egg white - Girl & Tonic

Ramos Gin Fizz| A Riff on the classic cocktail with Botanical Rum & Cardamom Simple Syrup

by corrie.pennington / October 12, 2020

This Ramos Gin Fizz is made with cardamom syrup in lieu of regular simple syrup and swaps the gin for botanical rum. It's a classic cocktail that takes extra time to whip up... but it's well worth it.

Today’s recipe is a variation of the infamous Ramos Gin Fizz. This version is made with botanical rum instead of gin and cardamom simple syrup for a warm, earthy touch. You can’t go wrong with the traditional recipe though. Both versions are creamy and slightly sweet. Try them both and see what you prefer!

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Here’s an unofficial disclosure: this cocktail recipe may be a little difficult to achieve, but it is well worth the effort. The Ramos Gin Fizz is known for being one of the more complicated cocktails to create. The ingredients are very accessible, which is good. A Ramos Gin Fizz just requires a LOT of shaking, special pouring, and a few extra steps. But if you made any cocktail with egg white before (like a classic Whiskey Sour, Gin Campari Sour, or a New York Sour) then you’re ready to tackle this cocktail recipe.

The Ramos Gin Fizz has been around for more than 100 years. Yup. 132 years, to be exact. It was created by a guy named Henry Ramos in 1888 in New Orleans, Louisiana. In fact, according to the article that Gin Foundry wrote about this classic cocktail, it was originally dubbed The New Orleans Fizz. The drink was so popular that the bar hired “shaker boys” who would form a line, all taking turns to shake the cocktail shaker.

There are a few different techniques to make this drink. I tried the instructions listed on Difford’s Guide and I also tried the ones in the Gin Foundry article I listed above. They both produced good results. No shaker boys needed.

The traditional Ramos Gin Fizz calls for traditional simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water ratio) but I opted to use some cardamom simple syrup. It’s so easy to make– just through a few spoons of cardamom pods into simple syrup. If you’re unfamiliar with cardamom, it is one of the key flavors in chai tea. It’s got a warm, slightly earthy flavor that’s quite distinctive but not too overpowering.

This classic cocktail is served in a Collins glass or a highball glass in order to showcase the beautiful foam the drink is famous for. Usually, I’d say you can serve your cocktail in whatever glass suits your fancy, but I recommend following tradition here.

The Ramos Gin Fizz may be extra work but it’s a classic that every home bartender should try shaking up at least once in their life. If you do try making one of these, tag me on Instagram!

Ingredients for a Ramos Gin Fizz

2 oz gin (or botanical rum)
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz lime juice
3/4 oz half and half
3/4 oz simple syrup or cardamom simple syrup (here’s the easy recipe)
3 drops vanilla extract
3 drops orange blossom water
1 egg white
club soda (I love Regatta’s soda)

How to Make a Ramos Gin Fizz

**If you use a metal cocktail shaker** place it in the freezer to chill it or shake some ice cubes in it for a few seconds. This is done to ensure that the metal will contract and form a tight seal for when we do a “dry shake” (shaking without ice) with the ingredients. If you attempt to do a dry shake in a metal cocktail shaker without first chilling it, it’s gonna leak everywhere.

Add all of the ingredients except the club soda to a chilled cocktail shaker. Do not add ice. This is what’s called a “dry shake”. Shake vigorously for as long as you can, 45-60 seconds would be amazing. It still might leak a bit, so you may want to do this over a sink. Add ice and shake again, 45-60 seconds.

Have your empty Collins glass ready. Strain the cocktail shaker into the glass while simultaneously slowly pouring the club soda. Pour from a higher-than-usual distance for optimum foam-age. Stop when the glass is full.

Place the glass into the freezer for 1 minute. The time allows for the foam to start separating from the rest of the drink and the cold temperature helps it stiffen a bit. Take the glass out and slowly pour more club soda into the center of the foam, again from a high distance. The foam should start to rise above the glass. Stop when the foam is about an inch or two above the glass.

Serve with a straw and an optional orange slice or lemon peel.

Ramos Gin Fizz

A classic cocktail made with citrus and cream.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Course Drinks

Servings 1

Equipment

cocktail shaker

Ingredients

2 oz gin (I used botanical rum for a twist)
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz lime juice
¾ oz simple syrup (I used cardamom simple syrup- here's the easy recipe)
¾ oz half & half or heavy cream
3 drops vanilla extract
3 drops orange blossom water
1 egg white
club soda

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients except the club soda to a chilled cocktail shaker*. Do not add ice. This is what's called a "dry shake". Shake vigorously for as long as you can, 60+ seconds would be amazing. It might leak a bit, so you may want to shake over a sink.
Add ice and shake again, 60+ seconds. The more you shake, the denser your foam will be.
Have your empty Collins glass ready. Strain the cocktail shaker into the glass while simultaneously slowly pouring the club soda. Pour from a higher-than-usual distance for optimum foam-age. Stop when the glass is full.
Place the glass into the freezer for 1 minute. The time allows for the foam to start separating from the rest of the drink and the cold temperature helps it stiffen a bit.
Take the glass out and slowly pour more club soda into the center of the foam, again from a high distance. The foam should start to rise above the glass. Stop when the foam is about an inch or two above the glass.
Serve with a straw and an optional orange slice or lemon peel.

Notes

*If you use a metal cocktail shaker, place it in the freezer to chill it or shake some ice cubes in it for a few seconds. This is done to ensure that the metal will contract and form a tight seal for when we do a “dry shake” (shaking without ice) with the ingredients. If you attempt to do a dry shake in a metal cocktail shaker without first chilling it, it’s gonna leak everywhere.

