Honey Vodka Collins
A citrus and sour vodka cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 17.1% ABV ∙
The Honey Vodka Collins is vodka shaken with honey and fresh lemon juice and served over ice in a highball glass, with no soda water.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- In the base of the shaker, stir until the Honey dissolves: Honey 2 bspVodka 60 ml
- Add Lemon juice 30 ml
- Shake with ice and strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with a lemon slice
Tips
- Stir the honey into the vodka until it dissolves, before the lemon and ice go in; once cold, honey seizes and won't mix.
History
The Honey Vodka Collins has no documented creation story of its own; it is a modern variant that swaps the usual sugar or simple syrup of a Vodka Collins for honey, giving the sour highball a rounder sweetness. It descends from the Collins family of drinks, tall gin-and-lemon sours topped with soda water that trace to 19th-century London and New York. Vodka replaced gin as the base once vodka's popularity rose in the mid-20th century, producing the Vodka Collins that this honey-sweetened version varies.
FAQ
What is in a Honey Vodka Collins?
60 ml vodka, 2 barspoons of honey and 30 ml fresh lemon juice. There is no soda water.
Is a Honey Vodka Collins the same as a Tom Collins?
No. A Tom Collins is gin, lemon and sugar lengthened with soda water. This drink uses vodka, swaps the sugar for honey and has no soda, so it is a shorter drink than a true Collins.
Why use honey instead of sugar syrup?
Honey adds a floral note that plain sugar syrup does not, and vodka is neutral enough to let it show. Dissolve the honey in the vodka first, because cold honey thickens and won't blend once the lemon and ice are in.
