Type | Cocktail family |
---|---|
Alcohol common in this class of cocktail |
IBA Official Cocktail | |
---|---|
Type | Cocktail |
Primary alcohol by volume | |
Served | On the rocks; poured over ice |
Standard garnish |
lemon slice |
Standard drinkware | Old Fashioned glass |
IBA specified ingredients* |
|
Notes | Shake all ingredients with ice cubes, except soda water. Pour into glass. Top with soda water. |
* Gin fizz recipe at International Bartenders Association |
IBA Official Cocktail | |
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Ramos Gin Fizz at the Bourbon O Bar, New Orleans | |
Type | Cocktail |
Primary alcohol by volume | |
Served | Straight up; without ice |
Standard drinkware | Collins glass |
IBA specified ingredients* |
|
Notes | All ingredients except the soda are poured in a mixing glass, dry shaken (no ice) for two minutes, then ice is added and shaken hard for another minute
Strained into a highball glass without ice and topped with soda |
Type | Cocktail |
---|---|
Served | On the rocks; poured over ice |
Standard garnish |
lemon slice, maraschino cherry |
Standard drinkware | Highball glass |
Commonly used ingredients |
|
A "fizz" is a mixed drink variation on the older sours family of cocktail. Its defining features are an acidic juice (such as lemon or lime) and carbonated water.
The first printed reference to "fiz" is in the 1887 edition of Jerry Thomas's Bartender's Guide, which contains six such recipes. The fizz became widely popular in America between 1900 and the 1940s. Known as a hometown specialty of New Orleans, the gin fizz was so popular that bars would employ teams of bartenders that would take turns shaking the drinks. Demand for fizzes went international at least as early as 1950, as evidenced by its inclusion in the French cookbook L'Art Culinaire Francais published that year.
lemon slice
A gin fizz is the best-known cocktail in the fizz family. A gin fizz contains gin, lemon juice, and sugar, which are shaken with ice, poured into a tumbler and topped with carbonated water. The drink is similar to a Tom Collins, with a possible distinction being a Tom Collins historically used "Old Tom Gin" (a slightly sweeter precursor to London Dry Gin), whereas the kind of gin historically used in a gin fizz is unknown.
Simple variations on the gin fizz are
Strained into a highball glass without ice and topped with soda
A Ramos gin fizz (also known as a "Ramos fizz" or "New Orleans fizz") contains gin, lemon juice, lime juice, egg white, sugar, cream, orange flower water, and soda water. It is served in a large non-tapered 12 to 14 ounce Collins glass.
The orange flower water and egg significantly affect the flavor and texture of a Ramos, compared to a regular gin fizz. The key to making this egg cocktail is dissolving the sugar before adding ice; the sugar acts as an emulsifier, and it and the alcohol "cook" the egg white.
Henry C. Ramos invented the Ramos gin fizz in 1888 at his bar, the Imperial Cabinet Saloon on Gravier Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. It was originally called a "New Orleans fizz", and is one of the city's most famous cocktails. Before Prohibition, the drink's popularity and exceptionally long 12-minute mixing time had over 20 bartenders working at the Imperial at once making nothing but the Ramos gin fizz - and still struggling to keep up with demand. During the carnival of 1915, 32 staff members were on at once, just to shake the drink.