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With a velvety smooth and rich mouthfeel, citrusy flavor, meringue-like frothy head, and a hint of vanilla, this fun spin on the classic Ramos gin fizz cocktail tastes like an orange creamisicle!
Food with an interesting story is so much better, right?! That goes double for drinks!
As the story goes, bar owner Mr. Henry Charles “Carl” Ramos invented this lovely beverage in 1888 at the Imperial Cabinet Saloon in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was highly respected in the community and reputed for being a gentleman. He closed his bar at 8pm nightly, was open for a mere two hours on Sunday afternoons, and only accepted well-behaved clientele.
Mr. Ramos created a culture of quality over quantity. That was the backdrop for the creation of this beverage. The original drink was called a “New Orleans Fizz”. It contained powdered sugar and was shaken for 12 minutes.
The drink was a smashing hit! Because of this, Mr. Ramos usually had 20 bartenders (who they called “shaker boys”) working at any given time.
You can read more about the history of this drink on Gambino’s, Liquor.com, and Difford’s Guide.
What Makes This Cocktail Special
- The flavor profile of a classic Ramos Gin Fizz can be described as a lemon meringue alcoholic drink. A hint of vanilla paired with the orange blossom water transforms the flavor profile to creamsicle. It’s deliciously refreshing, and perfect for adults who are still kids at heart.
- As whimsical as this drink is, it’s equally elegant. It’s served in a sleek and tall Collins glass, and is a gorgeous creamy shade of yellow with a foamy white head.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Gin – Gin lends an herbaceous flavor with notes of piney juniper berries and citrus that beautifully complements the other flavors in this drink.
- Simple syrup – Simple syrup is the sweetener in this cocktail. It’s a 1:1 mix of sugar:water that’s brought to a boil to dissolve the sugar and then cooled.
- Heavy cream – For rich flavor and creamy texture.
- Lemon and lime juice – Go for fresh citrus juice here.
- Orange blossom water – The classic Ramos gin fizz contains orange blossom water, which helps create its floral, fruity flavor profile.
- Vanilla extract – This is completely optional. It’s not an ingredient in the classic cocktail, but I like to add a touch of vanilla to create a creamsicle-like flavor.
- Egg white – If you don’t have farm-fresh eggs, use pasteurized egg white here because we aren’t cooking it.
- Ice cubes – This drink is shaken twice; once without ice, and then with ice. The dry shake (without ice) whips the egg white and cream to develop the characteristic foamy “head” of this cocktail. After that, it’s shaken again with ice long just enough to chill it but not dilute its flavor.
- Club soda – This adds a subtle salty flavor to balance out the drink, as well as the “fizz” that this beverage is known for.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add the gin, simple syrup, heavy cream, lemon juice, lime juice, orange blossom water, vanilla, and egg white to a cocktail shaker. Dry shake (no ice) vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Add the ice.
- Shake for 15 seconds.
- Strain into a Collins glass (chilled if possible).
- Top with club soda.
- Garnish with orange and mint.
Pro Tips For the Best Ramos Gin Fizz Cocktail For Your Tastes
- For a lemon meringue pie-flavored beverage, omit the vanilla and use all lemon juice (1 ounce total) instead of a combination of lemon and lime juice.
- Or for a key lime pie-inspired drink, omit the vanilla and use all lime juice (1 ounce total) instead of a combination of lemon and lime juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lime zest as well.
- And if you want to go with the classic cocktail, simply omit the vanilla extract.
Frequently Asked Questions
A gin fizz typically contains lemon juice, simple syrup, and gin shaken together with ice. It’s then strained into a Collins glass and topped with chilled club soda.
On the other hand, a Ramos gin fizz adds lime juice, orange blossom water, heavy cream, and an egg white.
The resulting difference is that a Ramos fizz is creamy and a bit more velvety smooth, richer flavored, and has a more meringue-like frothy white cap.
This classic New Orleans cocktail tastes like a lemon meringue pie! It has a luscious creamy mouthfeel with a balanced sweet and sour, bright citrusy flavor. And the foamy top does a great job of simulating meringue.
However, in this version we add vanilla. It tastes just like a creamsicle with an orange and vanilla flavor profile!
Adding an egg white does several things to a cocktail.
Egg white enhances a cocktail’s rich, silky mouthfeel. It adds volume to the drink because air bubbles become trapped in the white when you shake the drink. Egg white helps create a frothy, foamy top known as a “head”. Additionally, egg white can help mute intense flavors, such as bitters or sour components.
And the great thing about egg white is that it’s flavorless!
This recipe utilizes two techniques to make a frothy cocktail: 1) shaking the drink with an egg white, and 2) topping it off with club soda!
More Cocktail Recipes to Try
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Ramos Gin Fizz Cocktail Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- 1/2 ounce heavy cream
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water 3 dashes
- 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 dash (optional)
- 1 farm-fresh egg white or pasteurized if desired
- 1 cup ice cubes for shaking
- 3 ounces chilled club soda for topping
Garnish Suggestions:
- Quarter orange wheel
- Mint sprig
Instructions
- Add the gin, simple syrup, heavy cream, lemon juice, lime juice, orange blossom water, vanilla, and egg white to a cocktail shaker. Dry shake (no ice) vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Add the ice and shake for 15 seconds.
- Strain into a Collins glass (chilled if possible), and top with club soda.
- Garnish with orange and mint.
Notes
- Raw Egg White: You can use a farm-fresh egg white or pasteurized egg white, whichever you are more comfortable with.
- Lemon and Lime Juice: For the best flavor, use freshly-squeezed lemon and lime juice.
- If You’re Fancy: Traditionally, you pour both the strained cocktail and the chilled club soda into the glass at the same time so they run together and form a single stream of liquid. I don’t have those kinds of skills, but if you do, give it a go!
- For a lemon meringue pie-flavored beverage, omit the vanilla and use all lemon juice (1 ounce total) instead of a combination of lemon and lime juice.
- For a key lime pie-inspired drink, omit the vanilla and use all lime juice (1 ounce total) instead of a combination of lemon and lime juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lime zest as well.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on July 25, 2022 and updated on May 30, 2025.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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