The Story Behind The Ramos Gin Fizz

With its striking, towering soufflé, the Ramos Gin Fizz is easily one of the most visually impressive classic cocktails. Introduced in the late 19th century by New Orleans bartender Henry Charles Ramos, the drink is infamous for the bicep-straining extended period of shaking required to fully emulsify all of its ingredients.

Such was its popularity when Ramos debuted the cocktail he had to employ a “shaker boy” to help each bartender on shift. The young men were tasked with receiving the “fully charged shaker” and “[shaking] the bejeezus out of it,” cocktail historian David Wondrich writes in “Imbibe!” Wondrich adds, “Contemporary accounts say that this went on for 15 minutes, but I’m willing to bet it only seemed that long, especially to the guy who had to do all the work.”

By employing the “dry shake” technique (first shaking without ice, then completing a second shake with ice to bring down the temperature), this time can be reduced significantly. But there’s no escaping the fact that the longer you shake your Ramos Gin Fizz, the better it will turn out.