Ingredients
Drink
- 60 mlLondon dry gin
- 15 mlfresh lemon juice
- 15 mlfresh lime juice
- 20 mlsugar syrup
- 30 mldouble cream
- 1egg white
- 3 dropsorange flower water
To top
- 30 mlcold soda water
Also
- ice, for shaking
Equipment
- a Collins glass, chilled
- a shaker with a good seal
Directions
- Use a very fresh egg from a source you trust, and pasteurised whites are a reasonable alternative for anyone who would rather avoid raw egg.
- Chill a tall Collins glass in the freezer for at least half an hour. The glass must be genuinely cold, because a warm glass collapses the foam as you pour. Use three drops, measured with a dropper, and no more.
- Combine the gin, lemon, lime, syrup, cream, egg white and orange flower water in a shaker with no ice at all. Now the dry shake: shake it hard for a full minute with no ice.
- Shake it far longer than feels reasonable. The tin should be painfully cold and frosted.
- Let it stand for a minute or two. That short rest lets the foam settle and firm up, and it is the step that separates a proper Ramos from a fizzy one.
- Pour it slowly and steadily, and the head will rise above the rim of the glass and stand there. If it does not rise, the shake was too short or the glass was too warm.
- Serve it immediately with a short straw and no garnish. Drink it quickly, because the foam falls within a few minutes.
Technique
- Some bartenders use a small blender or a milk frother for the dry shake, which works and is not cheating.
- The cream and egg white together are what build the texture and neither can be left out.
- It is a brunch drink in New Orleans as much as an evening one.
Substitutions
- Pasteurised egg white, which behaves identically.
- Half milk and half cream, for a slightly lighter drink.
Variations
- Made with lemon alone rather than lemon and lime.
- With vanilla in place of orange flower water, which is a modern variation.
- Batched without the egg for a crowd, which is a different and lesser drink.
History
Created by Henry C. Ramos in New Orleans in 1888; his bar famously employed rows of shaker boys to work the drink.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ramos gin fizz?
Ramos gin fizz is a cocktail from United States: gin, citrus, cream, egg white and orange flower water shaken long into a pillowy fizz. Created by Henry C. Ramos in New Orleans in 1888; his bar famously employed rows of shaker boys to work the drink.
How long does Ramos gin fizz take to make?
Ramos gin fizz takes 15 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 drink. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Ramos gin fizz?
Yes, within limits. Pasteurised egg white, which behaves identically. Half milk and half cream, for a slightly lighter drink.
What is the most important thing to get right in Ramos gin fizz?
Chill a tall Collins glass in the freezer for at least half an hour. The glass must be genuinely cold, because a warm glass collapses the foam as you pour. Use three drops, measured with a dropper, and no more.
