Missing 4
Tonight if you have Gin, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, and Soda Water.
Missing: Gin, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Soda Water
Lemon Juice also goes into: Appletini, Bee's Knees, Gold Rush
Ingredients
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Missing a bottle? Stock your pantry to see what else you can mix.
How to make
- Fill a highball or Collins glass with ice so the drink stays tall and cold — ice in the glass is what separates this from a Gin Fizz.
- Add 2 oz gin, 1 oz lemon juice, and ¾ oz simple syrup to a shaker with ice.
- London dry from the pantry is fine if you do not keep Old Tom.
- Shake until the shaker is frosty.
- Strain into the ice-filled glass.
- Top with cold soda water and stir once so the bubbles stay lively.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel and a cherry.
History
The Tom Collins started in London as the John Collins, a tall gin punch with lemon, sugar, and soda served at Limmer's Hotel. When the drink crossed the Atlantic, the version made with lightly sweetened Old Tom gin kept the Tom name — helped along by the 1874 Tom Collins Hoax, a practical joke about a fictional man of that name. Shake the gin, lemon, and syrup, then soda last so it does not go flat in the shaker. If your pantry is London dry, some books would call this a John Collins; the ice-filled highball is the same refreshing pour. Make it when you already have gin, lemon, and soda.
Glassware
Built for long drinks with ice and a mixer — keeps the pour cold and easy to top up.
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Tom Collins FAQ
What ingredients are in a Tom Collins?
A Tom Collins is made with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and soda water. Amounts and pantry matching are in the ingredients list on this page.
How do you make a Tom Collins?
Fill a highball or Collins glass with ice so the drink stays tall and cold — ice in the glass is what separates this from a Gin Fizz. Add 2 oz gin, 1 oz lemon juice, and ¾ oz simple syrup to a shaker with ice. London dry from the pantry is fine if you do not keep Old Tom. Shake until the shaker is frosty. Strain into the ice-filled glass. Top with cold soda water and stir once so the bubbles stay lively. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a cherry.
What glass do you serve a Tom Collins in?
Serve a Tom Collins in a Highball. Built for long drinks with ice and a mixer — keeps the pour cold and easy to top up.
Can I make a Tom Collins with bottles I already own?
Add your spirits and mixers in Pantry. My Cocktail Pantry will show whether this Tom Collins is ready to mix or which ingredients you are missing.
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