Tom Collins
A classic, sparkling gin cocktail with fresh lemon and tart sweetness: simple, elegant and endlessly refreshing.
Ingredients
- Gin55 ml
- Lemon juice, freshly squeezed22.5 ml
- Simple syrup (1 part Sugar, 1 part Water)13.75 ml
- Soda watertop up
- Lemon, to garnish (optional)1 wheel
- Cocktail cherry, to garnish (optional)1 whole
Method
- Fill a Collins glass with ice cubes.
- Add the gin, lemon juice and syrup straight into the glass.
- Stir briefly to combine.
- Top up with soda water and give it a final, light stir.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and a cocktail cherry.
About this drink
The Tom Collins has roots in 19th-century New York and is bound up with the 'Tom Collins hoax' of 1874, when people were sent round town as a joke to look for an imaginary man who had supposedly been badmouthing them. The drink itself is older and builds on the English gin punch tradition of gin, lemon, sugar and soda. London dry gin became the standard over time, but the earliest recipes often used the sweeter Old Tom style, which still makes a gentler version.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between a Tom Collins and a Gin Fizz?
The Tom Collins is built over plenty of ice in a tall glass and topped with more soda, while a Gin Fizz is shaken hard and served in a smaller glass without ice, for a sharper, frothier drink.
Does a Collins have to be made with gin?
No. The whole Collins family follows the same template: whiskey makes a Whiskey Collins, vodka a Vodka Collins. Gin is simply the original and most classic route.
Can I prepare Tom Collins for several guests?
Mix the gin, lemon and syrup in a jug in advance, but wait with the ice and soda until just before serving, so the drink keeps its fizz and doesn't get watery.