Keyword botanical rum, club soda, cream, egg white, half and half, lemon, lemon juice, lime, lime juice, orange blossom water, ramos gin fizz, vanilla extract

whiskey

New York Sour | A Cocktail with Wine

by corrie.pennington / June 26, 2020

The New York Sour is a classic cocktail that's been around since the late 1800s. Essentially it's a Whiskey Sour with red wine. While the traditional recipe doesn't call for egg white, this ingredient creates a beautiful foam and a rich texture.

The New York Sour is a classic drink but this was my first time to ever have one, much less make one myself. I love researching the history of classic cocktails and thankfully Spencer over at Whiskey Tango Globetrot did the hard work for me in this post.

Here’s a summary. In the late 1800s, ~someone~ in Chicago made a whiskey sour and added a red wine float. They named this creation a Claret Snap. The Claret Snap was eventually renamed the Continental Sour… and then the Southern Whiskey Sour. When the drink gained popularity in New York, it was renamed the New York Sour.

Reading comprehension check: Is a New York Sour just a Whiskey Sour with an extra addition of red wine? If you answered ‘yes’, you’re right! A cocktail with wine? Mmhm. Someone got the brilliant idea to add wine to this classic American cocktail and we should be forever grateful.

What is a red wine “float”, though? Floating is the bartending technique of carefully layering one liquid ingredient on top of another. Floats only work if the two liquids have different densities. In laymen’s terms, one liquid has to be lighter than the other. The denser liquid has to be poured into the glass first and the lighter liquid needs to be caarreefullly and slowly poured on top. You can watch the little video in my Passionfruit Paloma post and see that I did it the other way around and my beet simple syrup did NOT float.

So. Rule #1: If you want a liquid to float, make sure the denser liquid is the one in the glass and the less-dense liquid is the you’re pouring in. Rule #2: To achieve a good float, pour the less-dense liquid over the back of a bar spoon. This will help distribute it more evenly over the surface of the dense liquid. Rule #3: Make sure your spoon is close to the surface without actually touching it.

If you’re wondering what kind of red wine to use, dry wines are best. Think Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Syrah, Malbec. I used Merlot- a real cheap one- and it was okay. I would definitely go much drier next time. It was a touch too sweet for me.

It’s important for me to note that the traditional New York Sour recipe calls for rye whiskey. If you’ve read my Irish Mule post or my About page, then you’re familiar with the fact that I have Celiac disease. Because of this, I choose to avoid most whiskeys for health reasons.

Many whiskeys are rendered gluten-free after they’re distilled. This would be GREAT expect for the fact that many companies add some of the wash back in after they’re distilled, making the final product NOT gluten-free. If you’re only gluten-sensitive, you probably fine to drink whiskey. However, if you have Celiac, it’s best to avoid a whiskey brand unless you know they don’t add any mash back in after the distillation process.

Since it’s hard to figure that out sometimes, I stick to 100% corn whiskey. It doesn’t have the same taste as rye whiskey but it’s whiskey so I’ll take it. I think this cocktail would taste better with rye, though, so if you can have it, use it.

While we’re on the topic of the traditional New York Sour recipe, let’s talk about the optional egg white. Egg whites were not used in this cocktail back in the day. So if you want to stay true to tradition (and if you’re maybe a little scared of drinking a raw egg white), stick with the first 4 ingredients.

But maybe I can persuade you to use one. As I’ve talked about in my other cocktail recipes (1, 2, & 3) that involve egg whites, an egg white adds amazing texture and body to a drink. It smooths out any harshness in a recipe and lends a silky mouthfeel. Try making a New York Sour with egg white and one without to see which variation you prefer.

To be completely honest, this was not my favorite cocktail. Maybe it’s because I used corn whiskey or maybe it’s because my red wine was too sweet, idk. I’m not sure that I’d make it a second time. Howevverrrr, my husband, who doesn’t ever like my cocktails, actually liked this one and drank the whole thing. 🤷🏻‍♀️ To each their own.

Have you made another cocktail with wine? Let me know in the comments. This is definitely something I want to try my hand at.

As always, let me know if you make one of these by tagging me on Instagram (@girlandtonic_) or by posting a pic on my Facebook page!

Ingredients for a New York Sour with Egg White

2 oz rye whiskey (I used corn whiskey instead for dietary reasons)
1 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3/4 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz dry red wine to float
1 egg white- optional

How To Make a New York Sour with Egg White

First, we dry shake. Combine the whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, & egg white into a cocktail shaker without ice (hence the “dry”) and shake for 30 seconds. Next, we wet shake. Carefully add in a handful of ice and shake again for 30+ seconds. Your arm’s gonna be screaming and your hand’s gonna be freezing BUT KEEP GOING. The more vigorously you shake, the better your foam will be.

Strain the shaker into a lowball glass filled with ice. Float the dry wine on top by slowly pouring it over the back of a bar spoon, keeping the spoon close to the surface without touching it. As the drink sits, the foam from the egg white will rise to the top.

If you’re making this without the egg white, skip the dry shake.

New York Sour with Egg White

The New York Sour is a classic cocktail that's been around since the late 1800s. Essentially it's a Whiskey Sour with red wine. While the traditional recipe doesn't call for egg white, this ingredient creates a beautiful foam and a rich texture.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Course Drinks

Servings 1