You know that feeling when you catch a whiff of the perfect scent, and suddenly everything around you just seems to make sense?
Scents are powerful. They can affect how we feel about the world around us in many ways: our moods, memories, even stress levels.
The Ramos Gin Fizz is one drink that uses this power for good rather than evil. It does this by combining citrusy flavors like lemon and lime with sweet vanilla syrup to create a refreshing cocktail that’s perfect for summertime sipping.
Let’s take a closer look at what goes into making it so special!
What Does a Ramos Gin Fizz Taste Like?
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to enjoy a Ramos Gin Fizz?
Well, I can tell you that much like the perfect scent, this cocktail combines unique flavors to create something greater than the sum of its parts.
First things first: I love gin (I particularly adore Hendrick’s), but for those who don’t drink gin on the regular, allow me to clue you into what makes this spirit so special.
One thing you’ll notice about gin is its bright, citrusy flavor profile. This comes from juniper berries which are used as one of just a few required ingredients required by law for a product to be called “gin”.
These berries have natural oils that lend a floral, spiced flavor to whatever they’re used in, and the combination of these oils with other botanicals is what gives each type its unique taste. In other words: no juniper, no gin.
It’s this special mix of flavors inside every bottle of gin that makes it such a great companion for citrus juices like lemon and lime! It allows you to use just enough juice to add some tartness without drowning out the flavor of your gin (in this case, we opted for lemon and lime soda instead).
Once you’ve combined these two magical flavors, things start getting interesting thanks to one extra ingredient we decided to throw into our fizz: simple syrup!
Simple syrup is exactly what it sounds like: a syrup made exclusively with sugar and water. However, you’ll notice that most simple syrups use an equal ratio of both ingredients (i.e. 1 cup each). This creates a super-sweet product that can be overpowering if used in large amounts, so we decided to go for something with just a bit more subtlety.
As such our syrup uses just ¾ cups of sugar per cup of water, which combined with the tartness from the citrus juices and carbonation from the soda gives this drink its very own “bite”.
But enough about what goes into it; let’s talk about how it tastes!
If you’ve never tried a Ramos Gin Fizz before, I’m happy to report that they’re everything you’ve heard and so much more! This drink is best when fresh, but even if it’s prepared in advance, the flavors are so novel that most people will be happily surprised by its uniqueness.
It starts with a burst of citrusy tartness thanks to the lemon and lime juices. This is then followed by smooth vanilla sweetness from the simple syrup which rounds out its flavor profile on the tongue.
To top things off there’s a wonderfully bright fizziness from both the soda water itself as well as tiny bubbles of carbonation that form on top of your glass after shaking everything together.
And yes, this post-shaking step is indeed an essential part of making this cocktail! While doing it may seem a bit excessive, the process helps mix everything as well as “freshen” up those bubbles just before serving.
All in all this drink has a great balance of flavor that makes it surprisingly refreshing despite its heavy use of syrup. You’ll certainly be able to taste the alcohol, but because juniper berries have such a strong flavor, even drinks with a higher gin content aren’t going to make you feel tipsy thanks to their citrusy undertones.
How long do you need to shake a Ramos Gin Fizz?
Now that you’ve learned what makes this drink special, let’s talk about the one-step people always seem to focus on shaking!
The idea of “shaking” any drink seems to be a source of confusion for many, so allow me to clear it up by saying there are two totally different types of drinks that this phrase typically refers to.
By definition “to shake” something means to mix its ingredients vigorously. This is exactly why bartenders use shakers (you guessed it) for cocktails like margaritas and martinis!
However, thanks to the popularity of larger bar shakers these days, some people often assume that all drinks used in this way are shaken when they aren’t. While using a shaker can make things easier on busy nights, it’s not required and you’ll still get the same drink even if you choose to stir instead.
Some drinks benefit from being stirred since stirring both chills and dilutes a drink while shaking does neither. This is especially true when you’re using a very sweet mix like simple syrup where shaking would only spoil its flavor by making it too watery.
But enough about cocktails that should be stirred over those that should be shaken! As I said earlier, the Ramos Gin Fizz needs to be shaken for at least 10 seconds to prepare the carbonation properly. Shaking your fizz for this long will help distribute ingredients evenly throughout your drink without any risk of it separating in the glass.
What is the difference tasted between a gin fizz and a Ramos fizz?
From the way I see it, there’s a pretty big difference. When you have a Ramos fizz, you get a lot more flavor from the added ingredients while gins fizzes tend to be a bit flatter.
What makes Ramos so good is that they use orange flower water in their mix which helps give the drink its unique taste and smell. If done right, this will have everyone at the party talking about how wonderful it smells before they even try it!
In my opinion, mixing things up with an orange flower water add-on should help keep your dull gin recipes from getting too boring while still allowing them to stand out from other cocktails on your menu.
What is the difference between a Ramos Gin Fizz and other cocktails?
As I just mentioned, the orange flower water that goes into it is what separates this drink from other cocktails. If you’ve ever heard of or had a French 75, then you already know how different these drinks are.
What’s unique about Ramos fizzes is that they’re heavy on syrup and light on alcohol but still manage to have an actual “bite” to them. As such it would be great for someone who wants something heavier than soda pop but can’t handle their liquor.
What’s the difference between a Ramos Gin Fizz and an egg drink?
When you think about egg drinks that come to mind are probably alcohol-free beverages made with milk, cream, and vanilla. While these types of drinks do share some similarities with fizzes they lack one key ingredient: carbonation!
The reason for this is simple so it doesn’t take too long to settle. The more bubbles you introduce into your drink, the faster it will start to go flat. Since most egg drinks aren’t served over ice this isn’t an issue since the ice already takes care of that by itself.
And speaking of ice… I can understand why people say their fizz tastes watered down because if you only use half as much ice as the recipe calls for, you’ll get a weaker drink.
I’m not saying this to judge but egg drinks and Ramos fizzes don’t mix all that well so I’d advise against ordering something like this from a bar unless you know their bartenders well enough to be sure they’re going to make it right.
Is a Ramos Gin Fizz a good drink?
Absolutely! It’s one of my favorite drinks on a hot summer day thanks to its light and refreshing flavor. Just be sure you only use half as much ice as the recipe calls for if you don’t want your drink getting watered down too fast!
