New Orleans, United States · 1888

Ramos Gin Fizz

Also known as Ramos Fizz, New Orleans Fizz, Henry C. Ramos Fizz

A tall, creamy, orange-scented fizz that tastes like a boozy, fluffy cloud.

creamyfloralcitrusfizzyorange blossomvanillaegg white foamginbrunchNew Orleans

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip is soft and creamy with a bright orange and vanilla lift. The middle opens up with gin's botanicals peeking through the foam. It finishes clean and slightly tart, with the carbonation keeping the richness from getting heavy.

Who will like it

For people who like creamy, citrus-forward drinks with a light touch and a long, frothy finish.

When to drink

This is a classic brunch or daytime sipper — it's too delicate and labor-intensive for a late-night rush, but perfect when you have time to enjoy it.

Ordering tip

If you order this at a busy bar, be patient — a proper Ramos takes several minutes of shaking, and some bars limit how many they'll make at once.

Ice: NoneTemp: ColdCost: $3–$6Glass: CollinsHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This drink is all about texture — it's thick, frothy, and soft, like a melted milkshake with a gin kick. The orange flower water and vanilla give it a floral, dessert-like nose, while the lemon and lime keep it from feeling heavy. The gin is there in the background, adding a subtle herbal edge, but you'd never call this spirit-forward. It's light, airy, and surprisingly refreshing for something this creamy.

Finish: The finish is clean and slightly tart, with orange blossom and a faint gin warmth fading out gently.

Primary tastes

creamysweetfloralsour

Secondary

herbalfruity

Aroma

orange blossomvanillagin botanicalscream

Sweetnessmoderately sweet
The simple syrup and cream give it a dessert-like sweetness, but the citrus and soda keep it from being cloying.
Sournessbalanced acidity
Lemon and lime juice provide a tart backbone that cuts through the richness of the cream.
Strengthlow alcohol
At roughly 8-9% ABV after dilution and soda, this is a gentle drink — the alcohol is barely perceptible.
Refreshingquite refreshing
The carbonation and citrus make it surprisingly refreshing despite the cream.
Creaminessvery creamy
Heavy cream and egg white create a thick, silky texture that's the defining feature of the drink.
Complexitymoderately complex
Multiple layers — cream, citrus, orange flower water, vanilla, gin botanicals — unfold slowly, but the overall impression is unified rather than challenging.

Recipe

Make it at home

Shaken · Collins · equal parts on Gin. London Dry recommended for a clean botanical backbone

Before you start

Chill your Collins glass in the freezer for a few minutes if you can. Make sure your cream and citrus are cold — warm ingredients make the foam collapse.

Ingredients

GinBase SpiritLondon Dry recommended for a clean botanical backbone45ml
Heavy CreamDairy30ml
Egg WhiteOther1
Fresh Lemon JuiceJuice15ml
Fresh Lime JuiceJuice15ml
Simple SyrupSyrup30ml
Orange Flower WaterOther2 dashes
Vanilla ExtractOther1 dash
Club SodaSodaChilled60ml

Garnish: None

Tools

Cocktail Shaker · Shaking
Shaking the drink to emulsify the egg white and cream into a thick foam
At home: A large mason jar with a tight lid
Jigger · Measuring
Measuring the liquid ingredients accurately
At home: A measuring shot glass or tablespoon
Hawthorne Strainer · Straining
Straining the ice out of the shaker while keeping the foam in the drink
At home: A fine mesh sieve
Collins Glass · Serving
Serving the tall, fizzy drink with room for the foam cap
At home: Any tall narrow glass
Bar Spoon · Mixing
Stirring the club soda into the drink gently without collapsing the foam
At home: A long-handled spoon or chopstick

Steps

1
Crack one egg and separate the white into your shaker — save the yolk for something else. Add 45ml gin, 30ml heavy cream, 15ml lemon juice, 15ml lime juice, 30ml simple syrup, 2 dashes orange flower water, and 1 dash vanilla extract. Don't add ice yet.
!Adding ice in this step waters down the foam before it forms.
2
Seal the shaker and shake hard with no ice for about 15 seconds — this is the dry shake, and it's what builds the thick foam. You'll feel the contents sloshing heavily at first, then get lighter and frothier as the egg white emulsifies.
~15s
!Shaking too gently — you need real force to get the egg white to emulsify.
3
Open the shaker and fill it about three-quarters full with ice. Seal it again and shake hard for another 60 to 90 seconds — yes, really, that long. The outside of the shaker should frost over and your hands should ache from the cold. This extended shake chills and dilutes the drink while keeping the foam stable.
~75s
!Stopping too early — under-shaking leaves the drink warm and the foam thin.
4
Pop the shaker open and strain the contents into your chilled Collins glass through a Hawthorne strainer. The foam should pour out thick and sit above the rim of the glass. If the glass isn't full enough, that's fine — you're about to top it with soda.
!Pouring too fast and letting the foam spill over the sides.
5
Pour 60ml chilled club soda slowly down the inside of the glass, using a bar spoon to guide it if needed. The soda pushes the drink up and adds fizz without breaking the foam cap. Give it one gentle stir from the bottom with your bar spoon to mix the soda through — you'll see the foam rise to a tall cap above the rim.
!Pouring soda directly onto the foam, which collapses it.

