The Ramos Gin Fizz: A New Orleans Liquid History, with John Shelton Reed

Join Al Zambone and guest John Shelton Reed (author of The Ramos Gin Fizz, for the LSU Press series on iconic New Orleans cocktails) for a deep dive into the history, culture, and legend of the Ramos Gin Fizz—a cocktail that’s as much a symbol of New Orleans as it is a drink. From its 19th-century origins and the city’s cosmopolitan mix, to Prohibition, Huey Long, and the modern cocktail renaissance, this episode explores how a single drink can carry the weight of place and time.

• 00:00 — Podcast intro
• 00:23 — Welcome and guest introduction
• 02:35 — The Ramos Gin Fizz: A New Orleans Legend (episode setup)
• 02:35 — Origins and pronunciation of “Ramos”
• 05:56 — Carl Ramos’s biography and 19th-century mobility
• 05:56 — New Orleans in the late 19th century
• 05:56 — Cosmopolitan city, Caribbean and European connections
• 08:56 — Cultural divisions in New Orleans
• 10:55 — German immigration and Civil War era
• 11:06 — Rise of celebrity bartenders and cocktail culture
• 13:18 — New Orleans’ iconic cocktails
• 16:22 — The Ramos Gin Fizz recipe and its components
• 17:45 — Al’s first attempt at the drink
• 19:30 — The “shaker boys” and the three-minute shake
• 21:00 — Flavor profile and chemistry
• 29:29 — Fame, Prohibition, and Huey Long
• 38:23 — Southern soft drinks and temperance
• 44:48 — Where to find the perfect Ramos Gin Fizz today
• 46:46 — Closing thoughts and thanks

For Further Investigation

• John Shelton Reed, Dixie Bohemia: A French Quarter Circle in the 1920s
• "How the South Cornered the Soda Market"
• The Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel
• Revel Cafe and Bar– where Chris McMillian spells it "Ramos Gin Phizz", which just makes everything a little more confusing than it already was