The Ramos Gin Fizz recipe
worth the effort
Put the highball glass in the freezer, because the drink is served without ice.
Add all the ingredients except the soda water to the shaker, fill with ice, and shake vigorously for two minutes.
Double-strain the drink into a bowl or glass, discard the ice from the shaker, and pour the drink back in.
Shake for another minute without ice so the cream and egg white whip into firm foam.
Pour into the chilled highball glass and let it rest for one minute so the foam can set.
Slowly top up with cold soda water until the foam rises above the rim.
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The story
Henry C. Ramos created the drink in 1888 at his bar in New Orleans. It was initially called the New Orleans Fizz and was later named after its creator. Shaking it took so long that, according to legend, Ramos arranged a line of bartenders who passed the shaker from one to the next; during Carnival, dozens stood behind the bar at the same time. The famous twelve-minute shake is part of that legend. Later, the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans made the drink famous again, partly because Governor Huey Long was very fond of it. In 1935, he had a bartender from that hotel travel to New York to teach the staff at the New Yorker Hotel the recipe. That same year, the Roosevelt registered the name as a trademark.
The right glass
The Ramos Gin Fizz is served without ice in a narrow, tall long drink glass. That narrow shape is not a detail: the foam needs support to rise above the rim, and in a wide glass it collapses. Choose a glass with a capacity of 30 to 36 cl; it will hold the approximately 20 cl drink plus soda and foam. Chill the glass in the freezer beforehand. See our long drink glasses.
Onis Icon Long Drink Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Duralex Picardie Long Drink Glass 36 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 56,90.
The right tools
For a Ramos Gin Fizz, besides the glass you need a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining, and a citrus press. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 169,70.
What do you make a Ramos Gin Fizz with?
For a Ramos Gin Fizz, you need gin. Well-known bottles include Gordon's and Tanqueray No. Ten. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails pair well with it and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
We follow the IBA's proportions and order: first with ice, then without, the so-called reverse dry shake. Many bartenders do it the other way around and shake first without ice; both work. Leave out the cream, lime, vanilla and orange blossom, and you have a Silver Fizz, the Gin Fizz with egg white. With raspberry syrup and without cream and soda, you get the Clover Club. Without egg white and cream, with more soda and ice, you have the John Collins.
Serving tip
Put the soda water in the fridge and pour from a fresh, cold bottle; lukewarm soda loses its fizz and makes the foam collapse. Serve it with a straw so you can reach the drink beneath the foam cap.
Good to know
Why you shake for so long
Cream and egg white must form a firm foam together, and that only works with plenty of air and time. The first two minutes with ice chill and dilute the drink and combine the cream, egg white, and citrus into a smooth emulsion. The minute without ice that follows whips air into it, like a whisk in whipped cream. The story of shaking for twelve minutes belongs to the legend from New Orleans; three minutes in total is enough for a collar that rises above the rim. Use a shaker that seals well, because cream leaks through every gap. See our cocktail shakers.
Ramos Gin Fizz without raw egg
If you are concerned about raw egg white, use pasteurized egg white from a carton. It is safe and foams well, although slightly less firmly than fresh egg white. For a plant-based version, use aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas: 3 cl replaces one egg white and foams surprisingly well. Replace the cream with a plant-based whipping cream that you can whip. The foam will be slightly airier and collapse faster, so pour in the soda immediately after resting. Fresh egg white remains the benchmark for the thick, almost solid collar. The same substitutes also work in a Pisco Sour or Whiskey Sour.
Orange blossom water: what it is and where to find it
Orange blossom water is made by distilling the blossoms of the bitter orange. It contains no alcohol or sugar, but its aroma is highly concentrated. You can find it in Turkish and Moroccan supermarkets and sometimes in the baking aisle of a regular supermarket. In a Ramos Gin Fizz, it provides the floral aroma by which you immediately recognize the drink. Stick to three dashes: at five or more, the drink starts to smell like soap. Store the bottle somewhere cool and dark, and it will last a long time.
Getting the foam above the rim
The famous hallmark of a Ramos Gin Fizz is a white collar that rises a few centimeters above the glass. Three things are needed for this. A narrow, chilled glass, so the foam has support. One minute of rest after pouring, so the foam can settle and become firmer. And ice-cold soda poured slowly into the center, so the foam is pushed upward as a whole. If you pour too quickly, the foam breaks and you get large bubbles. Some bartenders pour the soda into the empty shaker first to take along the last bits of foam.
Ramos Gin Fizz, Gin Fizz and John Collins
Three drinks based on the same ingredients: gin, lemon, sugar, and soda. The John Collins is the simplest: built in a tall glass full of ice, long and thirst-quenching. The Gin Fizz is shaken and topped up with a smaller splash of soda, making it shorter and more potent. The Ramos Gin Fizz goes a step further with cream, egg white, lime, orange blossom water, and vanilla, and is shaken for several minutes. The result is more dessert than thirst quencher, making it a good fit for a late brunch.
Faster with a milk frother
If you don't feel like shaking for three minutes, a milk frother can help. Put all the ingredients except the soda in the shaker, without ice, and froth them for twenty seconds with the frother. Then shake for one minute with ice to chill and dilute. The frother does the work of the long shake without ice and produces foam that is barely inferior to the manual version. An immersion blender works too, but sometimes makes the foam too coarse. Double-strain afterward, let it rest, and top up with soda as in the recipe.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Ramos Gin Fizz?
According to the IBA: 4.5 cl gin, 1.5 cl lemon juice, 1.5 cl lime juice, 3 cl sugar syrup, 6 cl cream, 3 cl egg white, three dashes of orange blossom water, and two drops of vanilla extract, topped up with soda water. Everything except the soda is shaken for a long time until it forms a thick, white foam.
How long should you shake a Ramos Gin Fizz?
The IBA recommends two minutes with ice, followed by one minute without ice. Those three minutes are enough for a firm foam collar. The twelve minutes from the stories about New Orleans belong to the legend and add little here, apart from sore arms.
Who invented the Ramos Gin Fizz?
Henry C. Ramos, in 1888 at his bar in New Orleans. The drink was initially called New Orleans Fizz. Later, the Roosevelt Hotel in the same city made it famous again, and that hotel registered the name as a trademark in 1935.
Which glass do you use for a Ramos Gin Fizz?
A narrow, tall highball glass holding 30 to 36 cl, chilled and without ice. The narrow shape supports the foam, allowing it to rise above the rim. In a wide glass, the collar sinks and you lose the effect the drink is known for.
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