Tom Collins Recipe
Bright, bubbly, and built for a long afternoon, the Tom Collins pairs London dry gin with fresh lemon, a touch of sugar, and a sparkling soda top. It is the original tall gin sour, and it is still the easiest crowd pleaser to shake up at home.
Ingredients
- 2 ozLondon dry gin
- 0.75 ozfresh lemon juice
- 0.5 ozsimple syrup
- 2 ozclub soda, chilled
- 1 cupice
Garnish
- Lemon wheel
- Brandied cherry (optional)
Equipment: Shaker, jigger, strainer, Collins glass, bar spoon
Method
- Chill a Collins glass by filling it with ice while you build the drink.
- Combine the gin, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker filled with ice.
- Shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds until the tin is frosty, then strain into the chilled Collins glass over fresh ice.
- Top with chilled club soda and stir gently once or twice to lift the bubbles without knocking out the carbonation.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and serve immediately.
About the Tom Collins
The Tom Collins traces to 19th century American barrooms, where it appeared in early bartender guides as a tall gin sour lengthened with carbonated water. It belongs to the Collins family of drinks, a sour built on spirit, citrus, and sugar, then topped with soda and served over ice in a tall glass. The formula survived Prohibition-era shifts and cocktail dark ages because it is simple, refreshing, and forgiving of a home bartender’s hand.
To nail it, treat the drink as two stages: a properly shaken sour, then a gentle soda top. Use fresh squeezed lemon, not bottled, and a clean London dry gin so the botanicals stay crisp against the citrus. Chill the glass and the soda first, stir only enough to integrate, and drink it while the bubbles are lively. A wide lemon twist or wheel adds aroma that carries the first sip.
- Fresh lemon juice is non negotiable; bottled juice flattens the drink and tastes dull.
- Keep club soda in the fridge so the top stays cold and carbonated longer.
- For a John Collins, swap the gin for bourbon or whiskey and keep everything else the same.
- Add a splash more simple syrup if your lemons run very tart, then taste before serving.
