Rickey Tikki Tonni
I only learned recently, that I love cucumber in drinks, so I began ordering drinks at bars with cucumbers. I ordered one that mixed Campari and cucumber among other things and I absolutely loved the duo. I got to work on what would be my first signature cucumber drink. I ended up experimenting with vodka, but switched to gin. After doing so, I found that taking aspects of all the classic gin drinks worked. The lime and limited added sugar from a Rickey, the tonic water from a Gin & Tonic, the Campari from a Negroni, and cucumber altogether forms the Rickey Tikki Tonni.
Rickey Tikki Tonni Gin Cocktail Recipe
It might be a silly name, but I love it. I love the drink even more and so will you, so here’s the recipe:
2oz gin
1/2oz Campari
2-3 cucumber coins muddled
1oz lime juice
Shaken
Top with tonic water
Garnish with cucumber coin
The combination of bitter-refreshing is certainly unique with this drink. I find that it creates a highly refreshing taste with bitterness that leaves you wanting more. This drink also has incredible mouth feel because of this and the carbonation. The color is also very appealing and when poured in a tall glass it just looks like it will quench your thirst. It’s certainly a beverage that I am very proud of and hope that others can taste why.
You may want to use Aperol for this drink, but my old bartending teacher from Italy will rip into you for substituting out Campari. I’ve been wanting to create a new drink using Campari for sometime too, so it was really a fantastic discovery. If you don’t like tonic water, you can substitute in club soda, however, the sugars and flavor in tonic is what balances out the Rickey Tikki Tonni more. I’d recommend avoiding substitutions if possible.
Have a Taste of My Gin-based Cocktail & Let Me Know Your Thoughts
If you’re a fan of any classic gin drinks, I think you’d love this. There are a lot of flavors, but they work really well together I think. Plus, there’s not a lot of sugar other than the tonic water. Be brave like Rikki Tikki from Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and dive into a Rickey Tikki Tonni for a Freaky Deaky time. Sorry about that. For real though try one and then let me know if you like it in the comments below!
