Good Morning!

Huey P Long giving Cocktail lessons.

If ever there was a town well versed in the Hair of the Dog, New Orleans surely is the shining city on the hill.  Morning drinks are an entire sub category here in the land of 24 hour bars.  The Lovely Ladies of Uptown think nothing of starting the day with a fortifying Brandy Milk Punch.  Every dive bar in the French Quarter makes a glorious Bloody Mary with spicy pickled green beans and okra.  And you can get these drinks to go, thus taking a invigorating perambulation while you take your tonic to shake that dog that bite you the night before. Perhaps the most famous New Orleans morning drink is the Ramos Gin Fizz.

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Henry C. Ramos invented the Ramos gin fizz in 1888 at his bar, the Imperial Cabinet Saloon on Gravier Street, in New Orleans Louisiana. It was originally called the New Orleans Fizz, and is one of the city's most famous cocktails. Before Prohibition, the bar was known to have over 20 bartenders working at once, making nothing but the Ramos Gin Fizz - and still struggling to keep up with the demand. During the carnival of 1915, 32 staff were on at once, just to shake the drink. The drink's long mixing time (12 minutes) made it a very time consuming cocktail to produce.

The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans also popularized the drink, as did governor Huey P 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 show the staff there 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.

The twist that we do at SoBou is to add some house made hibiscus syrup to turn the drink pink, like our Elephant, BarBar.  We also add some Bitterman’s Orange Cream Citrate, like the old time soda jerks used to use to give the drink and extra kick.  With the healing power of protein from the cream and egg, refreshing cooling citrus, sweet and dry from the hibiscus, I’d say this would bring you back from the brink of any illness.

SoBou Gin Fizz

2 oz Beefeater Gin

1 1/2 oz cream

1 egg white

1 oz simple

3/4 oz lemon/lime

1/2 oz hibiscus syrup

dash of vanilla

1 dropper full of Bitterman’s Orange Cream Citrate

Dry shake, without ice, then add ice, shake long and hard.  In a large chilled glass add some soda water on the bottom, pour slowly to build a rich thick creamy head. Top with more soda if necessary.