Royal Collins
A refreshing, sour and bubbly cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 13.1% ABV ∙
The Royal Collins is a Cognac Collins topped with dry sparkling wine instead of soda: Cognac, lemon juice and sugar syrup, shaken and served over ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake the first 3 ingredients with ice: Cognac 50 mlLemon juice 25 mlSugar syrup 15 ml
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Top with Dry sparkling wine and briefly stir
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and a maraschino cherry on a skewer
Tips
- Strain over fresh ice first, then add the 50 ml of sparkling wine and give it just a brief stir to keep the bubbles.
History
The Royal Collins is a cognac-based Collins finished with sparkling wine instead of soda water, with no documented inventor or venue. It appears in contemporary bartending references as a dressier take on the cognac Collins known as a Pierre Collins. The "Royal" tag marks that one swap: sparkling wine replacing plain soda water for a richer, wine-forward fizz.
The drink's lineage runs back to the Collins family of sours, whose most famous member, the Tom Collins, first appears in print in the late 1800s, and whose name and exact 19th-century origin among gin, whiskey, and other base-spirit versions remains disputed among several claimants.
FAQ
What is the difference between a Royal Collins and a Tom Collins?
Two swaps: Cognac instead of gin, and dry sparkling wine instead of soda water. Both drinks share the lemon-and-sugar sour base, but the brandy and wine make the Royal Collins richer and more wine-forward.
How do you make a Collins drink?
For a Royal Collins, shake 50 ml Cognac, 25 ml fresh lemon juice and 15 ml sugar syrup with ice, and strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with 50 ml dry sparkling wine and stir only briefly to keep the bubbles. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a maraschino cherry.
