When does the tonic go into a gin fizz?

After the strain, poured into the highball on top of the drink. It never goes into the shaker.

Why is my gin fizz flat?

Check the order: dry shake first, then ice, then strain, then the tonic. A warm aquafaba or a drink left on the pass also loses the head.

Does the powder work for gin fizzes?

Yes. Make up 1.3g of powder with 20 ml of water per drink before service and keep it chilled.

Can I batch gin fizzes?

Batch the gin, lemon and syrup. The aquafaba goes in at the shake and the tonic in the glass.

Process sheet

How to build an aquafaba gin fizz: the step-by-step sheet

The gin fizz is simple until the last few seconds. You can build a good head in the shaker and still lose it if the tonic goes in at the wrong moment. This sheet keeps the six steps in the right order, from the dry shake to the top, with the checks to run when the drink reaches the highball without the lift you expected. Updated: 5 October 2026.

Process sheet

#	Step	Reference
1	Build	40 ml gin, 20 ml lemon, 20 ml cane sugar syrup, 20 ml VERY AQUAFABA, chilled
2	Dry shake	Hard, without ice: the foam is built here
3	With ice	8 to 10 cubes, shake again to chill
4	Strain	Into a highball glass
5	Top	Tonic water, poured on top, never shaken
6	Garnish	A slice of dried lemon on the head

Powder: for one drink, 1.3g of VERY AQUAFABA powder + 20 ml of water, made up before service and chilled.

Checks

What you see	Why	Fix
Thin head before the top	Ice went in before the dry shake	Dry shake first, ice second
Slack foam	Aquafaba at room temperature	Keep it chilled until the shake
No head on the long drink	The tonic went into the shaker	Strain first, then top with tonic in the glass
Head gone by the table	The drink waited on the pass	Shake, top and serve at once

Source: VERY AQUAFABA cocktail recipes (October 2026)

When a gin fizz loses its head

Keep it where the highballs are built, with the gin fizz method in the bar book. If the drink reaches the glass without a proper head, check the shake order first. If the head disappears after that, check that the tonic went into the glass and not into the shaker.

Set the station before the first order

Base batched. Gin, lemon and cane sugar syrup in one bottle; the aquafaba and the tonic stay apart.
Aquafaba cold. An opened pack is kept at 2 to 6 °C and used within 3 to 4 days.
Highballs ready. The drink goes straight from the strain to the top.

What the glass should tell you

After the dry shake the liquid is pale and thick. After the shake with ice the shaker frosts. Strained into the highball, the drink carries its head; the tonic then lengthens it underneath and the dried lemon sits on top. The gin fizz quantity calculator works out the gin, lemon, syrup and aquafaba for the night.