A little over a year ago we spent an amazing few days in New Orleans celebrating a milestone birthday for Ed. It was a trip filled with wonderful music, architecture, culture, food and drink. We brought home many memories and a few recipes, too. This is one that I request for special occasions as it takes some fortitude (on Ed’s part) to make.
This drink was created by Henry C. Ramos in the 1880s at the Imperial Cabinet Saloon in New Orleans. Later the Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel bought the rights to the drink. Louisiana’s charismatic Governor Huey Long frequented this bar to enjoy his favorite cool libation and is said to have flown one of their bartenders to New York City to the New Yorker Hotel to teach their bartenders how to properly make a Ramos Gin Fizz so that he’d never be without. I was fortunate to have my first at the Sazerac Bar. It is sweet, tart, cool and refreshing; I’ll never forget it.
While made up of simple ingredients (gin, citrus, simple syrup, orange blossom water, cream and an egg white), the key is how they are mixed (shaken) together. The first step is a dry shake (no ice) for at least two minutes (preferably more like five minutes) in order to achieve the frothy egg white cap (think a soft meringue). The second step is a traditional ice shake – using small cubes/crushed ice, you shake until the ice is melted (about a minute) and add the cream for the last few seconds.
Then you carefully pour it into a tall glass without deflating it – no need to strain here. Given all the work that needs to be done, I recommend making at least two at a time.
You’ll want to use a mild gin in this drink as you want the other flavors to shine. While it wouldn’t be authentic, if you’re not a gin fan, you could substitute vodka (after all gin is simply juniper-flavored vodka).
Over the years people have come up with some machine alternatives for the shake – check out Punch’s Building a Better Ramos Gin Fizz.
| Ramos Gin Fizz | Print |
- 2 ounces gin (mild flavored)
- 1 egg white
- ½ teaspoon orange flower water
- ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- 1 ounce light or heavy cream
- 1 ounce soda water
- Combine gin, egg white, orange flower water, lemon juice, lime juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Shake for 2 to 5 minutes until very frothy.
- Add a small handful of small ice cubes/crushed ice and shake for 30 to 60 seconds or until the ice has melted (you no longer hear it).
- Add cream and shake for a few seconds more.
- Pour into a Collins (tall) glass and mix in soda water. The drink should be thick enough that a straw stands up in the center.
1 cup (8 ounces) water
1 cup granulated sugar
Bring the water to a simmer in a saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and stir until it completely dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Pour the syrup into a clean 1-pint bottle, cap it and refrigerate it until needed. Makes 1½ cups and keeps two months or longer in the refrigerator.
We love these! Had them in NOLA a and tried to recreate at home with little success. I definitely want to try your recipe!
David – I thought you might be a Ramos Gin Fizz fan, too! So glad I was right. The recipe for success seems to be shaking and more shaking! Good luck.