Fair warning that this cocktail is more complicated to make than most of the drinks we’ve featured so far—but the holiday season is upon us, and what better time to impress your family and friends with rich, creamy, delicious cocktails? And aren’t they worth it? Aren’t you?? 

The Ramos Gin Fizz has a long, colorful history that’s easily found with a Google search. Top line, it was invented in New Orleans in 1888 by Henry C. Ramos, a saloon owner in the French Quarter. Most famously—because the original recipe included substantial doses of powdered sugar, cream, and egg white—making it required shaking vigorously for 10-12 minutes to mix it thoroughly, launching a tradition of bartenders passing the shaker around to take turns shaking until it was ready. It was so costly and labor-intense that most bars shied away from including it regularly on their menus, and it intimidated all but the hardiest home mixologists. 

That has changed, thank heavens.

More precisely, thanks to noted bartender Richie Boccato, who perfected an approach that standardizes the type and amount of ingredients in the Ramos Gin Fizz and replaces all of that shaking with a minute or two in an ordinary blender. Sacrilege? Cheating? “Hell no,” Boccato says. Not when another world-class bartender, Phil Ward, calls it the best Ramos Gin Fizz he’s ever had. 

Boccato refined his approach and built his Bolton Landing, NY, bar The Gem around the blenders his team uses to make Ramos Gin Fizzes efficiently (and other drinks as well, of course). I learned about this from one episode of the Cocktail College podcast, and a few weeks ago Nancy and I drove across the state specifically so I could try one of Boccato’s improved RGFs. If you’re going to tackle this drink at home, I highly recommend listening that Cocktail College episode! 

Boccato’s approach is very home-bar friendly. Other than requiring a good kitchen blender, which I suspect most people have, your biggest challenge will be just acquiring the ingredients, several of which are fairly unusual. In the ingredient list below, I’m linking to the sources where I found mine. You’ll also need a Collins or highball glass for serving the drink—and be sure to pop the glass into your freezer to chill before you start making the drink. 

A couple of points on those unusual ingredients:

• The gin: You could get away with using a London Dry Gin or a mildly aromatic New World gin, but Old Tom Gin works best and is readily available.
• Orange flower water: Rochester’s own Fee Brothers makes the best, and you can pick it up right at their Portland Ave factory store or order it online.
• Pasteurized egg white powder: The Ramos heritage was raw egg white, but Boccato resists using raw for a few reasons—most importantly because the powder is easiest to measure consistently from one drink to the next, and it doesn’t gross people out…as much.
• Charcoal infused sea salt: It’s available online, but the recipe uses so little that I think ordinary sea salt (available at Cooks’ World) will work as well.

RICHIE BOCCATO’S RAMOS GIN FIZZ RECIPE
⅜ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅜ oz freshly squeezed lime juice
⅞ oz Demerara syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water)
1½ oz Hayman’s Old Tom Gin
4-5 drops Fee Brothers Orange Flower Water
1½ tsp Pasteurized egg white powder
Pinch (tip of teaspoon) of Charcoal-infused sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender with a heaped scoop (8-10 ounces) of crushed ice. Blend on the high setting until the drink is fully integrated and chilled; the time it will take you to make your garnish is about the right amount of blending time. Pour the drink into a chilled Collins or highball glass. Garnish with an orange “rose,” made with a mint sprig pulled through and held together by a cocktail pick. Serve with a straw (a metal one works best).

About our Cocktail of the Week partners—shop local and independent!
Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor are less than a mile from each other, on Monroe Avenue near Twelve Corners in Brighton.

Cooks’ World, in business since 1978, is Rochester’s premier retailer of dining, kitchen, and cooking products, including a complete selection of glassware, mixology tools, and accessories for wine and spirits lovers. Follow Cooks’ World on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up here to receive Cooks’ World’s daily email specials and other news. 

Pinnacle Wine & Liquor, in business since 1997, offers a thoughtfully curated selection of spirits and wine from around the world, with a savvy staff to assist in your selection and encourage you along your cocktail and wine journey. Follow Pinnacle on Facebook and Instagram. For the inside track on Pinnacle’s spirits sales, send two text messages to (585)765-7546:
— Text the word “bourbon,” to receive weekly text messages offering the chance to buy rare or allocated whiskies or special prices on popular products.
—Text the word “spirits,” to receive roughly monthly offers on fine spirits other than whiskies.