Ingredients
- 2 oz Gin
- 1 oz Lemon Juice
- 1 oz Sugar Syrup
- Soda
Instructions
Prepare the Glass:
- Start by selecting a highball glass. This tall, narrow glass is perfect for showcasing the effervescent qualities of the Tom Collins.
Combine the Ingredients:
- Pour 2 oz of gin into the highball glass. Gin provides the botanical base for the drink, delivering a crisp and refreshing flavor.
- Add 1 oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice for a bright, tangy component.
- Pour in 1 oz of sugar syrup to balance the tartness of the lemon juice. Adjust the amount to taste if you prefer a sweeter or less sweet drink.
Add Ice:
- Fill the glass with ice cubes to chill the mixture and maintain the drink's refreshing quality.
Top with Soda:
- Top off the drink with soda water. The soda adds a pleasant fizz, making the Tom Collins a wonderfully refreshing cocktail.
Garnish and Serve:
- Garnish with a lemon wheel placed on the rim of the glass or floated on top. This not only enhances the drink’s appearance but also adds a subtle citrus aroma with each sip.
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Tom Collins traces back to mid-1800s London bartender John Collins, who worked at Limmer's Hotel and built a gin punch that bore his name. The American version swapped the original genever-style gin for sweeter Old Tom gin and the name shifted with it. By the 1870s the Tom Collins was a New York fixture.
It rode the Great Tom Collins Hoax of 1874 all the way to the front pages: a running prank where strangers would tell you that a man called Tom Collins was at a nearby bar saying terrible things about you, then send you off to find him. The drink got named after the joke, or the joke got named after the drink. No one fully agrees.
What it tastes like
Lemon, sugar, gin botanicals, and soda fizz, in that order. It's in the sour family but stretched out with carbonation, so it drinks lighter than a Whiskey Sour or Margarita. Best on a hot afternoon or as a session drink.
Old Tom gin (slightly sweetened) is the historic choice and gives the drink a softer mouthfeel. London Dry is the modern standard and brings more bite from the juniper. Both work.
The technique
Build directly in a tall Collins glass over ice. Or shake the gin, lemon, and sugar with a couple of cubes, strain into the glass, and top with soda. The shake gets the sugar fully dissolved and adds a touch of foam.
Use cold soda from a fresh bottle. Flat soda kills this drink. Pour the soda last, slowly down the side, and stir once gently. Aggressive stirring blows out the bubbles.
Drink Buddy Exclusive
Tell us what's in your cabinet.
Our Cocktail Builder takes whatever bottles you've got and hands you every drink you can actually make tonight.
Get the Drink Buddy newsletter
One drink, one tip, one Tuesday a month.
Plus the recipes we drop before they hit the site. Zero spam.
Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The gin
- Use
- Old Tom gin (Hayman's, Ransom) or a London Dry
- Try
- Plymouth gin for softer botanicals
- Why
- Old Tom is historic and slightly sweet. London Dry is sharper and more juniper-led.
The lemon
- Use
- Fresh lemon juice, fine-strained
- Skip
- Bottled lemon juice
- Why
- The drink is built on lemon. Bottled juice tastes flat next to the gin.
The soda
- Use
- Cold soda water from a fresh bottle or siphon
- Skip
- Tonic water (different drink, called a Gin Tonic Sour by some)
- Why
- Plain soda lifts without flavour. Tonic adds quinine bitterness that fights the lemon.
Variations
Other tall, fizzy classics in the gin and citrus family.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Vodka turns it into a Vodka Collins. Whiskey turns it into a Whiskey Sour topped with soda. Tequila turns it into a Tequila Collins. All workable.
Lime works. The drink becomes a Gin Rickey's sweeter cousin.
Caster sugar, shaken hard with the lemon. Just give it 15 seconds in the shaker before adding ice.
Sparkling mineral water works. Tonic changes the flavour profile (quinine bitterness).
Bump gin to 60ml and shake harder. The lemon and soda absorb the extra alcohol nicely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Tom Collins?
Gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and soda water. Classic spec: 45ml gin, 25ml lemon, 15ml simple syrup, topped with soda in a tall glass over ice.
How do you make a Tom Collins?
Fill a Collins glass with ice. Add 45ml gin, 25ml lemon, 15ml simple syrup. Top with cold soda water. Stir gently once. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a maraschino cherry.
Where did the Tom Collins come from?
Mid-1800s London via John Collins at Limmer's Hotel, with the American Tom Collins emerging by the 1870s. The Great Tom Collins Hoax of 1874 turned the name into a household phrase in New York.
Tom Collins vs John Collins?
John Collins was the original, made with Dutch genever (a malty pre-modern gin). Tom Collins is the American version made with Old Tom or London Dry gin. Same template, different gin, different drink.
Tom Collins vs gin fizz?
Same liquid recipe, different glass. A Gin Fizz is shaken hard, strained into a small glass, then topped with soda. A Tom Collins is built or shaken into a tall glass with ice. Tom Collins is longer and has more soda.
What gin should I use?
Old Tom gin is the historic choice and slightly sweet. A standard London Dry like Beefeater or Tanqueray is the modern default. Plymouth is softer. Avoid heavily floral gins.
How strong is a Tom Collins?
Around 8 to 10 percent ABV in the glass after dilution. Sessionable. Drink with food or you'll drink three before lunch.
Should I shake or build a Tom Collins?
Either. Shaking gets the sugar fully dissolved and adds a touch of foam. Building over ice in the glass is faster. Both end at the same drink.
Why does my Tom Collins go flat?
Soda was old, glass was warm, or you stirred too much. Pour soda last, down the side, into a chilled glass, then one slow stir. That's it.
What glass should I use?
A Collins glass: tall, narrow, holds 350 to 400ml. A Highball works in a pinch. Anything tall and thin keeps the bubbles longer.
More Like This
More long drinks for warm afternoons.
