Cocktail recipe
Ramos Gin Fizz
An airy New Orleans original where citrus, cream and orange blossom rise into a cloud.
Ingredients
- 60 ml (2 oz) London dry gin
- 15 ml (½ oz) fresh lemon juice
- 15 ml (½ oz) fresh lime juice
- 22.5 ml (¾ oz) simple syrup (1:1)
- 15 ml (½ oz) heavy cream
- 1 pasteurized egg white (about 30 ml / 1 oz)
- 3 drops orange flower water
- 45 ml (1½ oz) chilled soda water
- Garnish: none
Preparation
Dry-shake gin, citrus, syrup, cream, pasteurized egg white and orange flower water vigorously for 15 seconds. Add ice and shake another 20–30 seconds until the shaker is frosted and the texture feels dense. Fine-strain into a chilled narrow Collins glass with no ice. Pour in the measured cold soda slowly, letting the foam climb naturally above the rim.
Glassware
Chilled narrow Collins glass
History
Henry Charles 'Carl' Ramos developed the drink in New Orleans in the late 1880s. Sources differ on whether its first service was at Meyer's Table d'Hôte or the Imperial Cabinet Saloon, and on 1887 versus 1888. The famously labour-intensive drink led to teams of shaker boys at busy times. After Prohibition it became associated with the Roosevelt Hotel; Louisiana politician Huey Long helped its celebrity, although specific travel anecdotes are difficult to prove.
Mixology View
This is a texture-driven cocktail. An extended, controlled shake matters more than barroom theatrics; soda must lift the foam, not drown it. Use pasteurized egg white and flag the dairy-and-egg allergens.