Episode #35 features the Ramos Gin Fizz. I know we did fizzes already, but one can never get enough shaking. Apparently Henry C. Ramos really couldn’t get enough of the shaking. His drink required 12 minutes of non-stop shaking to be properly fizzed.
In 1888 Ramos created his fizz which became a sensation at his bar the Imperial Cabinet Saloon in New Orleans. Because of the demand for the drink, as well as concerns over frostbite, he would have 20 bartenders behind his bar just to shake in order to fill all of the orders.
In 1935 Huey Long, the Kingfish, brought a bartender with him to New York to make his fizzes while he was away from his home town, from whom the recipe and technique were adopted by bartenders at the New Yorker hotel. In this way the fizz became more of an international sensation as visitors to New York could then sample and spread the word, making this cocktail a classic.
Bobby stands firm in his assessment that such shenanigans as 12 minute preparation are all just for show and he was confident shaking our Ramos Gin Fizz for a mere two minutes would provide the correct results.
- 2 oz gin
- Simple syrup
- ½ lemon
- ½ lime
- ½ oz egg white
- 1 oz cream
- 6 drops orange blossom water
Despite the spectacle, the gin fizz is really damn good. It’s easy to drink and is very refreshing. Of course, the preparation is obnoxious enough I’m sure it’s a bar only cocktail…and even then only when the bartender isn’t cranky.
