One must wonder what Charles “Carl” Ramos (1856-1928) was thinking when he created his celebrated eponymous cocktail. The Ramos Gin Fizz is a mind-bending combination of disparate ingredients that would seem to have no business in the same vessel. To satisfy Ramos, said vessel must have been shaken constantly for twelve to fifteen minutes to create the libation’s signature, frothy, creamy consistency, necessitating that Ramos employ as many as thirty additional bartenders to quench the thirsts at The Imperial Cabinet Saloon and The Stag for in-demand occasions such as Mardi Gras. Contemporary bar masters assure that a proper Ramos Gin Fizz can be achieved using the “dry shake” method in two minutes and thirty seconds.
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cocktailThe Ramos Gin Fizz is a mind-bending combination of disparate ingredients that would seem to have no business in the same vessel. To satisfy Ramos, said vessel must have been shaken constantly for twelve to fifteen minutes to create the libation’s signature, frothy, creamy consistency.
Ingredients
3/4 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1 egg white
orange blossom water
2 ounces Henry Ramos Gin
1 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce heavy whipping cream
2 ounces soda water
orange peel, for garnish
- Blinis with Smoked Salmon
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
1 large egg
1 stick unsalted butter, clarified, divided
1/2 pound smoked salmon, thinly sliced
1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
fresh dill sprigs for garnish
Directions
- Combine lemon and lime juices, egg white, and seven drops of orange blossom water in a tin cocktail shaker with no ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Add gin, simple syrup, and two ice cubes and shake for 1 minute. Add cream and shake for 1 minute more. The tin will be completely frozen, and your hands will stick to the tin.
- Pour soda water into a cold Collins glass and pour in three-quarters of the Ramos. Tap the glass on the counter a few times to settle the cream, then place it into a freezer for 1-2 minutes. Remove the cocktail from the freezer and top with the remainder of the tin. The result should have a 1-2 inch puff atop the glass.
- Express the oils from the orange twist atop the cocktail. Serve with a straw.
- Blinis with Smoked Salmon
- Combine both flours, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter, then whisk into the flour mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter in a medium sauté pan and drop the batter into the hot skillet, 1 tablespoon at a time to cook small cakes. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbles form on the top side of the blinis, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until brown, about 1 minute more. Set the blinis aside. Wipe out the skillet with a dry paper towel and repeat with the remaining batter.
- To serve, top each blini with a piece of smoked salmon. Add a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprig of dill. Serve at once.
The Expert
Alex Anderson, Beverage Director at Peychaud’s
Anderson moved from Atlanta to New Orleans, where she was an integral part of the team at Cure that won a James Beard award for best bar program in America. She has spent over 19 years in the service industry all over the Southeast and Pacific Northwest. She recently returned to New Orleans and joined Peychaud’s, where she shakes up many a Ramos Gin Fizz, as Beverage Director.
