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Holiday Ramos Gin Fizz Story by Mary Mack | Recipe by Ted and Jamie Kilgore
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ith the holidays around the corner, one couple in the metro area restaurant scene will most definitely deserve a good drink by season’s end: Ted and Jamie Kilgore of Planter’s House and Small Change (in St. Louis’ Lafayette Square and Benton Park neighborhoods, respectively). From Nov. 23 through Dec. 31, this dynamic duo will transform their drinking destinations into the pop-up bars dubbed “Sippin’ Santa” – a Tiki-themed Christmas cocktail oasis – and “Miracle” – a kitschy, nostalgic wonderland featuring great drinks. Cocktail and Christmas enthusiasts alike are invited to stop in and warm up with crafted libations that will brighten their spirits. To say the couple is busy juggling both popups during the holidays is an understatement. So what do the Kilgores themselves drink on their own Christmas morning off ? A Holiday Ramos Gin Fizz. The tradition started simply enough – they had all the necessary ingredients at home to
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make the drink. Although the recipe below concocts a drier morning beverage, according to Ted Kilgore, you can make it boozier by topping it with Champagne, and the grapefruit adds a unique twist to the traditional Ramos Gin Fizz, which a New Orleans bartender first mixed in 1888.
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Holiday Ramos Gin Fizz
3 oz gin (the Kilgores recommend the French Citadelle) ¾ oz lemon juice ¾ oz grapefruit juice ¾ oz simple syrup ½ oz heavy cream 1 egg white 3 drops orange flower water
Preparation | Add all ingredients to a shaker tin, and shake till tin starts to freeze. Hold tight – eggs often froth and overflow tin. Pour into a Collins or tall glass, then top with club soda or favored bubbly.
Information on Miracle and Sippin’ Santa, including reservations and menus, can be found at drinkchristmas.com. This year, the proceeds of the reservation fees will go toward the nonprofit Santa’s Helpers and St. Louis Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Regional Response Fund.
