Fizz (cocktail)

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A "fizz" is a mixed drink variation on the older sours family of cocktail. Its defining features are an acidic juice (such as lemon or lime) and carbonated water.

Video Fizz (cocktail)

History

The first printed reference to "fiz" is in the 1887 edition of Jerry Thomas's Bartender's Guide, which contains six such recipes. The fizz became widely popular in America between 1900 and the 1940s. Known as a hometown specialty of New Orleans, the gin fizz was so popular that bars would employ teams of bartenders that would take turns shaking the drinks. Demand for fizzes went international at least as early as 1950, as evidenced by its inclusion in the French cookbook L'Art Culinaire Francais published that year.

Maps Fizz (cocktail)

Gin fizz

A gin fizz is the best-known cocktail in the fizz family. A gin fizz contains gin, lemon juice, and sugar, which are shaken with ice, poured into a tumbler and topped with carbonated water. The drink is similar to a Tom Collins, with a possible distinction being a Tom Collins historically used "Old Tom Gin" (a slightly sweeter precursor to London Dry Gin), whereas the kind of gin historically used in a gin fizz is unknown.

Simple variations on the gin fizz are

Silver fizz - addition of egg white
Golden fizz - addition of egg yolk
Royal fizz - addition of whole egg
Diamond fizz - sparkling wine instead of carbonated water, more commonly known as a "French 75".
Green fizz - addition of a dash of green crème de menthe
Purple fizz - with Sloe gin and grapefruit juice (instead of gin and lemon juice)

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Ramos gin fizz

A Ramos gin fizz (also known as a "Ramos fizz" or "New Orleans fizz") contains gin, lemon juice, lime juice, egg white, sugar, cream, orange flower water, and soda water. It is served in a large non-tapered 12 to 14 ounce Collins glass.

The orange flower water and egg significantly affect the flavor and texture of a Ramos, compared to a regular gin fizz. The key to making this egg cocktail is dissolving the sugar before adding ice; the sugar acts as an emulsifier, and it and the alcohol "cook" the egg white.

Henry C. Ramos invented the Ramos gin fizz in 1888 at his bar, the Imperial Cabinet Saloon on Gravier Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. It was originally called a "New Orleans fizz", and is one of the city's most famous cocktails. Before Prohibition, the drink's popularity and exceptionally long 12-minute mixing time had over 20 bartenders working at the Imperial at once making nothing but the Ramos gin fizz - and still struggling to keep up with demand. During the carnival of 1915, 32 staff members were on at once, just to shake the drink.

The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans also popularized the drink, abetted by Governor Huey Long's fondness for it. In July 1935, Long brought a bartender named Sam Guarino from the Roosevelt Hotel to the New Yorker Hotel in New York City to teach its staff how to make the drink so he could have it whenever he was there. The Museum of the American Cocktail has newsreel footage of this event. The Roosevelt Hotel group trademarked the drink name in 1935 and still makes it today.

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Sloe Gin Fizz

A traditional sloe gin fizz contains sloe gin (a blackthorn plum flavored spirit), grapefruit juice, simple syrup, egg white, and carbonated water. A popular alternative eliminates the egg white. The original recipe is made with grapefruit juice, because of the mixing of recipes you will find many recipes with lemon juice.

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Uncommon variations

Whiskey fizz - American blended whiskey, lemon juice, sugar, and lemon-lime soda
Meyer lemon fizz - uses the sweeter Meyer lemon instead of normal lemon, and adds orange juice
Manhattan cooler - scotch, lemon juice, sugar, and lemon-lime soda
Chicago fizz - rum, port wine, lemon juice, sugar, and egg white
Buck's fizz (and variant mimosa ) - champagne, orange juice, sometimes grenadine
Japanese gin fizz - a standard gin fizz with a shot of lychee liquor added
Sour melon fizz - gin, lime juice, midori and ginger ale