Why It Works
- Shaking the cocktail ingredients without the club soda ensures the drink retains its carbonation when served.
The Tom Collins dates back more than a century and a half, but its welcoming crispness keeps it fresh always. So established in the libational world, the Tom Collins even has its own eponymous glass (tall, with plenty of room for ice). The drink features aromatic gin, fresh lemon juice, a touch of simple syrup for sweet balance, and a good pour of club soda for a refreshingly fizzy quaff.
Over the years, the drink has faced some challenges—bottles of Holland House Collins Mix in my parents’ liquor cabinet spring to mind. Was squeezing a lemon really so difficult? But successfully navigating its course from horse-and-carriage days to the digital age, the Tom Collins is built for survival. Keep some lemons, gin, and soda water on hand and you can knock together a Collins whenever the urge may strike.
August 2008
The Tall Drink of Gin You Should Be Sipping All Summer
Cook Mode
(Keep screen awake)
1 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
Chilled club soda
Combine ingredients other than club soda in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a Collins glass with lots of ice and top with chilled club soda. Insert straw and do what comes natural.
Serious Eats / Two Bites
Special Equipment
Cocktail shaker, cocktail strainer
