Whiskey Collins
A refreshing, citrus and bubbly whiskey cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 13.5% ABV ∙
The Whiskey Collins is a tall Collins of bourbon, lemon juice and sugar syrup, shaken and topped with soda water over ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake the first 4 ingredients with ice: Bourbon 60 mlLemon juice 30 mlSugar syrup 15 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes (opt.)
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Top with Soda water and briefly stir
- Garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry
History
The Whiskey Collins has no separate invention story of its own: it is simply the Collins made with whiskey rather than gin, a substitution old enough to appear in the very first printed Collins recipes. When Jerry Thomas's Bar-Tenders Guide set down the drink in its 1887 edition, it actually gave three versions of the "Tom Collins" side by side, made with whiskey, brandy, or gin. The Collins was already understood as an interchangeable format rather than one fixed recipe. The whiskey version later came to be called by other names as well, including the Colonel Collins and, in the United States, often simply the John Collins.
The Collins itself descends from the gin punches served at London clubs in the early 1800s and is traced to a headwaiter named John Collins at Limmer's Hotel in London.
FAQ
What is a whiskey Collins?
A tall, fizzy bourbon drink: bourbon shaken with lemon juice and sugar syrup, then topped with soda water over ice in a Collins glass.
What is in a bourbon Collins cocktail?
60 ml bourbon, 30 ml fresh lemon juice, and 15 ml sugar syrup, shaken and topped with 40 ml soda water. Two dashes of Angostura bitters in the shaker are optional.
What makes a drink a Collins?
A Collins is a spirit shaken or built with citrus juice and sugar, then lengthened with soda water and served tall over ice. The Whiskey Collins uses bourbon as the base.
What's the difference between a John Collins and a Tom Collins?
The base spirit. A John Collins is traditionally made with whiskey or genever, a Tom Collins with gin; both use lemon, sugar, and soda. This Whiskey Collins is the bourbon style associated with the John Collins name.
