Tom Collins
A refreshing, sour and bubbly gin cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 12.4% ABV ∙
The Tom Collins is a tall gin sour of Old Tom gin, lemon juice, and sugar syrup, topped with soda water and served over ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake the first 3 ingredients with ice: Old Tom gin 60 mlLemon juice 25 mlSugar syrup 15 ml
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Top with Soda water and briefly stir
- Garnish with an orange wheel and a maraschino cherry on a skewer
Tips
- Stick with Old Tom gin rather than London dry; its slight sweetness, along with the syrup, keeps the 25 ml of lemon in check.
History
One popular account ties the name to "The Great Tom Collins Hoax of 1874," a prank that swept New York and Philadelphia. Pranksters told victims that a man named Tom Collins was nearby slandering them, sending them rushing off to confront someone who did not exist; the joke even spawned songs and newspaper items about the fictitious man. Drinks historians say bartenders picked up on the hoax, serving a gin drink under that name to the flustered patrons who came in asking for him.
Where and when the drink first appeared is also disputed. Many popular accounts credit the second edition of Jerry Thomas's Bar-Tender's Guide (1876) with the first printed recipe, while other sourced accounts identify Harry Johnson's 1882 New and Improved Bartender's Manual as the earliest known one. A rival explanation places the drink's origin in St. Louis, and a further international dispute has argued it began in England rather than America.
The Tom Collins descends from the Collins, a gin punch that had existed in England since at least the 1860s and was reputedly called the John Collins after a headwaiter of that name at Limmer's Old House in London's Mayfair district. Another explanation of the "Tom" holds that as the sweeter Old Tom gin became the more common base in America, the John Collins became the Tom Collins, the two ultimately distinguished largely by gin style.
FAQ
What is a Tom Collins made of?
60 ml Old Tom gin, 25 ml lemon juice, and 15 ml sugar syrup, shaken and strained over ice, then topped with 50 ml soda water.
What's the difference between a John Collins and a Tom Collins?
The gin. A Tom Collins calls for Old Tom gin, which is slightly sweeter, as this recipe does. A John Collins uses a dry London-style gin. Otherwise they are made the same way: lemon, sugar syrup, and soda water, served long over ice.
What is a Tom Collins with bourbon called?
Usually a Whiskey Collins or Bourbon Collins. The Tom Collins name belongs to the version made with Old Tom gin.
Do people still drink Tom Collins cocktails?
Yes. The Tom Collins is still a popular warm-weather highball and a staple of classic cocktail menus. Light, fizzy, and lemony, it stays in rotation with the other gin long drinks, especially in summer.
