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 glass, such as a Zombie glass (a non-tapered 12 to 14 ounce (396.89 grams) glass).
The orange flower water and egg white significantly affect the flavor and texture of a Ramos, compared to a regular Gin Fizz. As Cleveland bar chef Everest Curley points out “a big key to making egg cocktails is not to use ice at first; the sugar acts as an emulsifier, while it and the alcohol ‘cooks’ the egg white.”[3] Even so, many bartenders today use powdered egg white because of the possible health risks associated with consuming raw eggs.
Henry C. Ramos invented the Ramos gin fizz in 1888 at his bar in Meyer’s Restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was originally called the New Orleans Fizz, and is one of the city’s most famous cocktails. Before Prohibition, the bar employed dozens of “shaker boys” to create the drinks during periods of heavy business.
The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans also popularized the drink, as did governor Huey Long’s fondness for it. In July 1935, Long brought a bartender named Sam Guarino from the Roosevelt Hotel to the New Yorker Hotel in New York City to show the staff there how to make the drink, so he could have it whenever he was there. The Museum of the American Cocktail has newsreel footage of this event. The Roosevelt Hotel group trademarked the drink name in 1935 and still makes it today.