Ramos Gin Fizz
Gin, fresh lemon and lime, cream and orange blossom water shaken into an exceptionally smooth, aromatic cocktail and finished with soda water. The Ramos Gin Fizz is famous for its silky texture and tall, creamy foam.
Ramos Gin Fizz Recipe
- Dry gin 60 ml
- Lemon juice 15 ml
- Lime juice 15 ml
- Cane sugar syrup 22.5 ml
- Orange blossom water 1.25 ml
- Vanilla extract 3 drops
- Cocktail foamer 5 dashes
- Soda water 60 ml
- Fresh whipping cream 30–35% 22.5 ml
- Ice, for shaking 150 g
Make it properly
- Add the gin, fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice, cane sugar syrup, cream, orange blossom water, vanilla extract and cocktail foamer to a shaker.
- Shake vigorously without ice first to begin building the foam.
- Add 150 g ice and shake again until thoroughly chilled and aerated.
- Strain into a chilled Collins glass without ice.
- Slowly add approximately 60 ml soda water, allowing the foam to rise towards the top of the glass.
- Let the drink settle briefly, then finish pouring if necessary to create the characteristic foam above the rim. Serve without garnish.
WHAT MAKES A RAMOS GIN FIZZ?
The defining feature of a Ramos Gin Fizz is its silky texture and persistent foam.
Cream gives the drink richness, but shaking is what transforms it. Aerating the ingredients creates a fine, stable foam rather than simply leaving a layer of cream in the cocktail.
Fresh lemon and lime are equally important. Without enough acidity, the combination of cream and sugar would feel heavy. Citrus keeps the drink bright and refreshing.
Orange blossom water provides the unmistakable floral aroma that separates the Ramos from other gin fizzes.
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RAMOS GIN FIZZ RECIPE, INGREDIENTS & TIPS
The Ramos Gin Fizz is not simply a Gin Fizz with cream. Its distinctive character comes from combining fresh lemon and lime, cream, orange blossom water and vigorous aeration. Gin provides the botanical foundation, while equal measures of lemon and lime create a bright citrus profile. Cane sugar syrup softens that acidity and cream transforms the mixture into something remarkably smooth. Orange blossom water is crucial. Used sparingly, it gives the drink its characteristic floral perfume. A few drops of vanilla add another subtle aromatic layer, while soda water lifts the finished cocktail and helps create its famous tall foam.
THE BEST INGREDIENTS FOR A RAMOS GIN FIZZ
Choose a London Dry Gin with a clean juniper-led profile. The cocktail contains several delicate flavours, so an excessively unusual or heavily flavoured gin can easily upset the balance.
Use fresh lemon and fresh lime juice. Their acidity is essential for balancing the cream and sugar.
For the cream, choose liquid cream with approximately 30–35% fat. Do not use whipped cream, sour cream or sweetened cream.
Use orange blossom water intended for food and drinks, not cosmetic orange blossom hydrosol. It should smell intensely floral, so measure it carefully.
A concentrated vanilla extract works best because only a few drops are required. Sugar-free vanilla extract is particularly convenient because sweetness can then be controlled entirely with the cane sugar syrup.
Cocktail foamer replaces egg white while helping create the aerated texture and stable foam required for the drink.
HOW TO BALANCE A RAMOS GIN FIZZ
The key is balancing richness, acidity, sweetness and aroma.
The gin should remain noticeable beneath the cream, so a classic London Dry style works particularly well.
Using both lemon and lime creates a more complex acidity than either citrus fruit alone. The cane sugar syrup rounds the edges without turning the cocktail into a dessert drink.
Cream (30–35% fat) provides enough richness and body to create the characteristic silky texture.
Orange blossom water is powerful. Around 1.25 ml gives a noticeable floral aroma without making the cocktail taste perfumed.
The vanilla extract should be even more restrained. Three drops are enough to add warmth behind the citrus and floral notes without making vanilla an obvious dominant flavour.
Finally, soda water lightens the drink and gives the finished Ramos its refreshing fizz.
THE STORY BEHIND THE RAMOS GIN FIZZ
The Ramos Gin Fizz originated in New Orleans and is associated with bartender Henry C. Ramos, who created his famous gin fizz in the late 19th century.
Originally known as the Ramos Gin Fizz or New Orleans Fizz, the cocktail became particularly famous for the amount of shaking required to achieve its exceptionally smooth texture.
Historical versions are associated with extraordinarily long shaking times and teams of bartenders during busy periods. Modern equipment and cocktail foamer mean you do not need to reproduce that theatrical process at home.
The essential idea remains the same: vigorous aeration turns a mixture of gin, citrus, cream and floral aromatics into one of the most distinctive textures in classic cocktails.
TECHNIQUE
The Ramos Gin Fizz needs more shaking than an ordinary sour.
Start with a dry shake without ice. This begins incorporating air into the cream and cocktail foamer.
Then add ice and shake vigorously again. The second shake chills and dilutes the cocktail while continuing to build its fine foam.
Strain into a chilled Collins glass without serving ice. Add the soda slowly rather than pouring it aggressively.
For the characteristic tall foam, allow the drink to settle briefly as you add the soda. The foam should be dense enough to rise above the rim while remaining attached to the drink underneath.
SERVE IT PROPERLY
Serve the Ramos Gin Fizz in a tall Collins glass without ice.
The drink should have a pale, creamy body topped by a substantial white foam. The foam should look fine and silky rather than loose and bubbly.
No garnish is necessary. Orange blossom, citrus, vanilla and gin already provide plenty of aroma, and the clean white foam is part of the cocktail's presentation.
Questions about the Ramos Gin Fizz
What does a Ramos Gin Fizz taste like?
It is creamy, citrusy, lightly sweet and floral, with botanical gin underneath. Despite containing cream, good acidity and soda water keep the cocktail surprisingly refreshing.
What kind of cream should I use?
Use liquid cream with approximately 30–35% fat. It should be unsweetened and unwhipped.
What is orange blossom water?
Orange blossom water is an aromatic water traditionally made from orange blossoms. It has an intense floral-citrus aroma and is used in very small quantities in the Ramos Gin Fizz.
Can I make a Ramos Gin Fizz without orange blossom water?
You can make a creamy gin fizz without it, but it will lose one of the defining aromas of a Ramos Gin Fizz. It is worth using the real ingredient.
Why is vanilla extract used?
A few drops of vanilla add subtle warmth and aromatic depth behind the citrus, cream and orange blossom. It should not make the finished cocktail taste strongly of vanilla.