Anatomy of a Classic Cocktail: The Ramos Gin Fizz

The New Orleans invention rewards a grueling arm workout with a light, frothy dream of a drink

The ingredients are gin, citrus, simple syrup, egg white, heavy cream, orange flower water, and club soda—but the process is the key. Nicole Kandi/Shutterstock

There’s a gin fizz and then there’s the Ramos gin fizz, a famous cocktail of the Big Easy.

The early “gin fiz” (only one “z,” according to the 1887 edition of Jerry Thomas’s “Bartenders Guide”) called for one teaspoon powdered white sugar, three dashes lemon juice, one wine glass of Holland gin (genever), and a small piece of ice, shaken and served in a medium bar glass and topped with seltzer or sparkling mineral water for the fizzy part.