Ramos Gin Fizz

2 oz Old Tom Gin (or Plymouth)
1⁄2 oz Lemon juice
1⁄2 oz Lime juice
1 oz Simple syrup
3 dr Orange flower water
2 dr Vanilla extract (very optional)
1 oz Cream
1 oz Egg white
1 spl Soda water
Instructions

Shake all ingredients except the soda water WITHOUT ICE very vigorously for at least one minute, preferably longer -- the longer the better. Then add ice and shake for 1-2 minutes, as long as you can manage, until extremely cold and frothy. Strain into a tall thin glass (no ice), or a very large old fashioned glass, and top with soda water. Stir gently.

History

First appears in print in Kappeler's Modern American Drinks (1895) as the "New Orleans Fizz", using juice of half a lemon, 1/2 tablespoon fine sugar, 1 jigger (2 oz) Old Tom gin, 1/2 jigger milk or cream, and soda water. This recipe follows "New Orleans DRINKS and how to mix 'em" by Stanley Clisby Arthur, 1937.

Cocktail summary
Posted by Dan on
Created by
Henry C. Ramos, Imperial Cabinet Saloon
Year
1888
Is an
authentic recipe
Reference

http://www.hurlothrumbo.org/ramos_fizz_recipe.htm

Curator
4 stars
Average
4.5 stars
(34 ratings)
YieldsDrink
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From other users
  • A bit watery but still very well balanced and interesting. Probably much better if I could actually shake it long enough. It should be much longer shake according various sources.
  • A classic, but ends up as a bit of a gin float. Good if you're in the modd.
  • Delicious but even with reverse dry shake still is 20 sec then 40 sec of shaking
  • Phenomenal; like an old timey soda fountain drink
  • I'd make this more if it didn't require so much damn work. Improved with a reverse dry shake.
  • One of the first I just had to make for myself. A workout :D
  • A little more flavor can be added by using half and half simple syrup and orgeat.
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Comments

Curated slightly: Changed gin from gin (old tom or plymouth) to Old Tom Gin. Added history, creator, and date.

bza commented on 12/11/2011:

Has anyone ever had a ramos with Ransom? Seems like it would be pretty strange...

Nope, but agree that it would be a kinda odd use of Ransom. Love Ransom, but wouldn't substitute it for dry gin in a Ramos Gin Fizz.

Hmm.... It wasn't really until 1910 that sales of Old Tom and London Dry gin (which only became possible with the column still) were equivalent in the US, and the 20's before London Dry really began to dominate the market. The article on Hayman's Old Tom on the Haus Alpenz website mentions that Old Tom was used in the Ramos. 

Next time I'm somewhere I can have a decent drink, I'll have them make me a Hayman's Ramos Gin Fizz and we'll see ;) 

Thanks,

Zachary

Chris at 1022 South makes a delicious derivative of this drink using Cognac and Creme de Violette instead of gin and simple syrup, finished with a little rose cordial

So per Rob Marais' request, I did something neat last night with the Ramos -- ran it through an ISI whipper. Here's how I did it. First, batch everything except the egg white, bitters and the soda (we're not using it) and put it in the refrigerator to get as cold as you can get it. When it's cold, in your shaker, add 2 teaspoons additional lemon juice, 1/4 oz water, the egg white, and the spring off a Hawthorne strainer and dry shake the egg white until it's foamy. The water aids in foaming, the acid stabilizes foam, and the spring acts like a whisk. Remove the spring, and add all the pre-batched stuff and another 1/2 oz water, fill the shaker with ice, and shake like hell for 30 seconds. Remember, you're adding all this extra water to make up for lack of melt and cooling! Strain this into an ISI whipper, charge with 1 charge of nitrous, and shake for 30 seconds. Dispense the foamed Ramos into a 10 oz. Collins glass (you should have some left over), and garnish with bitters. You're going to need a straw for this one -- as the liquid phase separates from the bubbles, it can be drunk off the bottom, but trying to drink this without a straw is asking for trouble, and a foam moustache.

Zach, I thank you. I can't wait to make this "lazy man's" Ramos Gin Fizz in an ISI. Right now, I'm thinking Saturday morning at 10 a.m. might be optimal!

Not having any Old Tom handy, I've been making these sacrilegiously with about a half ounce of London Dry ('m low) and 3/4 ounce each El Dorado 3 year and Delord white Armagnac. The rum and especially the brandy play very well with the creamsicle-y flavor of the orange flower water and cream. Worth a shot if you've got 'em and if you've already had the Ramos the right way. If you haven't, get on that: this is a justified classic, the kind of delicious and refreshing cocktail that everyone can love, and that includes gin-phobes and the "fruity, not too strong" crowd.

A hand-held blender (Braun) works well for the dry shake. 1/2 oz orgeat and 1/2 oz simple syrup adds a little flavor.

Add the cream after the dry shake. This will allow the other ingredients to foam up as quickly and beautifully as in any other non-dairy egg white sour. Shake it again with cream and ice, and very slowly top off the drink with the freshest soda water you have, pausing to let it settle, and then adding more to foam a cloud of foam above the rim of the glass. Don't mar the presentation with straws or garnishes of any kind. Bask and enjoy.