40 Year Fizz

Half of a Ramos Gin Fizz recipe

I had a wonderful 40th birthday party organized by my husband and friends. My wish was to dress up and eat delicious appetizers with my friends. Just about everyone attended the party, and I was able to visit and talk with them. One friend revealed that her favorite drink was a Ramos Gin Fizz, which involves raw egg white*, orange blossom water**, lemon and lime juice, and other ingredients, all shaken for 12 minutes. Of course, my mixed-drink enthusiast friend had to make one on the spot. I had a sip, and was hooked. It's akin to drinking lemon meringue pie, only not as sweet.

 Master bartender/mixologist Chris McMillian shares the history and demonstrates the assembly of the drink here. I tried my hand at making the Ramos Gin Fizzes yesterday during our Easter brunch. (I skipped the cream, however.) There were times when I had to hand the shaker over to my husband or another guest in order to serve food, answer the phone, or simply take a break. I ended up making four servings, but fortunately, some people were willing to split a serving. The work and the wait were worth it.

*Read New York Times article Things Get Messy When Bartenders Crack an Egg, by Glen Collins.


**I have a bottle of orange blossom water that will last me years. I'm going to start cooking more from the dessert sections of my Middle Eastern Cookbooks.