Tom Collins
Essentially lemonade with Gin in it, a Tom Collins is the perfect drink for a summer's day. The Tom Collins has some strength to it, but considering the amount of liquid in the cocktail, you can take your time with it, which is important as it's supposed to be a refreshment, not something you pour down your throat and get too drunk with too quickly.A mixed drink like this usually calls for a London Dry Gin, but alternative botanicals in some of today's more interesting Gins can go quite well here. Use your favourite Gin to see how it goes, you'll likely be pleasantly surprised.Enjoy this long drink sitting in the sun with friends or as a way to relax on a warm evening.
Ingredients
- 60 mL Gin
- 30 mL Lemon Juice
- 30 mL Simple Syrup*
- 150 mL Club Soda
- Garnish with lemon wedge
Instructions
- Combine Gin, Lemon Juice, and Simple Syrup in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Shake until the shaker is too cold to touch.
- Strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice.
- Top up with Club Soda.
- Garnish and drink.
Notes
*Here's our Simple Syrup recipe.
As mentioned, feel free to try your favourite Gin in this cocktail. Play with it and have fun. Cocktail usually call for a traditional London Dry Gin, but there's a big opportunity to try some different botanicals in this cocktail to get some different flavours. That's half the fun of Gin!
Finally, the Tom Collins has been around since the 1800's and, as with a lot of cocktails, its name is shrouded in mystery. This is probably partially due to the drink's age as well as it being a relatively simple cocktail that becomes a variation of a variation or a variation. We won't go into the various theories and history of the name; it doesn't matter. Ultimately it's a great cocktail, and that's really all that matters.