Preparation
- Shake all ingredients except the soda hard with ice for about two minutes.
- Strain out, discard the ice, return the liquid to the shaker, and shake hard for roughly another minute without ice.
- Strain into a chilled highball glass and slowly top with soda. Leave room for the foam.
What does it taste like?
The first impression is texture, not flavor. Foam made from egg white and cream feels soft, almost like cold, carbonated milk. Then the acidity of lemon and lime comes through, 30 ml of fresh juice combined. An equal amount of simple syrup balances it out, so the drink stays pleasantly sweet without tipping over. The gin shows through, its juniper pairing surprisingly well with the cream. In the background there's a floral scent of orange blossom, plus a hint of vanilla. The soda lightens everything up. With 45 ml of gin in a tall glass, the Ramos Fizz drinks mild.
When does it work best?
The Ramos Fizz is a drink for late morning or early evening. It tastes mild and creamy, so beginners get on well with it. If cream in your cocktail isn't your thing, steer clear. Expect some work: three minutes of shaking is non-negotiable, or the foam won't form. That makes it a poor choice for a large group.
What matters
Two minutes of shaking, straining, then another minute of dry shaking—this sequence builds the foam that defines the drink. Orange blossom water is very potent: three dashes is already plenty, any more and it turns perfumey fast. Add the soda slowly along the side of the glass, leaving generous headspace, or the foam will overflow.
Where the drink comes from
Henry Charles Ramos mixed this drink in New Orleans in 1888. It became famous for its foam and for the unusual combination of gin, cream, egg white, and orange blossom. A bar legend goes along with it: entire chains of bartenders supposedly passed the shaker along, shaking it for minutes on end. Whether that's true is up for debate. What matters to you at home is just the result in the glass. You don't need to recreate a historic shaking brigade—just nail the texture. Two arms will do the job.