Ramos Gin Fizz
Gin, citrus, cream and egg white shaken hard into a tall, silky, floral fizz.
- Time
- 6 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Glass
- Highball
- Strength
- 2 UK units
How to make a Ramos Gin Fizz
- Dry shake first. Put the gin, both juices, syrup, cream, egg white and orange flower water in the shaker with no ice. Shake hard for 20 seconds, until it feels thick and frothy.
- Shake again with ice. Add 4 to 5 ice cubes and shake as hard as you can for 30 to 60 seconds. The tin should be frosty and your hands should be numb.
- Strain into the glass. Strain into a highball glass with no ice. It should be a thick, pale foam, filling about two thirds of the glass.
- Top with soda. Pour a little soda down the inside of the glass, slowly, so the foam rises above the rim. Stop when it forms a firm dome.
- Serve at once. Drink it straight away, while the foam is still standing up.
- Glass
- HighballNo highball? Any tall, narrow glass.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- None neededOr: A lemon twist, if you want one.
What you need to make a Ramos Gin Fizz
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Cocktail shakerA two-piece Boston tin is the easiest to use and clean.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Citrus squeezerFresh juice makes the biggest difference of anything.
Bottles we'd use
- Orange flower waterFound in the baking aisle or from a Middle Eastern grocer. A small bottle lasts for years.Find it on Amazon
- London dry ginA classic juniper-led gin, such as Beefeater, cuts through the cream.Find it on Amazon
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The Ramos Gin Fizz story
Most accounts credit Henry C. Ramos, who first made it at his bar in New Orleans in the late 1880s. Legend has it that it took so long to shake that bars hired a line of boys to pass the shaker along. The drink became the city's signature cocktail and still is.
The long shake is how you get the texture, so shake until your arms ache. The orange flower water is the secret: a few drops give the floral scent that makes it a Ramos. If you would rather not use raw egg white, 30 ml of aquafaba (chickpea water) gives a similar foam.
Ramos Gin Fizz: your questions answered
What is in a Ramos Gin Fizz?
A Ramos Gin Fizz is made with 50 ml London dry gin, 15 ml fresh lemon juice, 15 ml fresh lime juice, 30 ml sugar syrup, 30 ml double cream, an egg white, 3 dashes of orange flower water and soda water to top. Garnish: none needed.
Is a Ramos Gin Fizz shaken or stirred?
A Ramos Gin Fizz is shaken, not stirred. Shaking hard with ice chills it quickly and helps whip the egg or cream into a light texture, which stirring cannot do. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels very cold.
How strong is a Ramos Gin Fizz?
Made to this recipe, a Ramos Gin Fizz contains about 2 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Ramos Gin Fizz in?
Serve a Ramos Gin Fizz in a highball. No highball? Any tall, narrow glass.
