Happy Monday! Today, Matthew updates an old and loved recipe of his youth, a Raspberry Lime Rickey, that we think is just right for July. Shake off any Monday blues, and get excited for this Friday (could July 4th fall any more perfectly?)!-  Amy

It was at my first job working in a small, family-owned apothecary (that had been around for generations) that I found that I had a great appreciation for tradition. Whether it was the passed down business practices being carried out, or the old building itself in which the store was housed, there were these time-tested things that were special and which were always honored.

One of the daily rituals while I worked behind the counter was to go to the ice cream shop across the street during lunch, for vanilla sodas and raspberry lime rickies. It was a small but generous gesture from the owners, which made the act of enjoying a little refreshment in the middle of my shift that much more special.

I wanted to harken back to those memories of my sixteen year old self, while still honoring a bit of my adult self as well. It was time to break out the limes, the raspberries, and the Chambord.

Chambord has always been a favorite liquor of mine, but sadly I forgot about it for a while. But now that I have found myself again with its unmistakably shaped bottle, I got to playing around a bit. Turns out, a really nice substitute for raspberry syrup is Chambord – perhaps because it is a black raspberry liquor.

I incorporated fresh from the market raspberries, along with juiced limes and a touch of sugar, when creating this re-invention of a classic New England summer refresher. The Chambord is a perfect stand-in for the raspberry syrup one traditionally uses, and the addition of muddled raspberries and lime makes for a great patio cocktail or poolside companion.

It’s a simple swap of an ingredient that is sure to have your friends calling on you to make this raspberry lime rickey mixture by the pitcher – especially if they have as much of a respect and love of tradition as you do.