Cream Fizz Cocktail Recipe ｜ A Creamy Gin Fizz in 3 Steps

Two Cream Fizz cocktails in stemmed glasses with sugared rims, served on a wooden tray with a rocks glass beside them

The most famous cocktail in this family, the Ramos Gin Fizz, was once so labor-intensive that its inventor reportedly kept a dedicated team of bartenders on hand just to shake it, ten minutes per glass.

Cream Fizz is the same idea stripped down: gin’s crisp edge, lemon’s bright acidity, and a touch of cream, without the egg white or orange flower water. Shaken hard enough to emulsify, it comes out just as velvety, in a fraction of the effort.

Pour one tonight and taste the shortcut.

Table of Contents

Recipe and Method

Ingredients

Rows of spirit bottles lining a bar's back shelves, illuminated by warm pendant lighting above a wooden counter

Recipe no.055

Gin — 1 + 1/2 oz (45ml)
Lemon juice — 1/3 oz (10ml)
Sugar — 1 tsp
Heavy cream — 2 tsp
Soda water — Full

1 tsp = one bar spoon’s worth.
Full = pour until the glass is about 80-90% full.

Recommended Dry Gin Brand

Method

A bartender in a burgundy vest shaking a cocktail shaker over her shoulder in a dimly lit bar

Step

Combine the ingredients

Add gin, lemon juice, sugar, cream, and ice to a shaker.

Step

Shake

Shake thoroughly, then strain into a glass filled with ice. Since cream is involved, give it about five extra shakes beyond your usual count.

How to Use a Shaker

Step

Stir in the soda

Fill gently with soda water along the glass edge to avoid killing the fizz, then stir lightly. One or two slow rotations, lifting the ice slightly, is enough to combine everything without flattening the bubbles.

How to Stir

Technique ｜ Shake & Stir
Glass ｜ Collins glass
ABV ｜ Around 9%
Best Enjoyed ｜ Daytime / After a meal
Style ｜ Fizz

Details and video of Cream Fizz

Character and Flavor

A hand pouring cream from a small pitcher into a glass of iced coffee, creating a marbled swirl effect

Cream Fizz belongs to the fizz family of cocktails, a style that took shape in the United States in the late 19th century. Adding cream to a gin fizz was a bold move by the standards of the time, and it reflects exactly the kind of experimentation bartenders were doing during that era.

The dry gin base brings bright juniper aroma along with layers of herbal and spice complexity. Lemon juice cuts in with sharp acidity that lets the gin’s character shine, while sugar smooths the edges and the cream adds a richness nobody quite expects.

Pour it and a soft white foam rises immediately, giving it the look of a friendly white soda. On the palate, gin’s crispness and cream’s roundness blend far more gently than you’d guess, with lemon adding a pleasant edge throughout. The soda’s light carbonation carries it all to a clean, refreshing finish.

It looks like an unlikely pairing on paper, but the balance genuinely works — and that’s exactly the kind of drink worth discovering, whatever time of day you’re pouring it.

Tips, Variations, and Food Pairings

A slice of tiramisu dusted with cocoa powder, garnished with mint, served on a decorative brown patterned plate

Food pairings — Creamy desserts like cheesecake or tiramisu are a natural match. Light appetizers such as smoked salmon or cream cheese canapés work well too.
Shaking tip — Because of the cream, shake about five times longer than usual. Getting it properly cold emulsifies the fat, which is what gives the drink its smooth texture.
Pouring the soda — Pour gently along the glass edge to avoid killing the bubbles. One or two slow stirs, lifting the ice slightly, is all it takes to combine everything.
A note on drinking it — Cream tends to settle, so it’s best enjoyed soon after it’s made. With a relatively low ABV, it’s also a gentle option for anyone who doesn’t usually drink.