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A Ramos Gin Fizz is a singular cocktail experience. A shaking regimen measured in minutes produces a fluffed-up concoction that defies gravity, rising out of its Collins glass like a perfect cylindrical soufflé. The drink originated in New Orleans, where it was first cooked up in 1888 by a man named—you guessed it—Ramos. But if you’re savvy to the Portland bar scene, you might already know where you can get such a thing here in the City of Roses: Holy Ghost, part of the Three on a Match bar group, which opened in Southeast’s Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood three years ago next month. (More on that in a minute.)
From the get, fizzes were the focus—along with agave-based spirits tequila and mezcal. But the establishment is passionate about teetotaler-friendly options, too.
“We really care about non-alcoholic drinks and want them to be more than just pity lemonade, as my wife used to call the drinks she was offered at bars when she was pregnant,” Holy Ghost proprietor Ezra Caraeff says.
The No Worries Fizz features front and center on the bar’s alcohol-free menu. Just like Ramos’ original recipe, the No Worries Fizz is infused with lemon, lime and orange blossom water, shaken with heavy cream and egg white. Ritual non-alcoholic gin gives the drink enough backbone that I had to double-check that I’d gotten the not-so-spirited version. It’s almost certainly part of what landed Holy Ghost first place on our 2024 Best of Portland list of Best Bars for Mocktails.
But the very best part of the drink might be the patience it requires.
Gin gets fizzy through a consistent, vigorous infusion of air, according to Holy Ghost bar manager Sid Chi, inventor of the No Worries Fizz. Traditionally, of course, that meant hand-shaking mixers within the ballpark of 12 minutes—a process that bartenders regularly pass off to one barback, then another.
Enter Shake Gyllenhaal and Jake the Shake, Holy Ghost’s automated machines that can shake, not stir, two cocktails each. All the bartender has to do is assemble the ingredients, set a timer, and—crucially—stick the shaken product in the fridge for a few more minutes to set. And that’s a good thing. Chi reports that the bar’s non-alcoholic lineup has accounted for almost a third of the bar’s sales these past two years. While there are unshaken options on the menu, the No Worries Fizz dominates—not to mention the alcoholic version.
“Once we had the robots involved, it became a lot more doable,” Chi admitted.
Bartenders whip up the alcoholic versions ahead of time so they’re chilled and ready to go, but since there are fewer NA drinkers each evening, every spirit-free fizz has to be made from scratch, and waited on, for almost 20 minutes. Twenty-ish minutes of chill time can be a gift many people don’t often afford themselves, filled by gabbing with pals or catching up on your bar reading. But if that time must be filled, indulging in a to-be-announced specialty sweet treat from a surprise local dessert maker at Holy Ghost’s third anniversary party on Saturday, Nov. 16, might be the move. The bar’s neighboring restaurants, 28 Tigers and Pan Con Queso, will also get in on the fun with specials on their mouthwatering menus. What better excuse to slow your roll?
TASTE IT: Holy Ghost, 4101 SE 28th Ave., holyghostbar.com. 3 pm–midnight Monday–Thursday, 3 pm–1am Friday, noon–1 am Saturday, noon–midnight Sunday.