Archetype of the Collins family, the Tom Collins shakes gin, fresh lemon juice, and superfine sugar, strains the mixture over ice in a tall collins glass, and lengthens it with club soda, garnished with a maraschino cherry and orange slice. The category to which it gives its name comprises tall drinks built on a spirit sour base and topped with soda. Its refreshing, effervescent quality—around 8 percent ABV—has kept it a warm-weather standard for over 150 years. The gin's botanicals carry through the dilution, balanced by the lemon and a measured touch of sweetness.
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Tom Collins
Colonel Collins
Ingredientes
- Gin 2 oz
- Lemon Juice 1 oz
- Sugar 1 tsp superfine
- Club soda 3 oz
- Maraschino cherry 1
- Orange 1
Instruções
In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the gin, lemon juice, and sugar. Shake well. Strain into a collins glass alomst filled with ice cubes. Add the club soda. Stir and garnish with the cherry and the orange slice.
Tom Collins é um drinque longo clássico à base de gin feito com gin, suco de limão fresco, açúcar refinado e água com gás, servido com gelo em um copo tall collins e guarnecido com uma cereja marasquino e fatia de laranja. É o membro arquetípico da família Collins, uma categoria de bebidas altas, cítricas e gasosas construídas sobre uma base de sour com destilado. A qualidade refrescante e efervescente da bebida garantiu seu lugar como padrão de clima quente por mais de 150 anos.
History & Origins
The Tom Collins appeared in Jerry Thomas's 1876 bartending guide 'The Bartenders Guide', though it is often linked to a historical hoax called the 'Tom Collins Hoax' that swept American cities in 1874, where pranksters told victims that a 'Tom Collins' was talking about them at a nearby bar. The drink appears to have predated the hoax, likely deriving from the John Collins (a whiskey-based variant) and being renamed after the Old Tom gin style commonly used. The IBA lists it among its Contemporary Classics.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: Fresh lemon zest and gin juniper with a subtle sweetness and clean soda effervescence. Palate: Tart and citrusy from the lemon juice, balanced by the sugar's sweetness and gin's botanical complexity; club soda extends the drink and adds a refreshing effervescence that lifts the flavors. Finish: Clean, dry, and refreshing with a lingering lemon citrus note.
Pro Tip
Use Old Tom gin for a historically accurate, slightly sweeter version, or London Dry for a more classic, juniper-forward Collins.
Técnicas Utilizadas
Variações
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Frequently Asked Questions
What ingredients make up a Tom Collins?
A Tom Collins is made with gin, fresh lemon juice, superfine sugar, and club soda, served over ice in a tall collins glass. It is garnished with a maraschino cherry and an orange slice, and represents the archetypal member of the Collins cocktail family — a long, refreshing sour-based drink topped with soda.
What is the history of the Tom Collins?
The Tom Collins has been documented in cocktail literature since at least the late nineteenth century, making it one of the older recognized long drinks in the Western canon. It gave its name to the Collins glass — the tall, narrow tumbler now synonymous with long drinks — and has remained a warm-weather standard for over 150 years.
How does a Tom Collins differ from other Collins variations?
A Tom Collins specifically uses gin as its base spirit, while variations in the Collins family substitute other spirits — the John Collins uses bourbon, the Vodka Collins uses vodka, and the Mike Collins uses Irish whiskey. The Tom Collins is considered the original and most classic expression of the Collins format.
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