Ramos Gin Fizz

Originally known as the New Orleans Fizz, this gin cocktail was born in the Big Easy in the 1880s.

The Ramos Gin Fizz is a tall, creamy, citrusy classic with sky-high foam. It’s made with gin, lemon, lime, cream, simple syrup, orange blossom water, egg white, and soda water.

The history of the Ramos Gin Fizz

The Ramos Gin Fizz was invented by bar owner Henry C. Ramos in 1888. It was served at his bar, the Imperial Cabinet Saloon and first named the New Orleans Fizz.

By the time Ramos opened a second bar, The Stag, the drink had become so popular it was referred to by his name. The story goes that there was such demand, at one point there were 20+ bartenders on hand to shake up Ramos’s Fizz.

Ramos’s original recipe called for an incredible 12 minute shake time. My arms are tired after a solid minute’s shake, so I can’t imagine the workout those bartenders were getting in the Ramos Fizz’s heyday! Today, it’s one of New Orleans most famous cocktails, along with the Hurricane, Sazerac, and Vieux Carré.

What’s in a Ramos Gin Fizz?

• London dry gin
• Sugar (I use simple syrup)
• Lemon juice
• Lime juice
• Orange blossom water
• Egg white
• Soda water

How to shake one up

The most important step when making this cocktail is the dry shake. You need to first shake all of the ingredients (except the soda water) without any ice to build up a thick and creamy foam. Then you’ll add ice and shake to chill the cocktail before straining it.

One issue you’ll quickly discover when dry shaking cocktails is that the shaker wants to pop open while you’re shaking. Unlike when shaking a drink with ice, where the cold helps to create a seal in the shaker, shaking frothy room temp ingredients creates a pressure build up that works against you, popping the seal mid-shake.

I’ve developed a certain way of holding my small Parisian shaker that helps me keep it together, but I do still have occasional leaks. One trick you can try is to add a single ice cube to your dry shake.

This will prevent the seal from blowing open on you, but it will also affect the texture of your foam. I find my foam to be more airy and less dense/creamy when using this method.

Reverse dry shake

Another technique to try is the reverse dry shake. I have had success with this method, but I don’t find that it creates finer foam than the standard dry shake / wet shake method.

To properly reverse dry shake your Ramos Gin Fizz, you’ll add all ingredients except the egg white (and soda water) to your shaker, add ice, and shake until chilled. Next, you’ll strain out the ice, add the egg white, and dry shake to build the foam.

This is a method that many swear by, but I don’t use it very often simply because of the inconvenience of having to strain out the ice! However, if you find it too difficult to keep your shaker intact while dry shaking, give this method a go and see if it works better for you.

There’s no right or wrong here, use the method that works for you and you’ll have a great cocktail.

Once you’ve shaken and chilled your Ramos Gin Fizz, all that’s left to do is strain it into a tall glass (without ice) and gently top it with soda water. Serve with a straw and enjoy!