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The Ramos Gin Fizz is a revelation! This classic New Orleans cocktail has a frothy topping and tastes like lemon meringue pie.

Ramos Gin Fizz
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Here’s an over-the-top impressive classic cocktail: the Ramos Gin Fizz! The impossibly tall frothy topping and tangy burst of lime, lemon and orange blossom water makes it taste just like a lemon meringue pie. Is the Ramos Gin Fizz better than the classic Gin Fizz? Absolutely. In all honesty, we didn’t think anything could beat the classic. But one sip of this one, and you’ll realize just how special this drink is.

What’s in a Ramos Gin Fizz?

The Gin Fizz is a classic cocktail made with gin, lemon, simple syrup and soda water. The first printed recipe for a gin fizz was in an 1876 book, and it rose to mass popularity starting in the 1900’s. The most common variation on a gin fizz adds an egg white to get that classic, foaming topping.

The Ramos gin fizz is a variation on the gin fizz, invented in New Orleans in 1888 by a bartender named Henry Ramos. Invented at his bar the Imperial Cabinet Saloon, it was originally called the New Orleans Fizz. Apparently, the drink took whole 12 minutes to shake up back in the day! (That’s not required in our recipe, don’t worry.) Today, the Ramos gin fizz has been immortalized by the International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails, meaning it has an official definition. The ingredients you’ll need are:

  • Gin
  • Lemon juice, fresh squeezed
  • Lime juice, fresh squeezed
  • Simple syrup
  • Heavy cream
  • Orange flower water (aka orange blossom water)
  • Egg white
  • Soda water
Ramos gin fizz

The key to the egg white foam: a dry shake!

Why add an egg white to your Ramos Gin Fizz? Adding egg whites in cocktails has been a tradition since the 1860’s. The foam does two things: it adds a frothy texture to the top of the drink, and a creamy rich flavor to each sip.

There’s a special technique to getting a great egg white foam that works in both the classic Gin Fizz and the Ramos Gin Fizz. It’s called a Dry Shake. Here’s how it works:

  • Shake the drink ingredients without ice first. This lets the protein in the egg begin to form foam, instead of being diluted by the ice.
  • Then add ice and shake again. This cools the drink and strengthens the foam. Strain it into the glass and you’ll get a thick, white frothy layer.

What is orange flower water?

Most the ingredients in a Ramos Gin Fizz are pretty standard for cocktails: gin, citrus juice, even a little heavy cream (though it’s more common in after dinner drinks). But there is one very unique ingredient to consider: orange blossom water! It’s what gives this cocktail its delicate, floral flavor. It is 100% required to make a true Ramos Gin Fizz: so don’t go leaving it out! Here’s what to know about this ingredient:

  • Orange flower water, aka orange blossom water, is a scented water made with the essential oils of orange flower petals. It’s often used in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cuisine: but is unusual to cocktails! (Try it in this Carrot Salad with Orange Blossom Vinaigrette.)
  • Where to buy orange flower water? You can find it in the grocery near Middle Eastern ingredients, or it’s easy to find orange flower water online.
Ramos gin fizz

How to make a Ramos Gin Fizz (basic steps)

Assemble your ingredients: here’s how to make a Ramos Gin Fizz! The only time involved is juicing the lemon and separating out the egg white! Contrary to the method used in the 1880s, there’s no need to shake the drink for 10 minutes. Here are the basic steps (or jump to the recipe):

  1. Dry shake: Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake for 15 seconds without ice.
  2. Shake with ice: Add ice to the cocktail shaker and shake again for 30 seconds.
  3. Strain: Strain into a glass and garnish. Voila!

And that’s it! Let us know what you think of this incredibly special classic cocktail. It’s become a favorite over here!

There are lots of classic gin cocktails that are related to the gin fizz! Here a few that are very similar:

Ramos gin fizz recipe

When to serve a Ramos Gin Fizz

The Ramos Gin Fizz is a unique drink that’s over the top impressive! It’s great for serving to guests as a:

  • Happy hour drink
  • Dinner party drink
  • Summer drink
  • Late night drinks drink
  • Guys or girls night drink
  • Cocktail hour drink
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Ramos Gin Fizz

Ramos gin fizz
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The Ramos Gin Fizz is a revelation! This classic New Orleans cocktail has a frothy topping and tastes like lemon meringue pie. 

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Shaken
  • Cuisine: Cocktails
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ounces gin
  • ½ ounce lemon juice
  • ½ ounce lime juice
  • ½ ounce simple syrup
  • ½ ounce heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon orange flower water (orange blossom water)
  • 1 egg white
  • Soda water
  • For the garnish: lemon wedge or wheel

Instructions

  1. Add the gin, lemon juice, lime juice, simple syrup, heavy cream, orange flower water, and egg white to cocktail shaker without ice. Shake for 15 seconds (called a “dry shake). 
  2. Add ice to the cocktail shaker. Shake again for 30 to 45 seconds.
  3. Strain the drink into an ice filled Collins glass or highball glass. Add a splash of soda water into the glass and allow to sit for 1 minute until foam separates. 

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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