The Ramos Gin Fizz is a classic New Orleans cocktail made with gin, heavy cream, egg white, lemon juice, lime juice, orange flower water, vanilla extract and soda water.
This cocktail, characterized by its fluffy top, was created in 1888 at the Imperial Cabinet Saloon in New Orleans by bartender and proprietor Henry Charles Ramos, who patrons called “Carl.”
In the late 1800s, New Orleans emerged as a major tourist destination and Ramos’ Tavern and Fizz benefited, with the bar packed every night with patrons looking for the drink of the moment.
“In 1900, Kansas City Star “He called the Imperial Cabinet ‘the world’s most famous gin fizz saloon,’ adding that ‘Ramos’s Gin Fizz is unmatched anywhere,'” cocktail historian David Wondrich wrote in his 2007 book. Please drink!
Originally called the New Orleans Fizz, this cocktail quickly became popular and also known for its particularly laborious preparation process: It requires multiple shakings to incorporate both egg whites and cream, two ingredients that are particularly difficult to break down in the drink.
By 1900, the Ramos Gin Fizz had become so popular that the Imperial Cabinet was going through 5,000 egg whites a week. Ramos hired a team of bartenders (six at the height of Mardi Gras), each with their own personal “shaker boy” to help keep up with the demand for Gin Fizz. It may have been pretentious, but Ramos insisted on a well-shaken drink to achieve a silky smooth texture and a perfectly foamy top, with records showing that it took him as long as 15 minutes to shake a single glass.
By 1915, Ramos had moved to a larger bar and employed 35 men dedicated to shaking fizz one glass at a time during Mardi Gras that year. They stood in a theatrical long line and took turns passing the shaker to the next bartender when their arms got tired.
Ramos called his star cocktail “one of a kind,” and a few years before his death, just as Prohibition was coming into force, Ramos generously shared the exact ingredients and specifications of his beloved concoction. New Orleans Item Tribune. By that time, the New Orleans Fizz had become known colloquially as the Ramos Gin Fizz.
What makes Ramos Gin Fizz a success?
Creamy and floral with just the right amount of bubbles and carbonation, Ramos Gin Fizz is well worth the effort of making it.
Ramos’ original recipe called for Old Tom Gin, a sweeter gin popular in the 18th century that tastes like a cross between a London Dry style and genever. The modern version of the Ramon Gin Fizz ups the amount of syrup to an ounce to make up for the slight difference in sweetness. The sugar is balanced with an ounce of citrus, split between lemon juice and lime juice, which add a vibrant complexity without being too overpowering.
The rich, creamy mouthfeel comes from both the heavy cream and emulsified eggs, which give it a meringue-like consistency when shaken. Orange flower water is used in small quantities and is often the ingredient that sets bar-quality Ramos Gin Fizz apart. It gives it a surprisingly floral texture, but be careful when adding this aromatic tincture – just a little goes a long way.
Shake, shake, shake until the foam disappears and the drink is smooth, snowy, and has the consistency of good, thick milk.” — Henry Charles “Carl” Ramos, creator of Ramos Gin Fizz
The recipe also adds a few drops of vanilla extract, which some claim is Ramos’ secret ingredient. Others argue that vanilla extract wasn’t in the original recipe and can be left out if desired. But the addition of vanilla extract adds depth and complexity, rounding out the drink and compliments the character of modern gins, which are drier than Ramos’ original pre-Prohibition Old Tom Gin of choice.
“Shake, shake, shake until there’s no foam left and the drink is smooth and snowy white and has the consistency of good, thick milk,” Ramos said. New Orleans Item Tribune.
Shaking over ice for up to a minute ensures the final mixture is properly diluted, emulsified, and properly chilled when poured into an ice-free Collins glass. Cold soda water further chills the drink and helps spread the bubbles outside the glass. It’s important to use the coldest soda water possible, as this creates the milkshake-like foam that the cocktail is known for.
Perfecting the Dry Shake
An essential part of the Ramos Gin Fizz is the dry shake, a technique in which the cocktail is vigorously shaken without ice to emulsify the egg white and cream before chilling. While many bartenders have their own preferred techniques, such as a reverse dry shake, we opt for the more traditional version.
Shake the ingredients as vigorously as possible without ice for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Then add ice to the shaker and shake for an additional 15 to 20 seconds. This will chill the drink without separating the ingredients.
