Ramos fizz

Ramos fizz is a cocktail made with gin, lemon juice, sugar, cream, egg whites, and orange flower water, served over ice. It is a frothy, creamy drink with a tangy and fragrant taste.

Ramos fizz recipe

• 4.5 cl gin
• 1.5 cl fresh lime juice
• 1.5 cl fresh lemon juice
• 3 cl simple syrup
• 6 cl cream
• 1 egg white
• 3 dashes orange flower water
• 2 drops vanilla extract
• soda water

All ingredients except the soda are poured in a mixing glass, dry shaken (no ice) for two minutes, then ice is added and shaken hard for another minute. Strain into a highball glass without ice and topped with soda.

Building a proper Ramos fizz

1. Chill a Collins or other tall glass well before you start. This drink depends on staying cold and holding a tall, creamy head.
2. Add the gin, fresh citrus juices, simple syrup, cream, egg white, orange flower water, and vanilla to a shaker or mixing tin. Start with a dry shake without ice for about 2 minutes to fully emulsify the cream and egg white.
3. Add plenty of ice and shake again, hard, for about 1 minute. The goal is a dense, silky texture rather than a quick chill alone.
4. Strain into the chilled glass with no ice. Leave a little room at the top.
5. Top carefully with soda water. The fizz should lift the foam upward into a smooth, cloudlike crown.
6. Let it settle for a moment before serving. If the head rises too quickly, pause the soda; if it sits low, add a touch more.
7. Serve immediately, ideally without a straw, so the first sip catches both the airy foam and the bright citrus beneath.

What the Ramos fizz tastes like

This is one of the creamiest classics in the canon, but it should still feel light. Gin brings structure, the lemon and lime keep it bright, and the orange flower water gives it that unmistakable floral signature. Vanilla rounds the edges, while the soda turns the whole drink into something almost weightless.

Done well, it tastes rich without being heavy, closer to a citrus cream cloud than a dessert drink.

New Orleans roots and the famous long shake

The Ramos fizz is most closely associated with New Orleans and is generally credited to Henry C. Ramos in the late 19th century. Some small details of its early evolution are debated, but that origin is the most widely accepted.

Its legend comes from the shake. Stories from the city describe bartenders handing the shaker down the line because the drink demanded so much agitation. Whether every tale is fully true or slightly embellished, the reputation is deserved: this cocktail really does need serious shaking to achieve its signature texture.

Getting the lift right, plus an easy alcohol-free riff

Use very cold ingredients if possible, and don’t overdo the floral notes; just a few drops too many can make the drink taste soapy. A narrow, tall glass helps the foam stack higher and look more dramatic.

For a non-alcoholic version, replace the gin with a botanical zero-proof spirit or a mix of chilled juniper tea and a splash of white grape juice. Keep the citrus, cream, egg white or aquafaba, floral water, vanilla, and soda. The result keeps the aroma and texture that make the Ramos fizz memorable.