Fitzmaurice bartends at the 1331 Lounge in the JW Marriott, the home of the city’s official drink. The Rickey originated in 1883 at a Washington saloon called Shoomaker’s where the JW Marriot now stands. This month, D.C. Councilman Jack Evans named the lime juice concoction the District’s native cocktail. What is the origin of the Rickey?

It was invented at Shoomaker’s, partially by mistake. One of the bartenders dropped a lime in Col. Jim Rickey’s drink. One thing led to another and that’s when the Rickey was pretty formed. As they would say back them, it was air conditioning in a glass. There was no sugar. You had a nice clean refreshing drink there.

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