Ramos Gin Fizz

Henry C. Ramos, Imperial Cabinet Saloon, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1888. Ramos kept his recipe secret for years; the formula was revealed only after Prohibition. The drink's Mardi Gras popularity was extreme — 35 shaker boys working simultaneously. Governor Huey Long famously insisted on having a Ramos Gin Fizz while visiting New York City, bringing his own bartender from the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans to demonstrate the preparation to New York bartenders.

The Ramos Gin Fizz is the most labour-intensive classic cocktail in existence — gin, fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, heavy cream, egg white, orange flower water, vanilla extract, and soda water, requiring a 12-minute shake (traditional New Orleans standard) that produces a cloud-like foam of extraordinary delicacy and volume. Created by Henry C. Ramos at his Imperial Cabinet Saloon in New Orleans in 1888, it became so popular at Mardi Gras that Ramos employed 30–35 bartenders shaking the drinks simultaneously to keep up with demand. The foam, produced by the extended shake of egg white and cream, rises above the glass like a meringue tower when made correctly — one of the most visually spectacular presentations in classic cocktail service.

FOOD PAIRING: The Ramos Gin Fizz's creamy, citrus, floral character makes it an ideal brunch cocktail. Provenance 1000 pairings: eggs Benedict with hollandaise (cream-on-cream richness contrasted by citrus), beignets with powdered sugar (the New Orleans pairing), French toast with orange blossom honey, crepes Suzette (orange flower water mirror), and lemon pound cake.