In May, the St Regis Bar Hong Kong launched Tickets to Ride on Trains & Trams, an ambitious new menu centred around a board game that involves taking the train or tram (on the board) to 16 different numbered stations, each corresponding to a drink. Theming is front and centre – guests are encouraged to play the game as a means to decide which drink to have.
No drink on this menu represents the high level of execution more than the Ritual Fizz, which is inspired by Little Italy, a historic neighbourhood in Manhattan known for its concentration of Italian immigrant residents.
Paul Chan, bar manager for the St Regis Bar Hong Kong, breaks the drink down for us. It combines London Dry gin (or vodka, on occasion), Italian citron and bergamot liqueurs, fresh lemon, cream, egg white, sugar and a splash of soda water. “It’s bright, fresh and creamy all at once,” Chan describes. “You get this refreshing citrus kick from the Italian citron and bergamot, balanced by the botanicals of gin and a silky, almost dessert-like finish from the cream and egg white. There’s a playful effervescence from the soda, and I think the drink really dances between being uplifting and indulgent.”
Those in the know recognise this ingredient and flavour profile as similar to the immensely difficult and visually stunning Ramos Gin Fizz, introduced by Charles “Carl” Ramos in New Orleans in 1888. Apocryphally, Ramos and his team shook the drink for a total of 12 to 15 minutes along something of a cocktail assembly line. (Cocktails are normally shaken for around 20 to 30 seconds.)
Modern methods are much less dramatic, but the drink still requires intricate preparation – dry shaking ingredients, then slowly pouring 2/3 of the mixture with soda before allowing it to settle in a fridge. If your physics and chemistry were correct, pouring the remaining ingredients should help the iconic foam head rise “like a souffle”, according to Difford’s Guide.