Serve

Serve it right away while it's ice cold and the foam cap is tall. No garnish is traditional — the foam itself is the presentation.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Gin

GinVodka
Match
Common availability
Gin → Vodka: Removes the botanical notes entirely, leaving a cleaner but less interesting drink.

Swap options for Orange Flower Water

Orange Flower WaterOrange Liqueur
Match
Common availability
Orange Flower Water → Orange Liqueur: Adds sweetness and orange flavor but loses the delicate floral quality that defines the drink.

Swap options for Heavy Cream

Heavy CreamHalf-and-Half
Match
Common availability
Heavy Cream → Half-and-Half: Makes the drink slightly lighter in body but less rich and velvety.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Gin Fizz

The Gin Fizz skips the cream, egg white, and orange flower water, making it lighter and sharper.

Match

Both are refreshing gin-and-citrus drinks with soda, but the Ramos is a creamy, floral experience while the Gin Fizz is lean and sharp.

In common: fizzy, citrus-forward, tall glass, gin-based

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Club Soda

Only in Ramos Gin Fizz

Heavy Cream, Egg White, Fresh Lime Juice, Orange Flower Water, Vanilla Extract

The Ramos adds cream, egg white, lime, orange flower water, and vanilla — turning a simple sour into a rich, frothy dessert drink.

Flavor

Shared flavors

citrus brightness, botanical gin notes, effervescence

How Gin Fizz differs

creamier, thicker mouthfeel, floral aroma, lower perceived alcohol

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Clover Club

The Clover Club uses raspberry syrup instead of cream and soda, making it fruitier and served short.

Match

Both have that velvety egg white foam and gin-citrus base, but the Clover Club is a short, berry-forward sip while the Ramos is a tall, creamy, floral experience.

In common: gin-based, egg white foam, citrus sour, shaken

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Egg White, Simple Syrup

Only in Ramos Gin Fizz

Heavy Cream, Fresh Lime Juice, Orange Flower Water, Vanilla Extract, Club Soda

Only in Clover Club

Raspberry Syrup

The Ramos trades raspberry for cream, lime, orange flower water, and soda, shifting from fruity-sour to creamy-fizzy.

Flavor

Shared flavors

silky egg white texture, citrus tartness, gin botanicals

How Clover Club differs

creamier, floral instead of fruity, taller and more dilute, carbonated

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Silver Fizz

The Silver Fizz skips the cream, lime, and orange flower water, making it lighter and less dessert-like.

Match

The Silver Fizz is a lean, foamy sour with soda; the Ramos takes that same structure and makes it lush, creamy, and perfumed with orange blossom.

In common: fizzy, egg white foam, gin-based, citrus sour

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Egg White, Club Soda

Only in Ramos Gin Fizz

Heavy Cream, Fresh Lime Juice, Orange Flower Water, Vanilla Extract

The Ramos adds cream, lime, orange flower water, and vanilla to the Silver Fizz template, creating a richer, more aromatic drink.

Flavor

Shared flavors

effervescence, egg white foam, lemon tartness, gin backbone

How Silver Fizz differs

much creamier, floral aroma, fuller body, sweeter and softer

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

Henry C. Ramos invented this drink at his bar, the Imperial Cabinet Saloon in New Orleans, around 1888. It became famous for the long shake time — during Mardi Gras, Ramos reportedly employed teams of shaker boys to keep up with demand.

Creator: Henry C. Ramos
Era: 1880s
IBA: The Unforgettables
Data version: IBA current spec
Confidence

The original Ramos recipe is well-documented but proportions vary slightly across sources; the IBA spec and most modern bars use roughly equal parts cream and citrus to simple syrup.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Use a separate shaker for the dry shake if your shaker leaks foam.
Chill your glass and soda beforehand — warm soda kills the foam.
Orange flower water is potent; measure it, don't free-pour.
Shake longer than you think — 90 seconds of wet shaking is the minimum.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Don't skip the dry shake or your foam will be thin and flat.
Don't use bottled citrus juice — it won't emulsify properly.
Don't pour soda directly onto the foam cap.