Ramos Gin Fizz

This is a delightful drink. Eric Felten recently wrote that it was a favorite of Frank Sinatra, recommended by Robert Mitchum:

Actor Robert Mitchum introduced Sinatra to the morning glories of the Ramos Gin Fizz, which Mitchum had praised as "mother's milk." Sinatra would order the gin, cream, egg, lime, sugar and soda mixes by the trayful after a night of flying the Jack Daniel's flag. He remained grateful to Mitchum for the recommendation, sending him a card every Mother's Day.

Pardon the lack of a link - I think a subscription is necessary. The quote appeared in the December 27, 2008 edition of the Wall St. Journal.

I made one about a year ago, and it didn't come out right. I'm not sure which recipe I was using. But the proportions provided by Robert Hess in The Essential Bartender's Guide are very seemly, and I can enthusiastically recommend this version:

2 oz gin
1 oz cream
1 whole egg white
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz. lime juice
1 1/2 oz. simple syrup
2 dashes orange flower water
1 oz. club soda

You must combine all ingredients in a shaker, minus the club soda, and with no ice, and give it what is called a "dry shake". This emulsifies the egg white with the other ingredients. Legend has it that Myer's Restaurant in New Orleans, where Henry C. Ramos invented the drink, insisted on twelve minutes of shaking at this stage. Somehow I doubt that's really necessary, but you should shake it very hard for quite a while. Then add the ice and give it a conventional shake. Then strain it into a Collins glass, and add some fresh ice cubes if you like - opinions differ on that. Finally, add the club soda, stir and enjoy. Oh, and I suspect you could drop the simple syrup a little bit and get away with it. Maybe an ounce would be enough.

I never drink enough to get hangovers, so I've never used it as a morning remedy. I mean, really. I work for a living, you know. How much does one have to drink to get in such a state that cocktails in the morning sound like a good idea? If you need the hair of the dog that bit you, my advice is, don't let the dog bite you so hard.

Oh, and gentle reader, I hear your objection. Balian, you say, what do you mean by putting a raw egg in a drink? Are you trying to kill me with salmonella or some other dread thing? My advice? Cowboy up, there, pal. When is the last time you heard of someone dropping over dead from eating their eggs with runny yolks? For Pete's sake. One in about 12,000 eggs has salmonella. Your odds are good. Just use fresh eggs from a reputable source. And sue if you get sick! I can recommend a good lawyer, just let me know.