Gin Fizz

The Gin Fizz is a Cocktail which consists of Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Sugar, and Soda water.

Historical Citations

"The Penn Yan Express", (1883)

"At the St. Nicholas they make a very seductive variety of gin fizz called a crushed strawberry fizz, and flavored as the name indicates with strawberry juice."

"Reveiw", Decatur, Illinois, (1885)

"Mr. Malheran was the only bar-tender in the last legislature who knew the difference between a gin-fizz and a soda cocktail and had sense enough to stir an Apollinarias lemonade instead of shaking it."

"The Evening News", Lincoln, Nebraska, (1895)

"Make it a gin fiz this time, and put plenty of ice in it: but don't neglect the gin on that account."

Historical Recipes

Jerry Thomas (1862)

• Gin Fizz.
• (Use medium bar-glass.)
• Take 1 tea-spoonful of powdered white sugar.
• 3 dashes of Fresh Lemon Juice.
• 1 wine-glass of Holland Gin (aka. Genever/ Jenever).
• 1 small piece of Ice.

Fill up the glass with Apollinaris or Seltzer water, stir thoroughly and serve.

David Wondrich Says

"In the nineteenth century, Holland or Genever gin was imported at a ratio of 5 or 6 gallons to every gallon of English gin. This makes perfect sense: in the days before the dominance of the dry Martini, when gin was drunk in slings, simple punches (think Collinses) or cocktails (the original kind, with bitters and sugar), the mellow, malty roundness of the "Hollands," as it was known, was preferable to the steely sharpness of a London dry gin, or even an Old Tom, which stood somewhere between the two styles."

Whats the difference between a Gin Fizz and a Tom Collins?

The Gin Fizz was originally made with Hollands Gin (Genever), and the Tom Collins was originally made with London Dry Gin. Nowadays people use London Dry Gin in both drinks.