Tom Collins
Gin, lemon, and sugar, shaken and topped with soda water in a tall glass — an effervescent classic dating to at least 1876 and named after a famous 1874 practical joke.
About the Tom Collins
The Tom Collins is gin, lemon juice, and sugar, shaken and topped with soda water in a tall glass — bright, crisp, and effervescent, with gin’s botanicals balanced by tart citrus and gentle sweetness. It’s the drink that lends its name to the whole “Collins” family of tall, spirit-plus-citrus-plus-soda cocktails.
Gin-and-citrus “Collins”-style drinks date to at least the 1860s, with the first clear print appearance in Jerry Thomas’s 1876 Bar-Tender’s Guide. The best-documented origin story ties the name to the “Great Tom Collins Hoax” of 1874, a viral prank in which people around the US were told a man named Tom Collins was badmouthing them at a nearby bar, sending them off on a wild goose chase. Bartenders played along, serving a “Tom Collins” to anyone who came in asking for him, and the joke stuck to the drink. A separate, older thread credits bartender John Collins of Limmer’s Hotel, London, with an earlier gin punch the whole family is named after — with “Tom” specifically referring to Old Tom gin, a slightly sweetened style used in the original.
It’s a warm-weather sipper best served long and cold, meant to be low-intensity and easy-drinking rather than boozy.
The Classic Recipe
Classic Tom Collins — Serves 1
- 50ml gin
- 25ml fresh lemon juice
- 15ml simple syrup
- 60-90ml club soda, to top up
- Lemon wheel and maraschino cherry, to garnish
Method
- Add the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker with ice and shake well.
- Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice and top with club soda.
- Stir gently once or twice, then garnish with a lemon wheel and cherry.
Tips for the Best Tom Collins
- Shake before you top. Shaking the gin, lemon, and syrup first gives a better chill and integration than building everything directly in the glass.
- Top with soda last. Add it after straining over fresh ice, and stir just once or twice to preserve the fizz.
- Balance the sweetness to your gin. A more botanical, juniper-forward gin can take slightly more syrup; a lighter gin needs less.
- Use fresh lemon juice. Bottled juice flattens the bright, tart edge that makes this drink refreshing rather than just sweet.
- Serve it tall and cold. A full glass of ice and a tall Collins glass keep it at its best for longer on a warm day.
Popular Variations
John Collins
Made with bourbon or Genever instead of gin, giving a warmer, maltier take on the same citrus-and-soda formula.
Vodka Collins
A neutral-spirit version that puts more focus on the lemon and soda than on any particular botanical character.
Rum Collins (Pedro Collins)
Rum in place of gin adds a touch of sweetness and warmth to the classic tall citrus-soda build.
Cucumber Collins
Muddled cucumber adds a cooling, garden-fresh note that plays well with the drink’s already-refreshing character.
How to Serve
Glass: A tall Collins glass, the style the whole cocktail family is named after.
Ice: Served long over fresh ice, filled to the top of the glass.
Batching for a crowd: Pre-mix the gin, lemon juice, and syrup in a jug and chill, then top each glass with soda water individually just before serving to keep the fizz.
Related Database Entries
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