Welcome to the Best Seat in the House, a digital series from Visit Austin, bringing together some of the best personalities in Austin's service industry sharing some ways to experience a taste of Austin from home.

In this episode, Beverage Director Jake Finely of Old Thousand shares his simple “at home” Ramos Gin Fizz recipe.

Ramos Gin Fizz

  • Yuzu juice
  • Lemon juice
  • Coconut milk
  • Simple syrup
  • Egg white
  • Orange bitters
  • Gin
  • Black currant cider
  • Optional: orange peel or dehydrated orange

Ramos Gin Fizz cocktail with Waterloo Gin and mint and can of cider from Old Thousand in Austin Texas

Instructions

Add 1/4 ounce yuzu juice, 3/4 ounce lemon juice, ½ ounce coconut milk, ¾ ounces simple syrup, one egg white, two dashes of orange bitters and two ounces gin to a shaker. Old Thousand uses Waterloo No. 9 Gin.

Dry shake for roughly a minute.

Add ice and shake for another minute for desired dilution. Strain into a 16oz glass.

Use one-to-two ounces of Dark Cide Cider to rinse your tin, strain into your glass until foam peaks over the top. Garnish with an orange peel or dehydrated orange.

Beverage Director Jake Finley at Old Thousand Bar in Austin Texas

Jake Finley, Beverage Director

Jake Finley moved to Austin from Cleveland, OH in 2002, where he first landed in kitchens. After working back of house for a few years, he made the switch to front of house. He began busing tables and bar-backing in 2008 at Kenichi, eager to learn and wear many hats during a seven-year stint there and filling roles from Sushi Chef to Floor Manager to Bartender.

The bar is where Finley always felt at home and, after a couple years at Swift’s Attic also wearing many hats, he landed at a new Tiki-style bar called She’s Not Here. He took over the bar program shortly after he started, as well as supervising the program at Old Thousand. Finley's bar style is taking classic drinks and putting a not so classic twist on them - if you can’t make cocktails fun, then why bother? Currently, Finley runs the bar program at Old Thousand and will be curating the beverage program for Old Thousand’s upcoming second location on Burnet Road.

Multiple menu items and dishes from Old Thousand in Austin Texas

Old Thousand

Old Thousand is a neighborhood Chinese restaurant in Austin’s east side. Offers up an eclectic and inventive mix of flavors, ingredients and styles with modern interpretations of classic American-Chinese recipes.

Images courtesy of Old Thousand.