COCKTAIL HOUR: New Orleans Fizz
Steve Ooms • Jackson's Steakhouse
• September 1, 2010
I love cocktails that are steeped in history, and a recent discovery of a classic cocktail, the New Orleans Fizz (aka the Ramos Fizz), has just that. A gentleman named Henry C. Ramos invented the drink in the 1880s. The self-proclaimed "best mixologist of the South" owned a number of bars in Alabama and Louisiana. It was at Meyer's Restaurant in New Orleans that this enchanting potion was born. It became so popular that bartenders, during Mardi Gras season, could not keep up with the demand, so dozens of "shaker boys" were employed to keep the steady stream of libations flowing.The drink was made famous, however, by the Roosevelt Hotel (newly renovated and reopened after Hurricane Katrina) and Louisiana Gov. Huey Long. Gov. Long did all of his business at the Roosevelt and grew particularly fond of the New Orleans Fizz. He traveled extensively between Louisiana and New York, and while in New York, would try to explain to Yankee bartenders how to make his favorite drink, but they just could not replicate it. Frustrated at their continued failure, he suddenly realized what he must do. On one of his subsequent trips to New York, he took Sam Guarino, a bartender from the Roosevelt, with him to show the staff at The New Yorker Hotel how to make the drink right. It was at that point than the drink began to gain national attention.A few years down the road, prohibition set in and the New Orleans Fizz, as well as many other hand-crafted cocktails of art, fell by the wayside, never to regain their reign and living in the shadows of the bushwacker, mojito and cosmopolitan. But a sliver of light is shining for "The Fizz." The resurgence of classic cocktails is opening door after door for these brews of yesteryear, and we are beginning to realize that they may be a bit more work to construct, but the finished product is amazing.New Orleans Fizz112 ounces dry gin (Gordon's is great)12 ounce lime juice12 ounce lemon juice1 small egg white1 tablespoon powdered sugar3 ounces milk2 dashes eau de fleur d'oranger (orange flower water)*Club sodaPlace all of the ingredients except the club soda into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake vigorously (more than normal to ensure the egg and cream are well mixed). Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with club soda.Orange flower water (also called orange blossom water) is essential to the flavor and aroma of the cocktail, but is difficult to find. Shoreline Foods on West Main Street stocks it, or you can substitute 3 teaspoons triple sec.Jackson's Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. 469-9898, or visit www.jacksonsrestaurant.com.
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