Average
Fresh, Sweet & Sour
3 minutes
Highball Glass
Ingredients
The Gin Fizz is a classic gin cocktail that dates back to 150 years.
This shaken cocktail features the beloved and infallible flavor combination of gin, lemon juice and sugar with the addition of soda water to give the drink its signature effervescence.
Not only is the Gin Fizz an easy to make drink, it’s also one of the best, no-fuss drinks around.
How to Make a gin fizz cocktail
Bar tools you’ll need
Jigger
Knife
Boston Shaker
Hawthorne Strainer
How to Mix
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Fill the smaller tin of a Boston shaker with ice cubes.
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Juice lemon using a citrus elbow or citrus press, then measure and pour the lemon juice into the shaker tin. Save a lemon wedge for garnishing.
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Use a jigger (or measuring instrument) to measure and pour gin into the shaker.
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Measure and add simple syrup to the shaker.
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Seal the shaker by connecting the larger tin to the smaller tin, then shake vigorously until frosty on the outside.
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Separate the shaker tins, place a Hawthorne strainer over the larger tin and pour the cocktail into a highball glass three-quarters full.
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Top up with soda water.
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Garnish with a lemon wedge perched on the rim of the glass and a sprig of mint.
Watch how to make a Gin Fizz cocktail
All about the Gin Fizz
The Gin Fizz is a classic, easy-to-make cocktail made with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and soda water. It shares very close similarity to the Tom Collins.
A Gin Fizz has a refreshing and balanced taste, showcasing the classic flavor combination of gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in all its glory.
The gin provides a botanical and aromatic base, while the lemon juice and sugar add the all essential sweet-and-sour. The addition of soda water brings a bubbly, crisp finish.
The first printed recipe for a Gin Fizz appeared in a cocktail book in 1876 and is likely to have been the first of the “fizz” family of drinks.
However, the “fizz” cocktail family is thought to have evolved from the “Fix” cocktail, which was a popular drink in the first half of the 1800s, when soda water replaced the still water in the drink to make it a carbonated drink.
As the popularity of the Gin Fizz grew, it led to equally famous variations such as the Ramos Gin Fizz, which adds heavy cream, egg white, and orange flower water, and the Silver Fizz, which incorporates egg white for extra frothiness.
- Use fresh lemon juice
We get it! It’s quicker and more convenient to buy the bottled stuff from your local supermarket but don’t. No, really – don’t.With drinks as simple as the Gin Fizz, it’s all about the quality of your ingredients. With this in mind, nothing tastes better than fresh pressed lemon juice.
- Ramos Gin Fizz
Arguably the most famous of all Gin Fizz variations. The Ramos Gin Fizz is known for two things – its towering foam head and for being one of the most challenging drinks to make. How is it challenging? It’s physically demanding, requiring no less than 12 long minutes of shaking!The Ramos Gin Fizz uses the same base ingredients as a classic Gin Fizz but with the addition of heavy cream, lime juice, orange blossom water and egg white. It’s in a class of its own!
Take a look at our drink recipe for a Ramos Gin Fizz.
- Rum Fizz
Just as it sounds – a Rum Fizz is like a Gin Fizz but uses light rum instead of gin. Where gin is botanical and aromatic with juniper notes, light rum is smooth and sweet with hints of sugarcane, offering a whole new drink. Check out our recipe for a Rum Fizz. - Silver Fizz
The Silver Fizz follows the exact same recipe as a Gin Fizz but adds egg white to give the drink a frothy head and sumptuous mouthfeel. Discover the drink recipe for a Silver Fizz.
- We recommend serving the Gin Fizz in a highball glass, which is the perfect glass when you’re topping up with effervescent soda water.
- To garnish, place a lemon wedge on the edge of the glass.
- If you’re looking for a little something extra, garnish with a sprig of mint together with a lemon wedge.
Gin Fizz FAQ
We recommend using a London Dry Gin like Beefeater to make a Gin Fizz.
A fizz is a style of mixed drink containing a spirit (in this case, gin), citrus juice, sugar/simple syrup, and carbonated water.
None. That’s right – a traditional Gin Fizz doesn’t contain egg white. The drink you’re probably thinking of is the Silver Fizz, which shares the same recipe but with the addition of egg white.
No, but you could say the Gin Fizz is a variation of a Gin Sour. You see, the “sour” cocktail family is characterized by a mix of a base spirit, citrus juice, and a sweetener, whereas the “fizz” is a variation of a sour that incorporates soda water, resulting in a sparkling drink.
Good question! Both drinks share the same ingredients, but a Gin Fizz is served in a highball glass without ice, whereas a Tom Collins is served in a Collins glass with ice.
There’s one more difference – we like to garnish a Gin Fizz with a lemon wedge, while we prefer to garnish a Tom Collins with a fresh cherry and an orange wheel.
