Royal Collins
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 15.5% ABV ∙
The Royal Collins is a Cognac-based twist on the Tom Collins, mixing brandy, lemon juice, and sugar syrup, then topping with dry sparkling wine instead of soda. Bright and tart at first sip, it settles into a warm, fruity depth, with fine bubbles lifting a crisp, refreshing finish.
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
- Pour the sparkling wine slowly and stir only briefly, just enough to combine without knocking out the carbonation.
- Pre-chill the Collins glass so the sparkling wine keeps its fizz longer once poured over ice.
History
Royal Collins has no separately documented inventor or venue; it is best understood as a modern name for a cognac-based Collins finished with sparkling wine instead of soda water, sometimes marketed under this name by cognac producers and appearing 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 early 1880s, 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?
A Royal Collins swaps the gin and soda water of a Tom Collins for Cognac and dry sparkling wine, giving a richer, fruitier drink with a finer fizz. Both share the same lemon-and-sugar sour base, but the Royal Collins is built on brandy rather than gin.
What is the difference between a John Collins and a Tom Collins?
A John Collins traditionally uses a different style of gin (or sometimes whiskey) than a Tom Collins, though the two are otherwise nearly identical in build. Both are gin-and-soda sours over ice; the Royal Collins served here instead uses Cognac and dry sparkling wine in place of gin and soda.
What are the different types of Collins cocktails?
Collins cocktails share one base formula of spirit, citrus, sugar, and a fizzy top, built long over ice in a Collins glass, with the spirit and topper changing by version. The Tom Collins uses gin and soda water, the John Collins often uses a different gin style or whiskey, and the Royal Collins swaps in Cognac and dry sparkling wine.
How do you make a Collins drink?
A Collins drink is built by combining a spirit with fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup, then topping with a carbonated component over ice in a tall glass. This Royal Collins version shakes Cognac, lemon juice, and sugar syrup with ice, strains it over fresh ice, tops with dry sparkling wine, and finishes with a brief stir.
