The Ramos Gin Fizz has been a staple on the New Orleans cocktail scene since the 1880s. Velvety, citrusy, and sweet, it has a gorgeous frothy texture and a picture-perfect foamy head. Here’s the best recipe to try at home if you love a luscious drink filled with zesty flavors.
Ramos Gin Fizz
PREP TIME 5 min

QUICK TIPS
INSTRUCTIONS
Add all the ingredients, apart from the club soda, to a cocktail shaker
Dry shake for a full minute without ice
Then add ice and shake until well-chilled
Strain into a serving glass (we like a Collins)
Top with club soda
Serve
How the Ramos Gin Fizz came to be
Isn’t this interesting? The original recipe was created by a teetotal bar owner! No kidding. Mr. Henry C. Ramos, also known as Carl to his nearest and dearest, owned the Imperial Cabinet in New Orleans in the late 880s, and he was the creative mind behind this deliciously creamy drink. It was actually originally called the New Orleans Fizz, but everyone called it the Ramos, and the name stuck.
Being a stickler for procedure, Mr. Ramos required the drink to be shaken for 12 full minutes before serving it to his clientele. When the drink’s popularity skyrocketed, he often had up to 20 bartenders (also called ‘shaker boys’) working at any given time. In the 33 years of the bar’s existence, thousands of these cocktails were reportedly served a week.
The story goes that the Mardi Gras season of 1915 was so busy at the Imperial Cabinet that 35 bartenders were working at a time! These hard-working souls would relay to rest their arms in between shaking up Ramos Gin Fizz orders.
Love this Ramos Gin Fizz cocktail recipe? Then try these!
If this clinker bowled your over, here are some more winners:
The prettily pink Clover Club Cocktail tastes as delicious as it looks—like slightly sweet raspberry ice cream that has been infused with a kiss of gin. Simply dreamy!
Sloe Gin Fizz
A Sloe Gin Fizz (opens in new window) is the perfect option when you feel like a cocktail that delightfully balances sweet against tart. Featuring gin infused with sour berries that grow on blackthorn bushes in the hedgerows of narrow lanes in the English countryside, it’s a UK Christmastime staple.
Classic Whiskey Sour
This sweet, slightly tart cocktail is an absolute classic with its retro foam topping, and a real game-changer in terms of mouthfeel and texture. The egg white in the Whiskey Sour (opens in new window) traps little pockets of air, which gives it a very silky, meringue-like texture that adds some lovely body without changing the taste.
All about egg whites: The Easy Guide to Making Egg White Cocktails Like a Pro (opens in new window)
When to whip up our Ramos Gin Fizz New Orleans recipe
Here are a few occasions when this epic drink is sure to cause a stir:
- Mardi Grass parties (opens in new window) (it’s giving all the New Orleans vibes!)
- Surprise birthday parties (opens in new window) (a completely novel choice as a signature drink)
- After dinner (opens in new window) (pairs wonderfully with all sorts of desserts)