DOTW: Ramos Gin Fizz
Despite its presence in every decent cocktail manual — and on many of those mixer glasses with drink recipes printed on the side — many serious drinkers would be hard pressed to detail the ingredients of the venerable Ramos Gin Fizz beyond “Gin… and, uh, something fizzy?”
I would have had to include myself in that statement until I sat down at Pegu Club on a slow evening and asked Nate what he did with the cardamom tincture behind the bar. And although I’m not usually one for frosty cocktails, especially when it’s blizzarding outside, this was one hell of a tasty drink.
Ramos Gin Fizz
1-1/2 to 2 oz. dry gin
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. lime juice
1 oz. light cream
1 egg white (use the pasteurized sort, if you’re feeling squeamish)
a splash of soda water, plus more for finishing
2 to 3 drops of orange-flower water
1T confectioners sugar
In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, shake all ingredients vigorously until they reach the proper foamy texture. (If you’re all alone, I suppose you could use a blender, but serious folks would call you unflattering names behind your back.) Strain into a tall glass and top with a touch more club soda — but beware the watery Ramos.
Comment by Wade
Cam and Anita: In my search to find Schweppe’s Indian Tonic here in San Francisco, multiple clicks through internet sites led me to a posting by Cam about Indian Tonic being better than Schweppe’s Tonic Water when making the perfect Gin and Tonic, although it’s nearly impossible to find. I’ve about come to my wit’s end trying to find it here in the city and, short of ordering it from a British foods shop in Illinois, I’m hoping you can point me to a source here in San Francisco. When I inquired at BevMo, they were dumbfounded and had never heard of it, and I’ve even tried the Schweppe’s website with no luck. Can you help? Wade
Posted on 03.30.07 at 9:23AM
Comment by Anita
Hi, Wade: I don’t have any memory of Cameron (or me) having posted about Indian Tonic on the blog. Was it a post on eGullet or Mouthfulsfood from one of our trips to London?I have a few bottles of the new Stirrings ’boutique’ tonic the bar fridge (which I *did* pay an arm and a leg to have shipped here… although they’re supposed to be introducing it locally soon) but it’s been so chilly I haven’t felt compelled to test it out. Once spring is really here, we’ll be trying it and writing about it.
Maybe Cam remembers more?
Posted on 03.30.07 at 9:36AM
Comment by Fay Jai
Mmmmmm….The Ramos Gin Fizz….had one in New Orleans a few years back….Yummy, a milkshake with Booze! LOL
Posted on 03.30.07 at 12:26PM
Comment by Sarah
I love this drink–great creamy texture and so aromatic from the orange flower water. We shake it for two minutes–Brian does one, then passes it on to me.
Posted on 03.30.07 at 1:00PM
Comment by erik_flannestad
What the…
I’m making a Ramos Fizz inspired drink this evening for my MxMoXIV entry!
Bernal Heights must be some vortex of synchronicity.
re: Tonic
I recently read on slashfood that the Fever Tree Indian Tonic Water should be available at BevMo in California. I was unable to locate it on the BevMo website; but, I have yet to check in an actual store (there are often discrepencies in the online inventory.)
Slashfood story here
Posted on 03.30.07 at 1:10PM
Comment by Cameron
Hi Wade,
I must be getting old — I’m repeating myself. I added a comment on our blog when Anita posted the Gin and Tonic as Drink of the Week. I’d be grateful if you could forward the link to the blog where you found my comment.
Unfortunately, I have no secret pipeline to the Schweppes Indian Tonic. The last time that I saw it was at COCO500, a restaurant on Brannan Street in SF — but that was at least a year ago. If you find a source, please let me know!
Thanks for the kind words about the blog.
c
Posted on 03.30.07 at 1:28PM
Comment by Anita
Jason: It is kind of ice-cream-soda-eqsue, now that you mention it. But in a really, really good way.
Sarah: We took turns shaking ours for the photo… wanted to make sure it had a really good froth, since sometimes it’s a while between snapshot and first sip
Erik: Clearly we’re in synch, cocktail-wise. 🙂 This isn’t the first time that’s happened. And you’re definitely on the ball re: MxMo14. I’m posting the “how to play” announcement tomorrow.
Cam/Wade: Oh, the comments on the G&T post should have been the first place I looked
Posted on 03.30.07 at 1:36PM
Comment by Sean
Everything about this drink should make me hate it — gin, cream, orange. Yet the rare Ramos Gin Fizz I’ve had I’ve really enjoyed. It’s some alchemical process that negates all the off-putting elements of the individual items; when put together they add up to more than the sum of their parts.
Posted on 03.30.07 at 3:40PM
Comment by Cathey
Glad everyone likes it. My great-great-uncle, Henry C. Ramos invented it.
Posted on 04.13.07 at 12:18PM
Comment by Anita
Thanks for stopping by. I often include historical details in my Drink of the Week posts… Wouldn’t you know it, this was one time I decided to go with a personal anecdote instead of a historical angle! 😀
Does your family still have ties to New Orleans and/or the cockail world?
Posted on 04.13.07 at 12:22PM