t a place for a drink like the rickey in speakeasies and black markets, but parties that stayed on the right side of the law gave the mocktail version of the drink a try. It had a refreshing and sophisticated flavor and worked well as a stand-in for illegal alcoholic beverages. Once prohibition ended, the rickey stayed a non-alcoholic beverage and became a staple of soda shops and ice cream parlors.

New England Classics at Amherst, NH, Restaurants

At Bentley’s Roast Beef, we’re committed to keeping New England classics alive. While New Yorkers may prefer cherry syrup in their lime rickey, we prefer it the New England way with raspberry. Sweet, tart, and refreshing, this drink will be your favorite part of visiting Amherst, NH, restaurants this summer.

Visit us at 134 NH-101A in Amhers, or place your order online!