I am now zero-for-two at ordering my favorite summer drink – the Gin Rickey.  Okay, that’s not technically true that; I had one at Gibson (14th and U) a few months ago which was quite delightful. 

However, I had two very similar experiences trying to get one of these at Sequoia in Georgetown (June 24) and Bar Louie at Gallery Place (July 2).  Here’s what happened:

1. Order the drink
2. Server takes order, then comes back and asks how to make the drink.  Recipe is recited.
3. Server delivers what seems to be either a gin-and-tonic or a gin-gimlet-with-soda
4. Recipe is reiterated, server disappears again
5. Server delivers what seems to be either a gin-gimlet-with-soda or a gin-and-tonic (whichever wasn’t served earlier)
6. Recipe is again reiterated
7. Rickey is delivered!

And this a drink with a long DC history.  It was named for Colonel Joe Rickey, an infamous lobbyist, and what is more DC than that?  Only a year ago, the DC Craft Bartender Guild declared July as Rickey Month.  They’re dead easy to make — three ingredients — and are on the cocktail wiki, which I somehow assumed that bartenders in DC knew about.  Do bartenders not have recipe books or web access? 

Or maybe I need to stop going to chain establishments, eh?