Tom Collins

Cocktail· London Dry

Tom Collins

The Tom Collins is a built highball cocktail of London dry gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and cold soda water, served over ice in a tall Collins glass and garnished with a lemon wheel and a brandied cherry. It dates to mid-19th-century London and takes its name from a then-famous hoax: bar patrons would be told a man named Tom Collins was nearby talking trash about them. The drink became famous through the hoax, not the other way around.

3 min EasyHighballBuilt

Ingredients

  • 2 oz London dry gin
  • 1 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 0.5 oz simple syrup
  • 3 oz cold soda water, to top

Method

  1. Add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a chilled highball glass.
  2. Fill with fresh ice.
  3. Top with cold soda water.
  4. Stir once gently with a bar spoon to integrate without killing the carbonation.
  5. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a brandied cherry.

Garnish

Lemon wheel and brandied cherry

Pro tip

Keep the soda cold and the stir minimal; over-stirring kills the bubbles and turns the drink slack.

From the bar

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